Arrggghhh! Why is it that just when you think everything is settling down and life is getting back on an even keel yet another source of stress appears?
Last Friday I received two new pumps to replace the ones I currently have as they have to go back for their annual servicing. At the same time they took away one of my old pumps so I was left with two new and one old. The new pumps programmed really easily and I change my old pump for one of the new ones that very night. Everything went swimmingly and by Sunday I had confidently packaged up my old pump ready for collection.
Monday I arrived home from work tired and fractious, my Sunday night sleep had been destroyed by a neighbour's car alarm going off every five minutes from about five o'clock so I went to work already shattered. A busy day ensued and I came home hoping to just do my meds, change my pumps over and have an early night. One pump had other ideas. The pump I had on was fine but the one I was about to put on threw a hissy fit the minute I turned it on. It squealed out a warning that I had air in the line. This sometimes happens so I removed the cassette and examined it carefully. I couldn't see any air in the cassette or the line so I reattached the cassette and started again. Once again the alarm went off so I re-primed the lined and reattached the cassette. Off went the alarm once again. Thinking I was making a mistake I called Peter in to check the line. I thought that as I was tired maybe I was missing something. He couldn't see anything either. On went the cassette, off went the alarm. Half an hour past and I'd re-primed the line so often there wasn't enough medication left in the cassette for me so I made up some more and completely replaced the line and cassette figuring maybe one of them was faulty. Off went the alarm again and I lost it. I threw the machine on the floor and started stamping on it, that didn't shut it up so I grabbed the nearest thing, a sandal, and beat the thing until I burst into tears and sat on the floor exhausted and howling my eyes out.
Once the storm had passed Peter appeared with the old pump which we attached without any problems, he knows when to stay out of the way after many years of practice. In that one moment all my anger and frustration that I'd kept inside about having to wear the damned thing in the first place just came pouring out and I felt so much better. As we were sorting out the pumps I told Peter that if I'd had a hammer I'd have probably broken it into pieces. 'Why do you think I keep the hammers locked in the shed,' he replied sweetly and we both burst out laughing.
The problem of the pump remained though and I decide to call Carl at the Brompton after work the following day and run it past him.
Tuesday and I called Carl who sympathised and said the best way to deal with it in the short term was to turn the air detector off. We spent almost an hour, me pressing buttons while he read out the instructions over the phone. We managed to stop it squealing but couldn't turn the air detector off. Carl decided that the pump was obviously faulty and said he would get in touch with the supplier in the morning and ask for it to be replaced. A new pump arrived Wednesday evening and so far so good but I hate to think what I'd be capable off if one of them breaks down again.
The week has been a trying one with broken nights, if that car alarm doesn't get fixed soon I swear I'll be having words, and busy days. I'm certainly feeling it at the moment. I don't have the get up and go I once had and have had to talk myself out of bed everyday. It could just be lack of sleep or it could be another step on the slippery slope. I'm thinking of asking to reduce my hours again. Currently I do thirty one hours per week but I'm wondering whether a drop to twenty five or even twenty might be beneficial, especially with winter fast approaching. I'm seeing my teams at both the Brompton and Papworth at the end of September so will delay my decision until then but I definitely think a reduction is on the cards.
Tomorrow we move Andrew back home as his summer placements come to an end. Despite the panic of not having enough hours to pass the course he has now done thirty hours over quota as he loves it so much. The only thing he's failed to get signed off is a birth but that is one of those things he can carry over into next year anyway as they are notoriously rare. He's home for two weeks and then we move him into his new place for the start of the autumn term. I cannot believe my little boy is already in his second year. This time next year he'll be out working full time with a mentor for his final year but at least he will be earning while he learns, which takes the pressure off us.
Laurence celebrated his twenty fifth birthday on Tuesday and I cannot believe it. I am so proud he has grown into the man he has become. Unfortunately I won't be seeing him this weekend as he is working but hopefully I will next weekend and will be making him a birthday cake.
Well my stomach is rumbling, I woke up late so haven't had any breakfast, so it's off to the kitchen to rustle up some barbecue chicken and rice.
Oh did I say? I saw the trailer for Strictly last night, so, so excited. Not quite so excited at Vanessa Feltz being a contestant but there you go, you can't have everything.
Last Friday I received two new pumps to replace the ones I currently have as they have to go back for their annual servicing. At the same time they took away one of my old pumps so I was left with two new and one old. The new pumps programmed really easily and I change my old pump for one of the new ones that very night. Everything went swimmingly and by Sunday I had confidently packaged up my old pump ready for collection.
Monday I arrived home from work tired and fractious, my Sunday night sleep had been destroyed by a neighbour's car alarm going off every five minutes from about five o'clock so I went to work already shattered. A busy day ensued and I came home hoping to just do my meds, change my pumps over and have an early night. One pump had other ideas. The pump I had on was fine but the one I was about to put on threw a hissy fit the minute I turned it on. It squealed out a warning that I had air in the line. This sometimes happens so I removed the cassette and examined it carefully. I couldn't see any air in the cassette or the line so I reattached the cassette and started again. Once again the alarm went off so I re-primed the lined and reattached the cassette. Off went the alarm once again. Thinking I was making a mistake I called Peter in to check the line. I thought that as I was tired maybe I was missing something. He couldn't see anything either. On went the cassette, off went the alarm. Half an hour past and I'd re-primed the line so often there wasn't enough medication left in the cassette for me so I made up some more and completely replaced the line and cassette figuring maybe one of them was faulty. Off went the alarm again and I lost it. I threw the machine on the floor and started stamping on it, that didn't shut it up so I grabbed the nearest thing, a sandal, and beat the thing until I burst into tears and sat on the floor exhausted and howling my eyes out.
Once the storm had passed Peter appeared with the old pump which we attached without any problems, he knows when to stay out of the way after many years of practice. In that one moment all my anger and frustration that I'd kept inside about having to wear the damned thing in the first place just came pouring out and I felt so much better. As we were sorting out the pumps I told Peter that if I'd had a hammer I'd have probably broken it into pieces. 'Why do you think I keep the hammers locked in the shed,' he replied sweetly and we both burst out laughing.
The problem of the pump remained though and I decide to call Carl at the Brompton after work the following day and run it past him.
Tuesday and I called Carl who sympathised and said the best way to deal with it in the short term was to turn the air detector off. We spent almost an hour, me pressing buttons while he read out the instructions over the phone. We managed to stop it squealing but couldn't turn the air detector off. Carl decided that the pump was obviously faulty and said he would get in touch with the supplier in the morning and ask for it to be replaced. A new pump arrived Wednesday evening and so far so good but I hate to think what I'd be capable off if one of them breaks down again.
The week has been a trying one with broken nights, if that car alarm doesn't get fixed soon I swear I'll be having words, and busy days. I'm certainly feeling it at the moment. I don't have the get up and go I once had and have had to talk myself out of bed everyday. It could just be lack of sleep or it could be another step on the slippery slope. I'm thinking of asking to reduce my hours again. Currently I do thirty one hours per week but I'm wondering whether a drop to twenty five or even twenty might be beneficial, especially with winter fast approaching. I'm seeing my teams at both the Brompton and Papworth at the end of September so will delay my decision until then but I definitely think a reduction is on the cards.
Tomorrow we move Andrew back home as his summer placements come to an end. Despite the panic of not having enough hours to pass the course he has now done thirty hours over quota as he loves it so much. The only thing he's failed to get signed off is a birth but that is one of those things he can carry over into next year anyway as they are notoriously rare. He's home for two weeks and then we move him into his new place for the start of the autumn term. I cannot believe my little boy is already in his second year. This time next year he'll be out working full time with a mentor for his final year but at least he will be earning while he learns, which takes the pressure off us.
Well my stomach is rumbling, I woke up late so haven't had any breakfast, so it's off to the kitchen to rustle up some barbecue chicken and rice.
Oh did I say? I saw the trailer for Strictly last night, so, so excited. Not quite so excited at Vanessa Feltz being a contestant but there you go, you can't have everything.
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