Tomorrow is the day.

That's right! It's arrived... our pump start date.

For the last week, Frank, myself and even Sierra have worn her Animas Ping pump during our one week 'saline' trial. Where we learn how to properly load, inject a set (more on that later) and most importantly, see what it's like to be hooked up 24/7 (oh, and how to use all of the fancy buttons and functions of course).

This has been a long process for me, mentally and emotionally, I think. A lot of internal stuff going on, but while part of me feels a little sad to see the tube coming out of her little bum-cheek, a bigger part of me sees a little hope. A little more freedom. More flexibility (for her AND us). More control over smaller doses to help us when 1/2 a unit is just a little too much with a regular shot, but finding the right 'in-between' is a guessing game at best.

So far, I'm pretty amped about this change. Sierra had her set put on last night for the first time, and she was AMAZING about it. No numbing. No moving, she was awesome. She even said it didn't hurt (wow really? I felt a little sting when I had mine put on my tummy!). She's had it on since and been very good about it. She carries the pump in a child-sized "spibelt". Sort of like a tight, small fanny-pack that is popular with runners to keep their stuff on them w/o it bouncing around with each step.

She didn't like sleeping with it on, which I get, there are clips holding it together that are hard, so we let it just hang out, and it worked (fingers crossed here, knock on wood). She's at school today... I'm interested to hear how it goes :)

Anyway... tomorrow is the big one. We go into the doctors office and they work on all of her numbers with us and we go LIVE. We put insulin in and she's "shot free" aside from the every 2-3 day set injection we have to do with the pump cannula.

Here's the skinny on sets... essentially it's a slightly larger needle with a small cannula (tube) attached to it. We do a quick inject (the sets come with something that does this for us w/ the press of a button, more or less) and then pull the needle out and the tube stays in, then we attach tubing from her pump to the set. It's awesome! One click you're in! You can remove the tube/pump attachment and just keep the set in (safely) so she can get in water or whatever - even though it's water proof there isn't any real reason for us to keep it on her for a 15-20 minute bath here and there. Nevermind the ocean - sand trap!

I'm excited for this next step, even while I'm cautious and a little wary. This is not the end-all-be-all, but it's the best I feel we have right now, and hopefully I'm right and the switch from MDI (Multiple Daily Injections) to the pump will be a positive thing for Sierra and our family.

Sadly, this will not diminish or stop my nightly checks (Yep, still doing that!), but I'll have some options available through the pump now that can hopefully keep me from having to wake her for any issue. She can sleep peacefully if she's high while I instruct the pump to give her a little extra insulin, or I can slow down her constant trip if she's moving out of her safe-range and night so that she doesn't drop any lower (ie: I won't have to shove grapes in her half-sleeping mouth!).

These are good things. I anticipate (and have been told in all truthfullness to anticipate) that there will be a rough few weeks. Some have said I may feel like throwing the damn thing out the window after a week or two - but to stay strong, to know it's just a minor bump in a lifetime of aid.

I'm going to try and go in with that. Know that I will probably mess up, but I will learn, and I will learn as fast as humanly possible. For Sisi.

Wish us luck!