Murphy’s Law: Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong

Alicia: UnLeashed!

Growing up in Maryland it’s pretty obligatory to own a boat or at least spend a good deal of time on one. We used to spend every weekend out on ours, it was nothing extravagant but it sure was fun… fun, and a lot of work. My memories are probably pretty evenly split between wind in the hair muddy water delight and trying to make myself scarce as my Dad grumbled and strained fixing something on that boat that was not working properly. So it is little wonder that I will never forget the brass plaque mounted on the helm that read “Murphy’s law: Nothing is as easy as it looks. Everything takes longer than you expect. And if anything can go wrong, it will, at the worst possible moment”   I used to wonder why my dad kept that reminder around, it seemed like a bit of a curse. But now that I live life with diabetes, I get it 100%!

It sure seems to me that Murphy’s law applies to diabetes in spades! The night you decide to basal test is the night you go high for no reason at all! The day you finally remember to get your fasting labs drawn you go low and have to eat.  The week you start a new piece of technology you also get sick, have a major power outage, and are abducted by aliens!! (ok that might be a little much, but it’s not far off from how it feels)

The past few weeks have been an absolute picture of Murphy’s law for me as I embarked on my journey to Looping. Allow me to briefly run down the list of follies:

-was sent the wrong ipod on which to run Loop

-second Ipod sent had a battery that got crazy hot (heat and insulin don’t mix)

-husband’s computer froze while building my Loop app (Of course on the step that might freeze for a long time anyway so I couldn’t tell it was the computer not the build for…. ooooh a few hours!)

-Dexcom fails to pair with new Ipod

-Second Dexcom attempt- Sensor fail

-Third Dexcom sensor lasts 6 hours then fails

-4 days in, Old Medtronic pump has fatal battery error

-2 weeks in Second old Medtronic pump has Button error while at my Aunt’s wedding leading to ketones and a night of headaches.

So here I am, setting up pump # 3 after another failed Dexcom sensor last night, but I am not sharing this story to complain about technology or how unpredictable and unreliable it can sometimes be. I am writing to remind us all that resilience is a necessary part of this Dlife. I’m writing to remind all of you out there struggling with adopting new technologies into your lives that it happens to us ALL. Murphy’s law just seems to love diabetes. It makes it extra frustrating at times, but keeping that little plaque in mind helps remind us that it’s not US, it’s not LIFE, it’s not even a bad day. These struggles are a moment in time, that we can be aware of and try to be mindful to minimize (remembering Murphy’s law I packed a backup pump and extra sets and insulin anticipating just such a fall out while traveling) , and when they do come up to not be taken so off guard and maintain a sense of humor and resilience.

Things are going to go wrong. We can become bitter, negative and become a victim to happenstance, or we can embrace these times as part of our journey and grow in strength and flexibility.

I will be back out there looping later today, and keeping an extra eye out for lightning, falling trees sinkholes…. just in case.