Chapter 14 – Pump
"Gabi, let's go please." My dad begged from the door. I put on my finishing touch of makeup as Troy came up behide me. He slipped his arms around my waist and kissed my neck.
"Come on babe," I looked him in the eyes through the mirror. "I am almost done," he raised an eyebrow and then kissed my shoulder. "Troy, my parents are in the room over!" he shrugged his shoulders; "Gabi!" my dad yelled again, I put my lip-gloss down and slipped out of Troy's grasp.
I picked up my tank top out of my room as I slipped off my dirty tshirt. "You really don't have to put another shirt on." I glanced back at him, "Ha ha," I slipped the dark blue tank top over my head to match my white shorts.
Grabbing my sunglasses, I meet my parents at the door. Troy followed behide in a pair of khakis with a basketball tshirt. "Finally, were you doing something back there?" he looked at Troy then back to me. "Dad," I whined, "Sir, I would never do such a thing." Troy admitted to him, my dad lowered his eyes.
"Alright everybody lets go," my mom slipped her hand into my dad's. I grinned as they were recoiling with each other. They were so close to divorce and then this is where the end up?
We followed my parents out into the lobby of our hotel. Troy slipped his hand into mine as we ducked into the car. "I barely remember half of last night." I told him, "You were passed out." He said rubbing my thigh, my stomach was nervous and scared for the time ahead.
"Are there like a side affects to any of this?" I asked my dad, "None that I am aware of." He said as we drove through the town. I relaxed into Troy. His lips pressed against my temple and they did not move for a few minutes. "Never do such a thing?" my dad asked, "We weren't doing anything dad." My murmured as I rested my head against the shoulder.
Troy rested his chin on the top of my head, "They are being quiet, leave them alone." My mom said to him as they grabbed each other's hands from the other side. Troy looked at me and then my dad pulled into an area with a bunch of cooperate offices around.
"Alright kids, you best off to behave." My dad joked, I rolled my eyes, "Come on dad, I am already nervous enough." My mom shot me a quick glance, "Are you okay? Do you need to check your blood sugar?"
"Maria, I am pretty sure she just has a bucket load of nerves," Troy said to them honestly, I had no clue what I would do without this boy. I shot Troy a thank you look while he winked. We both got out of the car on separate sides but gained each other's hand as we strode side by side.
We walked into the corporate buildings and Troy squeezed my hand. As my parents looked at the board to figure out what floor we needed to be on Troy stole a kiss. My lips pierced his as I turned my head to make sure my parents were not watching. Troy separated quickly as my parents turned back towards us.
"Level five," my dad said as he strode towards the elevator. I looked at my mom, "He is excited," she explained, "He knows you really want this and he just wants you to be happy." I smiled softly as my dad held the elevator for us.
Once reaching level five there was a few doors but the first one I saw was Medtronic. I erased my hand from Troy's as I leaped for the door. It flew open easier than I thought and I bounced into the lobby.
The secretary looked up at me, "You must be Gabi," I smiled and nodded, "That's me,"
"Follow me into the conference room," she replied standing, Troy had a grip on one of my shoulders as my parents lagged behide. "Stacy will be in shortly to begin," she said as the door opened up. It was a small room with three chairs on one side and one on the other. "We are going to need one more chair," I said turning to face her, "Oh, I was only expecting three of you." She blushed and then smiled with an apology. "I will be right back with another one." Troy kept his grip on my shoulders while he wrapped his hand around my shoulders. He pulled me back into a comforting hug.
"Thanks," I whispered closely to him, "Thanks for getting me a chair," I giggled as the she came back with a roller chair. "Oh! I call dips!" I said falling straight into the seat once she stopped moving it.
"Everybody loves the roller chairs, hi im Stacy," she held her hand out and I stood up again to shake her hand, "Gabi." She nodded and gave me a smile. "I'm Dave and this is my wife Maria," he said shaking her hand and my mother followed suit.
"And you are?" she asked, "Troy," I spoke quickly, "He is my boyfriend," Troy struck his hand out and gave her a Bolton smile that made me melt. "Nice to meet you Troy, well lets have everybody take a seat." She said she was holding a box in hand and a folder of papers in another.
"Obviously you didn't get to watch any of the videos," she said with a faint smile, I scooted into the middle with my chair, in-between my mom and Troy. My dad sat on the corner with his arms folded as he was protecting me.
"So we are going to go over a bit more information, first off Gabi can you tell me your diagnosed date?" I squinted my eyes, "March 24th," I responded, Troy squeezed my hand and she wrote it down on the piece of paper. "Good, now I will let you do the honor of opening the box." She handed over the box and I felt squirmy inside.
I ripped back the piece of tape and then the lips flapped open. I reached inside to grab the first thing I saw, "It's pink," I whispered letting my hands fall over it.
"What your parents ordered," I looked over and gave them a huge smile, "Now, if you want to grab the battery and put it in over on the other side." She drifted her voice and I unscrewed the cap and dropped the battery inside.
The pink machine came alive. It was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand and it was rectangular. There was five buttons on the machine with two things at the top one for a battery and the other I was not quiet sure.
It was plastic with blank screen as it booted up. "Now, I should warn you, this will get mistaken for a pager, an iPod, a phone and many other things you may have never heard of before. If they try to take it away from you like at school, show them it's attached to you or explain," Stacy told me, "Be gently, it does rip out." She said pointing to the box of tubes and some pad.
"What rips out?" I asked her, "The wire with the site." I raised an eyebrow, "A site?" I asked her. She nodded, "Let's go over the basic products here. I am going to referred this as a site." She held up a package that had a tube of wire with a small patch. She ripped it open and then set it on the table.
"Here is the wire; this will be attached to a reservoir." She explained slowly, she opened another box that held these long blue needles are more what it looked like. I backed up a little but Troy pushed me back in. "This takes your insulin from this?" she tapped the reservoir, "To this," her finger poked the long clear part of reservoir. "We will explain how to fill that in a minute," Stacy waved it off as she unscrewed the bottom part.
"So none of that goes in my skin?" she shook her head, "None," I sighed of relief, she laughed and my mom gave me a nervous look. "You take this part of the reservoir and place it on this part with the little needle. You just stab it in there and twist it until it locks into place. You should be able to dangle the wire and nothing will happen." I gave a quick nod as she stopped again to pull something else out.
"That is most of the steps in the beginning; you have to do some stuff with your pump with that. After all, of the pump stuff you have to place it in this blue thing called a quickset. You line it up and then peel back the backs. You unscrew this," she pointed at the blue round thing on top of the, oh god. I swallowed hard when I saw the size of the needle.
"That all goes inside of me?" my stomach bubbled, as I felt slightly faint. She laughed, "You are squirmy around needles still," Troy looked at me and then at the needle, "Always has been," Troy confirmed. "Well I promise you will get use to it but this needle does not stay inside of you." I let go of a breath I did not know I was holding.
"All you do is pop it in like this," she demonstrated for me and then she held it upwards, "Then you push these two buttons in at the same time and it pops in." I flinched when the thing popped and Troy reached for my hand again. "Then you pull it back, the patch and the needle will still be there. You pull out the needle carefully like this," she pulled it out and I felt faint.
"Then, you snap it shut like this. All that is left inside is this small thin tube." The white thing poked out and I peered over to look at it. She smiled and then put it down, "It will get easier, and it's smaller than some of the other ones." She told me as she settled back into the chair.
"Now, I have a question, Troy have you gone to most of her diabetes classes? I have rarely seen guys come with there girlfriends," Troy blushed for a minute before glancing over at me, "Yea, I basically slept in the hospital the entire time."
"You did sleep in the hospital," my dad corrected, "Awh, well that is sweet." She added, "I am going to show you how to use this now," she said pulling closer to us. I nodded as I felt my throat tighten a little.
"Okay."
"Okay, now that you know how to use all of the screens and what everything means," I had to keep going over my head what basal and bolus meant. Bolus was when I was eating and that is the insulin I had to take and the basal is when I am getting a little drop of insulin twenty four seven.
"So the only time you should take this off is when you are showering, swimming, basically anything that involves water." I smiled as the nerves were still creeping up on my stomach. "Playing sports can be different, if it's intense and you said you play volleyball?" I nodded towards her, "Then you would probably take it off. Check your blood sugar before and after. You may need insulin or you may need food. It just depends on how the body reacts to everything."
"The bolus wizard is probably the best thing," she emphasized on the, "You just have to count your carbs and put them in. You have your blood sugar go to the pump and it calculates everything for you."
"Is it accurate?" my dad asked he had been quiet most of the time processing all of the information. "You are putting in all of this information your carb ration and it's your blood sugar, it's very accurate." She looked him in the eye and my dad nodded. "Will it get pulled out often?" I asked
"I don't know why it would get pulled out," Troy squeezed my knee, "But if somebody tugs on the wire it could," I chewed on my lip as she brushed all of the supplies over to my side of the table.
Stacy glanced at her watch and then looked at us, "We have about twenty minutes left so let's finish this." She said as she pushed the materials closer to me. My hands shook as I felt the insides of me freak.
I looked at Troy and he saw the fear in my eyes because his face softened. "Hey, it will be fine," he said leaning in to whisper to me. I challenged with him with a soft look of the eyes.
"I promise." He told me again, I chewed on my lip again as he rubbed my knee with his hand. I turned away from him as I picked up the pink pump. Stacy came around back and then leaned over my shoulder. "The pump is already rewinded so you just need to fill the reservoir up with insulin."
My shaky hand reached over for the bottle of insulin and the blue package. I peeled back the paper as the syringe fell out. My throat felt dry as Troy leaned in closer to me. His warm breath piercing my skin, Goosebumps rose on my arm. I tapped the top of the bottle and drew the insulin out easier than I thought. Popping out a few of the bubbles in the bottom, I unscrewed the cap and then set the vial full of insulin on the table.
"Good, now you have about 250 units of insulin there, give or take a little." I nodded as I felt stiff, "Now grab the package and open it up." I peeled it back again and then dropped the stuff on the table.
"Hook the two ends together." She surveyed over my shoulder as I twisted the two together. "Drop that into the pump," she instructed, "Then screw it in," the vial popped into place as I set it back on the table.
"Do you mind just going home with us?" I leaned back to ask, she laughed and then put her slim hand on my shoulder. "You will have a list full of instructions and after the first time you will have it down." I glanced at her and then she pointed back.
"Now go down to prime," i followed the instructions and then clicked prime, "Now you are going to have to click rewind to get where you want so just do that for now." I clicked it and then it buzzed in my hand. Then a screen flashed saying DISCONNECT I looked at her.
"Press down the ACT button until you see insulin coming out of this," she pointed towards the needle sitting in-between the blue cap. I pressed it down and it made several noises, the screens changed and then numbers flashed.
"You are priming your wire. Insulin is running through this wire at all times and now it's ready." Insulin poked out from the needle and the chills did not leave. Troy rubbed the back of my shoulder as I lined up the patch with the quickset. "Now who would you like to do this?"
"My mom," I confronted, "I need Troy to know how to do this to," I added, "That's fine," she added, "Its not that hard, if he needs to he can take the popper and just pop it until he feels comfortable."
I wiped an area on my skin with an alcohol pad. I peeled back the paper and then pushed it down in the middle. I twisted the blue cap off and I gave it to my mom. We were both standing and I gave her a long look of you better do this right.
"Now, Maria, just place it gently against her skin." My mom gripped it into her hand and placed it against my clean skin. Troy gripped my hand as my dad watched carefully.
My mom pinched the two things together as the needle pierced my skin. Tears brushed over my eyes as a pain I havent felt like that happened. I squeezed Troy's hand and he looked up at me and nodded his head. I turned my head away and then my mom took out the needle.
"All done," Stacy, said, I opened my eyes as I looked down at the smooth white patch over my stomach with the little circle sticking up. "Now pressed fixed prime," she said to me, I hit it and then I was an official pump user.
"Now, I want you to use the bolas wizard for three days and keep track of everything you are eating." I looked up at Stacy and she smiled, "You are officially on the pump. If you have any questions, call me." She swiped her card across the table as Troy pulled me down towards him.
"Thank you," I murmured as Troy rested his chin against my shoulder. My parents began to gather up all of the things that we were supposed to be taking home.
"We will meet you outside," Troy commented as we stood, he enlaced our hands as we disappeared. Going down the elevator, he wrapped his arm around me and greeted me with a kiss.
"I love you," he nose nuzzled into my ear, "I love you too," I whispered back to him as he rubbed the back of my shoulder. "Are you okay?" I asked him, "Yea, that was amazing yet im freaked."
"Don't be." His hand smoothed over my hair as the elevator door dinged open. My lips dried as the warm heat traveled over my cold body. Goosebumps rose as the sun blared down on me.
My parents were out a few minutes later, "Want to go back to the pool and swim?" he asked me, "Sure, why not?"
Troy circled me around in the pool and I giggled as his fingers trailed over my smooth stomach. My parents had left to go back to the hotel room moments ago and Troy was already all over me.
There were about five other kids in the pool with parents lingering. Troy let me straddle my legs around his waist as I brushed my hair against his shoulder. We drifted towards the empty deepened, where Troy quickly let his lips cover mine.
"My parents could come back at any moment,"
""I can risk it, what are they going to do? Make me sleep on the floor?" he asked laughing, I rolled my eyes and he laughed, "Probably,"
"Well, it will be okay if I get to do this?" he dipped down, brushed his lips against mine before going over my cheek, and then down to my shoulder.
I heard the gate to the pool open and my head lifted to see my mom looking down at her phone with a book in her hand. I fell off Troy's shoulder and he wrapped his arms around my neck. "So your mom was telling me about this camp?" he asked, nodding my head I swam through the water.
"A whole week without seeing each other?" I shrugged my shoulders, "I think so," I said to him as I wrapped my arms around his waist in the water. "That is going to suck ass,"
"I can't be a camper but they are going to let me be a counselor in training." I said, "It's going to suck, no interaction with you for a whole week."
"We did it,"
"That is before you were my main goal. That was before I learned my true feelings for you. That was before I knew what was going to be my life." He said leaning down to kiss my lips, his arm reaching up to the back of my bikini. "Hey," I whispered to him, he grinned like a little boy.
"No," I warned, "Kids," my dad growled from the fenced in area. Troy and I snapped away from each other, I treaded water, as Troy stood tall; I could barely stand on my tiptoes and be above the water. "Sorry," Troy mumbled looking down into the water. I laughed as I went to get on his back.
"I can't touch," I pouted, "That's a great excuse," Troy said walking around the back of the pool, "No really, I can't touch." He smirked and then looked at my parents who were talking in the lounge chairs. I sneaked a kiss on his neck as sucked on it gently. My eyes focused on my parents as Troy closed his eyes and tried not to moan from pleasure.
"That is not fair," his eyes pleaded mine and I smirked as I unlatched from his body and swam away towards the ladder. "I think I am going to head back and take a shower." I said pulling myself up giving a little show to Troy.
I could almost picture his priceless face.
"Alright sweetie, check your blood sugar and then if you need insulin put your pump on then get in the shower." She said to me, "I will mom, I promise." I could tell as I turned grabbing a towel that Troy wanted to come with.
"Mom, are you guys coming back any time soon?" I asked as I crossed my foot over my other. "Yea, if you are going back I suppose we all will. All of us can shower and then we can go out to dinner. Try out that new pump of yours," she winked at me and I nodded. "Sure," Troy boosted out of water and then reached over for a towel.
Troy then wrapped his arms around me, "Yea, we are defiantly going back." My dad said as he grabbed the beer sitting on the table next to him. I rolled my eyes as I turned with Troy. I leaned into him and he kissed my temple as he chattered all the way back to the hotel room.
"Sometimes, I wish I could shower with you." He murmured into my ear, I pushed Troy off me and then he laughed, "Come on, I was kidding." He said grabbing my hand, "Mhm," I murmured looking at him, he chuckled again, and "I'm kidding!" he said again, the door popped open and I dropped the towel to the floor and grabbed my duffel bag.
"Oops, I better be hitting the shower." I whispered leaning in closer to his face. Troy bent in to kiss my lips and then I pulled back and slammed the door shut. "That was rude!" he yelled through the door, "That's what you get…loser." I yelled back, "Teenagers," I laughed and shook my head.
I fixed my Nike shorts as I slipped the pink pump in-between the band and my waist. We had gone out to dinner and then did a little shopping around. Troy and I stayed close to each other all night and my dad watched us like a hawk.
My eyes felt heavy as my mom wanted the bathroom and my dad went downstairs to talk on his cell phone, to work. Troy was lying on top of the queen bed in a pair of under armor sweatpants with a black tshirt on.
Crawling on top of the bed Troy looked up from his phone and into my eyes. "Well you look attractive," I laughed, "Thanks, so do you?"
Troy pulled back the covers as he let me slip underneath and then brings me closer to him. His lips pressed against mine as I heard the shower click on. My mom had skipped the shower earlier due to us all complaining of hunger.
"It's so weird having this thing attached to you." Troy rubbed the bottom of my stomach and then he kissed my temple. "It will be foreign to go without it someday," he explained, "Really?"
"Probably. I mean it was kind of weird to drop basketball but it feels the same." I frowned as he mentioned that again but I did not want to go there. "Well, I am exhausted,"
"I sure hope you are. You have been doing a lot the past couple of days. You need to relax," Troy was greatly concerned and it made my heart flutter.
"Well," I yawned and covered my mouth as Troy chuckled. "That explains my point, go to sleep," he said, I had to get up at midnight and three to check my blood sugar again to make sure the pump was working properly.
"Okay," I snuggled into Troy's chest as he pulled me closer to his. My arms wrapped around his waist and Troy's fingers ran up and down my stomach.
I took a deep breath and let my eyes droop, "How come I always find you two like this?" Troy laughed, "Because," Troy replied without giving an exact answer. "As long as she is happy,"
"I wouldn't make her do anything she didn't want to. If she wasn't happy, I wouldn't be here." My dad did not say anything after that, Troy rested his head on top of mine and his finger made little circles on my stomach.
This was supposed to be out uhm..earlier so sorry about that! Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I will post a picture of the pump on my profile so look for it! A My Laker Baby update should be coming within a few days.! Yeahh!
I hope everybody had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year, I began my year with watching New Years Eve for the 2nd time! :D Yeaa.!
Pleaseee Review!