They have been playing basketball over lunch at this YMCA for longer than I have been alive.  So as much as I dislike using the “shirts vs. skins” method for telling teams apart, who am I to rock the boat?

I have to keep this in mind when placing my infusion sets.  Depending on my site change schedule, I place my sites (one for insulin, one for symlin) out of the way.  I often use the sides of my abdomen, my lower back, and high on my rear end, just below my belt line.  I don’t use the front of my abdomen because I think there is a better chance for them getting snagged (by me) when I’m working to get a shot off.

On Thursday my sites were on my lower back.  After one play me and another guy kind of crashed and brushed off of each other, right where those sites were.  As soon as we separated I knew my site had been pulled loose.  I reached back and felt the tape loose and pulled it off.  It was soaked with blood.  Damn.

A gusher on the basketball court.

My friend was behind me and saw all the blood.  He called time-out while I went over to my gym bag.  I let them know I would need a few minutes to stop the bleeding and that they should get a sub to fill in.  It was about time for me to leave for the day anyway, so after I completely soaked through a couple paper towels I headed off to the locker room to shower up.

It was amazing just how much blood happens when you have a gusher (it is an inevitable part of pumping, glad to say that it is pretty infrequent though).  It seems that they never stop bleeding.  I suppose my heart pumping at a zillion beats per minute from playing ball just made it that much more blood!

In about three years of playing basketball at the YMCA, this was only the second time my infusion set has come out.  It was just a bad time for a gusher.  Strangers (an even casual acquantences) get a little freaked out by massive amounts of blood leaking everywhere.  At least I didn’t spurt any out onto the court.

I was glad to have my symlin pump site available to plug my insulin pump into after showering up.

On another note, I had a lot of fun trying a different style for my latest dLife article.  Check it out and let me know how you like it!