The Insulin Pump that Devoured Batteries: Our First Major Diabetic Problem of the Trip

The morning that we left for this trip my insulin pump alarmed and said I had a low battery. This is a very normal interaction between my pump and I that, although I have never actually timed it, happens every 3 weeks to a month plus. The battery the pump uses is just a simple AAA. I replaced it and thought, 'that's good – I'll have a fresh battery for Europe,' meaning I knew I wouldn't have to change it soon in some awkward location like the plane or a bus, etc. We arrived in France, toured around for 3 days and then made our way to Switzerland for our friend's wedding. Right before we were about to walk out the door for the wedding (5 days after the new battery) my pump alarmed and said it had a low battery. While I thought this was quite strange and a little panic arose in me, I simply changed the battery to a new one and went to the wedding. Exactly five days later while we were still in Switzerland, this time visiting Hedi (Duncan's 'Auntie' who also worked in North Thailand), I was sitting at breakfast and I heard the pump alarm. When I looked down the pump said 'No Power, 0% battery left, pump off.' What!? Not even a warning this time.

I changed the battery and we set off on our journey to stay with Lotte, another Swiss Auntie who had worked in North Thailand. By the time we reached her village several hours later I was quite panicked and had devised several schemes in my head around how to get another insulin pump.

First of all I must tell you that I do have a back-up insulin pump. It is a loaner pump through the loaner pump travel program at Medtronic (the maker of my insulin pump). They were kind to me and extended their usual agreement to loan out a pump for 3 months to 9 months. I paid $50 and signed an agreement that said if there was any damage to the pump or if it was lost or stolen I would pay the $4000 to replace it. Medtronic has devised this program in part because it is difficult to send the insulin pump to another country. The pump, a medical device, has to go through customs, and as they told me may not even be an 'allowed' medical device in that country. Customs solely decides how quickly the pump will be released, which for a traveler like me, who is moving from city to city, country to country may make it impossible to meet up with it. This problem of meeting up with the pump also assumes that you even have a safe address to send it to in the first place.

So I'm 10 days into the trip and realize that my pump is not working correctly. In particular I worried that the shutting off without warning could lead to bigger problems. I know I have a loaner pump, but I also know that I'm not back in the United States until January and only for 10 days then. My logic followed as such, if I just had a problem 10 days into the trip, what's to say that my loaner pump won't have a problem before we're back in January and then I will be up a creek without a paddle.

At the time, the most workable scheme involved me calling Medtronic who would send the new replacement pump (mine is still under warranty) to my parents who would then cart it over to Rome when they leave for their (unrelated) trip. While we miss each other in Rome, I thought they could potentially leave it at a hotel we would shortly stay at. This of course counted on the willingness of the hotel to do so and assumed that the hotel would have a safe to keep the pump in until I arrive.

When we arrived at Lotte's, she was very gracious and allowed me to use her phone (with my international calling card) to call Medtronic. I called the helpline and told the agent what was going on. The agent first suggested she send just a replacement battery cap to Switzerland, but I quickly told her this was my only chance, as I saw it to get a new pump (somewhat) safely and quickly because my parents were to arrive in Rome before we arrive there. She understood and agreed to send a new pump to my parents address in the United States. Having had a new pump sent as a replacement for a malfunctioning one before, I knew Medtronic's policy that once a new pump was sent you had to send your old pump back within 14 days so that your account would not be charged for the $4000. I brought this policy up and explained that there was no way that I could get it back within 14 days and that I worried that even if I got it in the mail within that period that it would take longer to arrive in the US from Italy. She explained very calmly yet forcefully that I was not to send the pump from ANY other country. I was to send it from within the US because of the risks of sending it from another country. Hmmm. . . so then I explained, if that is true, I will certainly be outside of the 14 day return window because I will not be able to return it until January. I asked her what would happen to my account. She said that she would put a note in my account/file that explained the situation but that my account would still be 'charged' the $4000 after 14 days, and that I would receive letters to the effect of I owe $4000. More importantly to me, this charge would freeze my account and Medtronic would not send my three month supply shipments until I returned the pump or paid the charge. This was troubling to me because one of my three month supply shipments is scheduled to arrive at my parents house right before we briefly return to the States in January and I need to take these supplies with me to Thailand in February. The window to: get back to the States, send in the old pump, have them receive the old pump, clear my account, allow me to order supplies, and then ship the supplies all in January was too short to accomplish all this.

I was quite stressed at this news, but fortunately Duncan reminded me that later this week we are scheduled to go to Meina (north of Milan, Italy) to a conference on third-culture kids. We are connected to this conference through a friend, Tom, that first knew Duncan from church in Seattle. Tom has worked in Europe (with his wife and four children) for over 16 years specifically working in Christian ministry for an organization called Youth Compass that supports third-culture kids in international schools. He and his family recently moved back to the States from Germany and are located in the Seattle area. When Tom heard our travel plans, he invited us to come to the conference in Meina. Knowing all this, Duncan had the brilliant idea, that if willing, my parents could give Tom the insulin pump for him to bring over to the conference and then take the old one back to my parents for them to send in to Medtronic, thus clearing my account. I emailed Tom, who quickly emailed back, saying he was happy to help. Ahh!! Instant Relief! As far as I know I will have a new working (not a battery eating monster) insulin pump within a few days!

Again I have been so grateful and thankful for my community who so willingly help with these problems. A big thank you to my parents and to Tom. I'll let you know how it all goes, but please keep me and all my equipment in your prayers and thoughts, because neither I nor my community wants to have to fix another problem again. :)

Andrea