Pump life support

So Kerri at Six Until Me had officially jinxed me.  Her July 18th blog post was about her pump dying.  Once I read the post I thought to myself the last time my pump had died and it was along time ago.  Then, I was changing my battery in my Animas IR 1200 today when I try to put the battery cover back on but it kept popping back off.  I then try and try again but nothing.  Then I took a look at the cap and noticed all the threads had come off.

I knew I had another cap that I had lost the center spring off of so I get it out and pulled the spring off of the cap that had no threads and put it on the "good cap."  this is where I think my quick thinking from surviving in the outdoors with diabetes comes in hand.  First of all not only do I keep emergency supplies on hand but I also keep my multi-tool, small spare pump parts, and random light weight items that might come handy one day.

Here is one of those Items I keep just because it might be handy one day.  Some old site tape that is plyable and very sticky.  Back to the spare cap, after I put the spring on and started twisting it on the pump it also popped right off.  Yes, the pump stripped the other caps threads as well.  I then take the old site tape cut some strips off and wrap it around the cap to give it something to stick in the threads of the pump.

Wow, what a blurry picture.  Everyone at work was starting to think what was going on with all the beeping from the diabetic cube.

Here are my favorite set of multi-tools, the Gerber suspension.  I have done everything with these suckers from working on my pump, to cutting barb wire, even fixing automatic staplers at work.  Never do I leave the house without these guys.

The final fix is complete and I put some tape over the cap just in case it wants to come off.  I got on the Animas website and ordered another 12 dollar rip off cap plus 5 dollars shipping.  This goes to show camping smarts equals city smarts.  Having had wierd things happen in the outdoors and then having to solve them without running to the store gets you ready for any situation.  The right tools, plus the right supplies, plus the know how and you can get out of any jam.