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Blog Entries With Tag: OmnipodBlog: Anna's BlogFrom: FatCatAnnaPosted: Jun 14, 2013
![]() For those of you wondering about my little SCREAM on Facebook earlier today - about removing an infusion set (Contact Detach) - from my arm - that could be a potential gusher (in my eyes I was thinking more of a geyser) according to some of my D-mates 3 days before and how I faired. Well, here's the LONG low down (and this is aimed at some of the commentors saying that they'd never done an arm infusion site before - it can be done - even by yourself). The reason I had written this - was my tubing the next day after putting the infusion set in (my 2nd arm installation - yes - I'm no longer a virgin) - had a very very weak pinkish tinge to it - though I couldn't tell if it was inside (from rubbing on a red top - which I hadn't) or from a broken blood vessel when putting the set in. The funny thing is - it was not at the infusion site where the needle was inserted - but further past where the detachment area is on the tubing (managed to luck in on finding a 31" tubing from the Comfort sets I used to use in the beginning). The longer tubing is much better so I can also clip the pump onto my usual waistband of my pants - before that - it was impossible unless I had no long neck/torso. Having that extra 10" really makes a difference (oh this sounds like a Long John Silver movie). And yes, for those dudes out there - who asked the question - where does the pump go - check my previous blog. Many comments on my post at the Facebook group page of Insulin Pumpers gave varied responses to my plea of "help"! Due to being self taught on the insulin pump - and not having an endo or diabetes team I can go to for help - in person - I've had to be my own human guinea pig in many things I do - of course - along with the bible from John Walsh - Pumping Insulin (5th edition was released last year) and various other books I've recommended over the years here at Diabetes1.org. ![]() So, here I was prepared - armed with my medical kit - pads & tape to soak up this potential pouring of blood when I remove my infusion set. I actually thought I was having a low blood sugar at the time, except I wasn't. I thought I should pop one of my Ativan aka "happy pills" I was given earlier in the year by my GP when I went away on my 2 week sailing holiday - but resisted the urge due to my fear of becoming dependent on them (insulin is ENOUGH thank you very much). My GP was a smart cookie - as she only gave me 20 - and I still have 9 left six months later. I gently pulled out the infusion set - all set to put the padding/tape in place - prior to hitting the floor - NOTHING ... I mean .... NOTHING - all I see is a little teeny tiny hole where the infusion needle was inserted - that's it! Phew! At that point I knew thare was higher life above us - that is looking down - knowing that I didn't need any drama in my life (hmmm, what's this blog all about??). Today, for my third try at an arm infusion site - I've decided to use the mini-wanna-be Omnipod (humour me John as the wanna-be-Princess) - aka Inset II. The tubing is turned the right way - and as usual - pump is sitting in it's normal happy place (BTW, it gets REALLY warm there). Sadly, the tubing on the Inset II I use (I've got 2 more boxes before I can reorder longer tubing of 43") - isn't as long. I liked having the option of wearing in either places the last 3 days. And yes, to some of those on Facebook who asked the question about absorption of insulin being better or worse in the arm, than my usual stomach, legs, lower back sites - I'm wondering if it's better - due to never having been used for infusion sets that stay in place for 3 days. I did find I had a few interesting low's with this past infusion set - that aren't quite explainable - except at the time I thought perhaps it was due to hitting blood vessel. It could be due weather - since I tend to use less insulin when it's humid AND warm. It also could be due to the fact the set was in part of my muscular part of my arm - which can cause faster absorption of insulin. Lots of scenarios here as to "why". ![]() Luckily, the latest infusion set is now in the back area of my arm that you see above - in the fatty portion of my arm - not up front in the more muscular area that I had just removed. I just know I'm sensitive to insulin (I use less insulin than a person of my weight should use according to books I've read) - so wondering if I've become more sensitive. Questions, questions, questions. Who knows - but in the meantime I'm back to keeping a written log during this arm infusion test and see if perhaps I have to make some changes on my programming (either basal / I:C / ISF). One step at a time of course - starting with basal testing first if my blood sugars (BG's) continue wonky. Otherwise, things get even more complicated with too many scenarios that can overwhelm what you are trying to accomplish. ![]()
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Tags: insulin (1) Animas (1) contact detach (1) BG (1) blood sugar (1) ISF (1) basal (1) log (1) muscular (1) Ativan (1) infusion set (1) Inset II (1) mini me (1) pump (1) Omnipod (1) Related posts:Type 1 vs. Type 2 | Keeping track | In a slump and scared | Surviving the Holocaust with Type 1 diabetes | My first month with Bowie my Dexcom G4 CGMS | My 13 year old self describing her DKA in the 70's | Edmonton man denied insulin for 20 hours | Twist and Shout – Sleep Apnoea | Crack Free #ShowMeYourPump | Jenna and The Hypo FairyBlog: Anna's BlogFrom: FatCatAnnaPosted: Mar 22, 2012
![]() I met up the other night with a T1D who has had diabetes as long as I have. She had contacted me through Tudiabetes (and I found out she follows me in Twitter as well). She wanted information on insulin pumping (she’s still on the wall about being hooked up to a “machine”) and had come to Tudiabetes to find out more and found me there. I don’t blame her with feeling this way, about going onto a pump, since I was the same when my friend Harold had kept on egging me into trying out a pump, despite my having good results with MDI (Multiple Dosage Injections). So, I told her to take the plunge, just for the experimental bit (she's got really good work coverage for the pump - that it makes me envious of her). We’ll see what happens, as it is difficult to break out of your comfort zone after so many years of being MDI (for myself – it was 41 years of MDI – before going onto the pump. I had never intended to purchase - I was pretty adamant about not being wired up to a pump (and as I told her - now in Canada we have the Omnipod which is a tubeless pump). What was so amazing is that I have this feeling that folks that have been on the juice of life (aka insulin) for so long - somehow age gracefully. She looked like she was in her 30's (she had a laugh at this but I’m not lying!!). One thing she taught me, which was new to me, I didn't realise that gastroparesis was part of the neuropathy problem related to diabetes! She's on the a “semi-Dr. Bernstein diet” - but due to some of the foods you are supposed to eat with his way of eating - they don't sit well with her gastro - but she does try to eat no more than 100 grams of carbohydrates a day. The other great thing she showed me was that she is now using the Freestyle InsuLinx blood meter .... that I'd blogged about last year. There's a few things about it that she doesn't like - and technical support seems abit iffy (it's still new here in North America and even I had trouble getting my questions answered when I was doing research on it for my blog). I personally found the screen difficult to read when she was showing it to me - and Joan from Cornwall in my blog I wrote - had said the same thing - so hopefully that will be changed over time (e.g. make the screen similar to my Animas pump screen). Still, it's a great device to use to keep track of your insulin coverage, blood sugars, similar to what a pump does, without the expense OR tubing. I can’t wait to meet up with her again since I rarely get to meet up with T1D’s in person – especially here in Montreal (remember – T1D’s are only 10% according to word of mouth – as I can’t seem to find any concise statistics – even at WHO website or NDIC). Oh, and because of the way she looks - I today used Equal in my coffee (yes - the chemical stuff that I have for so many years refused to use). She was quite surprised that I used sugar in my coffee when I met up because she thought I was a good diabetic. Good? Moi. Never - I live on the edge .... in my mind! So, I’m on a high today (not in the BG (blood sugar) area – woke up to 4.6 mmol/l – 83 mg/dl) after meeting up with my new friend here in Montreal (hoping I did not scare her off with my overzealous ways)!!!
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Tags: gastroparesis (1) BG (1) blood meter (1) Freestyle InsuLinx (1) NDIC (1) WHO (1) Dr. Bernstein (1) insulin (1) MDI (1) insulin pump (1) Omnipod (1) Twitter (1) Tudiabetes (1) Related posts:Type 1 vs. Type 2 | In a slump and scared | Surviving the Holocaust with Type 1 diabetes | Miss Idaho is Defeating Diabetes | Edmonton man denied insulin for 20 hours | Crack Free #ShowMeYourPump | Jenna and The Hypo Fairy | Wearing a dress with medical gadgets | Pre-op visit with endo at hospital | When You're Hot, You're HotBlog: Anna's BlogFrom: FatCatAnnaPosted: Apr 1, 2011
Yesterday I had the car (yes – my diesel Smart has new engine and is working 100% - major test run will be done this weekend on trip to Ottawa). I try to only use the car once a week plus it’s a break from working at home where I have no human contact, except for my cats Mia (the black Burmese lioness now has a name) and Zorro (who got bashed up this week – I am vowing that he no longer go outside!). Related posts:Edmonton man denied insulin for 20 hours | She’s got legs and she knows how to use them (the semi-Fashionista and her pump)! | Shame on Johnson & Johnson / Animas | REMOVAL – clinical trial for T1D's in UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark and Netherlands | My Porky Pig fingers are tired | Smooth sailing with CATSCA / TSA | Questioned by my pharmacist on my insulin regime | A birthday treat gone evil ... | Stainless steel infusion sets are more FOREIGN then a teflon one? I beg to differ | Wearing a dress with medical gadgetsBlog: Anna's BlogFrom: FatCatAnnaPosted: Mar 2, 2011
Exciting news for Canadians was released today about Omnipod a tubeless-pump. I'm abit excited about this - as it gives Canadian diabetics who currently use pumps with tubing to also try a "pump" that has no tubing (that can get caught around door knobs ). Some of my American diabetic friends have told me that this pumping system is cheaper then purchasing a regular insulin pump. I am very curious to see what Canadians will be charged for the pump, as pump users here in Canada do pay abit more for their supplies then their American counterparts (despite our dollar being almost at par). That will be the big selling point for myself if I decide to switch over to a tubeless-pump once my Animas warranty ends next year. Though my one little beef about the Omnipod is the amount of battery waste with the remote and pods / discarded pods made of plastic.
I'd already written about the Solo pump a few years ago in the forums here at Diabetes1.org- which is another tubeless-pump to be manufactured by Roche (and more sleek then Omnipod as well as the user has the ability to refill the insulin cartridge which you can't do at present with the Omnipod). I had received a dummy sample of it a few years ago - but it's still not on the market - due to corporate restructuring I believe. Perhaps with the Omnipod being allowed into Canada now - there will also be less of a wait time for any other tubeless-pump on the market. You can check out the news release at this link - there is a Canadian website link shown in that article - but it's not up and running yet (tried it out - went to no where land) - according to the article - launch of the Omnipod will be sometime in mid-March. Anticipation .... Related posts:Edmonton man denied insulin for 20 hours | She’s got legs and she knows how to use them (the semi-Fashionista and her pump)! | Shame on Johnson & Johnson / Animas | REMOVAL – clinical trial for T1D's in UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark and Netherlands | Riding thru' the mountains of the Adirondacks | My Porky Pig fingers are tired | Smooth sailing with CATSCA / TSA | Is insulin a youth preserver? | My shocking endo appointment | Swine influenza - A (H1N1) virus |
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