So I've just started my pump, and I know there's a huge learning curve, but I've got a couple of questions. This is the second time this has happened a bent canula I'm assuming. I thought it should alert if there is no delivery. Obviously Im not getting my Basal either cause I had finally started coming down and was at 217, changed out my site cause it was a couple of days old and was getting tender, bolused and it infused with no difficulty.
So I did the two hour check and Im now 312 and as Im trying to bolus I get a No delivery message. BUT shouldn't I have been getting a no delivery message with my basal too, or is it just because its such small amounts the pump might not be seeing there is a problem? Grrrrr this is frustating. So I had to change out the infusion set AGAIN. This time when I bolused it infused no problem. But it does appear to be a bent cannula.
Another question, I have the Quick-Set infustion set with the 6mm canula, my CDE said a lot of people tend to have trouble with bent canula's with these. What are others using and how often do you encounter bent canulas with other sets? About to call Medtronic and send the unopen boxes back and ask for something else, this is ridiculous. Also do you think maybe a 9 mm canula would be better? Thanks.
IF IT DIDN'T DO IT AGAIN. For crying out loud I have been running high ALL day, and part of that is my fault I guess I underestimated what I ate, but after changing my site out, because it was a bit over 2 days and was getting tender, the first bolus worked, and bs was coming down a tiny bit, so yay all seems like it is working. Check again and 2 hours later and its even higher so I bolus...and get the No Delivery...So ok, change the flippin site AGAIN, and I do the bolus...it works, check my daily totals they are gradual increasing so it would appear Im getting my basal as well. Go to bed cause its after midnight set the stupid alarm to get up in an hour to check must have slept through that one but I wake up around 245 for that 3 am check and I swear I dont even think the (long string of cuss words) thing went off, and BS is 285 Im like Grrrr, check the totals seems like I've been getting the basal...so I bolus and AGAIN after about a unit...NO DELIVERY. WHY IS IT NOT ALARMING with the BASAL delivery??? IF Im not coming down AT ALL then and getting No Delivery errors for my bolus, I really don't think Im getting the basal either. SO I changed out the site, inserted another site in my right upper hip...Bolused, and it SEEMS to have worked, No error message, but AM I GOING TO BE ABLE TO BOLUS the NEXT TIME??? Im really TOO TIRED to stay up ALL NIGHT BEEPING with this stupid thing..
I use a set like the Quick Set and every now and then have a cannula issue but it is rare, and when this occurs I don't get No Delivery alarms, I just feel some discomfort at the site and the bg tends to rise and corrections don't work. I know pretty quick when my site is not right, the discomfort, immediate rise in bg, etc. There is a metal set called SureT that folks seem to love. I think you should call MM and ask about the alarms you've experienced and ask for samples of all the available sets and try them.
Hi thanks for your reply. I did call Medtronic today and they are sending me some replacement infusion sets for the ones I went through. The guy I spoke with said something it has to do with build up of pressure in the resevoir so that's why Im not getting any alarms right away. He also suggested some insertion tips for me to try too that seem to help some with problems of bent canula and is also sending me some samples of the shilouttes and the Sure T. Im thinking though I may go with the Sure T. Bent canulas should NOT be a problem with those, LOL!!!
It's been a nightmare of a night, and to make matters worse I've just started my pump and its been over 48 hours since my last Lantus so by now it should all be worn off, and I think the CDE had my basal set WAY to low. She seems to like to run HIGHER than what I want to be. So yeah Im bad I've been tweaking away SLOWLY trying to find where I need to be. She was flipping out cause I woke up my first morning at 73...that is NOT a bad thing. She's like that's way to low. My endo doesn't get concerned unless Im below 60. Grrrrrr. LOL do you ever feel like you are in this totally on your own?
I got my REvel in August and even though I've been pumping for 24 years it threw me for a loop on trying to figure it out My bestest suggestion for u is to call the 1_800 Minimed number and ask them what to do. I use the Moi infusion sets so I'm totaslly of no help on that one.
Yes I agree and I did call, they gave me some helpful suggestions and are sending some samples too. Everything just hit at a bad time with Turkey day then all these infusion site issues. Was about ready to rip the stupid thing out last night and say to heck with it, BUT I know huge learning curve, LOL Im beginning to dislike that word as much as when I started dieting last year...PORTION CONTROL. But thanks for all your responses.
It is a huge learning curve with the pump, and you may have to try several different infusion sets before you find one that works for you. I've been using the Mios for about 7 months now and have not had a single bent canula. I use the 9mm length in my tummy/back and the 6mm length in leaner areas of my body. They are really easy to use.
As for waking up at 73...that's good to me, and like you, I'd take it! But I think some CDEs/trainers like people to "run higher" when they first start using a pump. That said, like you, I ended up doing most of my tweaking on my own. I know my schedule and body best and was able to tweak my basal rates to near perfection after about 6 months. That said, I have to be very attentive to schedule changes and adjust accordingly. For example, I always tend to go low in the mornings on my way to work. I walk the dogs, run up and down Metro escalators, walk several blocks to my office...this flurry of activity was sending me down way too low into the 50s. I finally figured out the right way to adjust my basal rate (have it drop down about an hour before I wake up and then go back up again once I'm in the office), and I set my pump to make these changes automatically. BUT, if my schedule changes, I have to make sure I adjust things manually, otherwise I will end up really high.
For now the only two I've changed have been my 6AM through 10pm, I added a 630 PM to 10 PM one in there where I tend to run a little higher. I uped my 6 AM to 0.950 and the one that I added at 630 PM to 0.975 so far Im leaving my over night ones alone. BUT good news is my BS is back down to 120...FINALLY I will def take that over what I've been running the last 24 hours.
And I agree I know my body best, and I really think it had more to do with Lantus causing the overnight lows, than my correction coverage. Im just one of those with MDI...one unit in either direction can send me up or down. Rather deal with lows cause even though I have reduced my carbs considerably, LOL i still love them!!!!
Christy, So sorry this has been so frustrating for you. The quick set is known to have problems with the canula kinking. Many times it does not kink enough to cut off the flow of insulin especially for the very small amount of basal. During a larger bolus, then it causes back pressure and gives you the no delivery alarm. The problem with the bent canula is that it is probably releasing the insulin into the skin layers and not the fatty tissue and therefore isn't absorbed as it should be and BGs raise. I switched to the Sure-T set. I find them very comfortable and have no more problems with absorption. Hope you find an infusion set that works well for you.
Thanks I think Im going to switch to that to. This is just crazy, these Quick sets do NOT work for me, and yes I believe thats exactly what is happening Ugh think I will send my Endo's office an email. My insurance is changing first of the year and I have to order through Liberty Medical instead of Medtronic so since I had plenty of starter sets, the CDE was just going to wait to do the prescription for my supplies then. But I dont think I can use these Quick Sets. Today I finally got my BS back down a bit, AFTER not eating all day and thought ok Im making some progress, and of course by this time Im STARVING, so I ate an hour after eating Im 185 a little high but its only 1 hour plus basal's still need tweaking, checked it at the two hour point and Im over 300 AGAIN, this is after shopping for an hour, was on my way home when I tested when I got home I was closer to 400, so sure enough ANOTHER bent canula, Why do they even bother to SELL this particular set I dont know, esp with the known issues with it, I think Im just over plastic canula's PERIOD, I'll take a steel needle one anyday, at least THAT can't bend, I HOPE.
I'm an adult type 1, a pumper just since August, and I agree that there's a HUGE learning curve! I wouldn't trade it for the world tho. Getting an accurate basal delivery is to me worth All the trouble. I know you're getting professional advice about your recent highs, but I just want to suggest one thing. I had furious-making unexplainable highs in the beginning too. While trying to solve the actual problem, I would use a syringe to inject humalog just to get the high down. There's no problem I know of with doing that, in face my CDE voiced approval. That just bought me some time to work on the problem w/o going higher and higher. FYI I use the 6mm Quick sets w/o any product problems. Mine have all been pilot error. Hang in there, it takes a while to get your pump settings specific to your body. I found that most of my difficulties were solved by my CDE tweaking my settings. Let us know how it's going. Email me if my being new too can be helpful.
Thanks so much for the offer. Yes I've been correcting with Humalog injections. and I went ahead and reset my basals for now, cause ONCE again the stupid canula was kinked up. I tried this time cause I dont use the inserter I just manually insert, so I tried pinching up the skin like the guy from Medtronic suggested, see if that helps any. Im sure Im coming down, but now I need to wait to see what Im doing after the injection I gave wears off, IF Im going to have a successful site or not. My frustration really is more the trouble Im having with the infusion sites. They are not working for me at all so far. I've only had about 1 1/2 good days with the second site I did. Monday Im going to have to call the office, have her do a short term prescription to Medtronic and I think Im going to use the Sure T ones. Then I guess I can see what my basals are doing. And yes it is going to be worth it, right now just want to chuck it out the window though. LOL.
Thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement.
I think Cristy is a whole lot like me there. I also inserted it manually (I hated the inserter) for many years til I changed over to the MIO whick more or less has an inserted in the package. I had to call MM to find out how to use that one when they sent me some samples of it. LOL!
I am the same way...we're "insulin sensitive." I can increase by a unit and go low and decrease by a unit and go high. This is why we are such good candidates for pumps, because on MDI, it's just really hard to get it right. I was having HORRIBLE dawn phenomenon before going back on the pump. I was constantly waking up over 250 and it was really making it hard to go about my day. Once I got my basal rates set and learned how to appropriately adjust them for changes, I felt SOOOOO much better. I still have lows and highs, but they are not as drastic and I correct much faster.
I've been Type 1 for close to 29 years now, lol dont have much of a squemish factor for needles at all. But actually I thought before even trying it the inserter looked ackward, and my CDE actually said it can be more painful using the inserter, and leave more bruising. Actually I changed sites yesterday and inserted the site like the guy I spoke with at Medtronic yesterday suggested, by pinching up my skin and then inserting, like you would giving your self an injection and that has made ALL the difference, it is working perfectly. Highest I've been today is maybe 147 I think.
LOL he also said he inserts his CGM manually to. I thought the inserter looked kinda ackward to use and more scary than just inserting it myself. And to do it manually basically just like how you'd give yourself an injection. Pinch and stick.
