I was reading an old post about hitting veins and trying to avoid them. I learned how to avoid veins when I was on injections. Now I put my sets in manually for that very reason.
For me the skin above a vein is much more sensitive than skin with no vein under it. If I touch a spot that I want to use and it hurts, I know there is a vein. So I move a bit away.
It is impossible to do when using a spring loaded inserter, unless someone knows a tip for that.
I also put my sensors in manually. I really hate wasting one on a gusher. Besides I really prefer the control of sticking myself rather than waiting for that spring to snap.
I’ll be switching to Dexcom soon. I assume I can manually insert them, I did that back when I had an original dex, don’t know how they come now though.
I’ve done both manual infusion set insertions as well as using automatic inserters. I started using inserters when I experimented with the Inset 30 and its integrated inserter. I used that infusion set for many years as it helped me to reach around with one hand and use the love handle area on my lower back. This was important to me as my abdomen needed a rest for a a few years.
When I returned to a Medtronic pump to start looping, I tried the Silhouette angled infusion sets. They can be inserted manually and I think that’s how most people use them. I bought the spring-loaded inserter to facilitate accessing that same area on my lower back that I previously used successfully. There’s no way I could manually insert an infusion set without direct vision of the site. Using a mirror confuses my brain. I even used the inserter when using my abdomen.
I also noticed that veins had extra sensation around them and I started to push with my fingertips to find insertion locations. That tactile feedback proved helpful to me. I think you could combine your sense of touch with using an inserter if you wanted.
I use the quick set and the inserter. The thing I dislike about the inserter is having to push two tabs at the same time. I would have a better range of sights if there was only one button. It’s tough getting old and being limber as a toothpick.
Unfortunately the g6 is an auto inserter. I am still on g5 and will be until forced onto g6. I am going to try your touch method. I cant’ tell if it hurts until the needle starts to go in usually though.
I had a terrible insertion 3-4 months ago which was super painful and lots of blood. I ended up leaving it in because numbers were adequate I think. I never figured out what caused it. Dexcom said blood vessels but it was a lot of blood and very painful. I am on blood thinners.
I wish they would make the insertion needle thinner to cause less trauma. I have asked several times but no changes to that in years.
I gotta say, I think the G6 is painless. I’ve never felt a thing, and diabetic or not, I’m pretty wussy about needles.
That is good, but I prefer a manual insertion. I am super sensitive and have I real problems with severe irritations, pain and allergic reactions to my sensors and insets. The plastic cannula auto inserters were the worst. I have ugly scars all over from dexcom. They take forever to heal and fade.
And if the g6 needle is not smaller it will still cause too much trauma for me. As it is I can barely get through 7 days on a sensor now due to terrible itching etc. Now I am going to be forced to leave it in 10 days if it lasts that long. And will have to worry about new sensors being delivered etc unless I can stock up.
Fair enough. Sorry. I guess I was trying to say that I think it might be thinner/better than the G5, but I don’t know for sure. Before I started myself, I watched a lot of unboxing videos and people always seemed shocked that it didn’t hurt like the others.
Did you use g5? The needle is huge, I asked if they had changed g6 and was told no. It is also not a matter of immediate pain. For me sometimes they get painful after as my body reacts to trauma of the insertion and whatever else is causing the inflammation and itching.
The G6 needle is quite a bit thinner than the G5. It also goes in at a shallower angle. Hopefully that will help. For me, the G6 inserter is nearly painless, although on occasion I’ll have a bad one.
For reasons I don’t understand, I get less than 10 days out of many sensors. My endo increased the quantity on the prescription so I get an extra box every 90 days. That inventory buffer keeps me from running out.
I hope it will be better for me I’m having a lot more irritations and I even had an infection from one of my sites. Also I guess it could be good if they don’t last 10 days but not if you don’t have extra sensors that is going to be a royal pain I am not looking forward to dealing with that at all.