Well, I’ve read all the horror stories, and I guess it “finally” happened. I have been making sure to take all the precautions, namely making sure when I take the needle protector off, that I slowly twist it and visually check that the needle is above the cannula. I put it on the top outside part of my butt where I felt it should have had enough fat. Not sure what happened, can sometimes you just get bad luck? I never had one of these with Omnipod, but I did have a handful of occlusions, which probably were some sort of cannula issue.
Changed the site before bed, woke up at 3am at 350 and a sickness in my stomach. When I was first diagnosed I managed to not get hospitalized. I had a 11% a1c. I had some of the same feelings that I had then. Anyone have a guess at how much longer I had before a DKA? I will never change a site before bed. Morning site changes only from now on.
It’s something that was drilled into me when I first started pumping back in 1990, to never do a site change at night. This was before CGMs. And this was back when all we had was metal infusion sites. But even with metal, it was stressed to never to it at night for the very reason you sadly experienced. I feel you on the how horrible the highs with ketones are the worst!
Hopefully moving forward you will continue to have great success with no more bent cannulas!
I am a “well padded” 81-year-old and a bent cannula was not unknown to me. A friend gave me a suggestion that has worked out well for me. It may not apply to you, but I’m throwing it in here anyway… stand up straight to insert the inset if it is anywhere in the midriff or belly area. That flattens the area for the insertion and avoids bent cannulae.
Diabetes can humble you. No matter how disciplined you are and now much attention you give it, it will find the gap in your armor. It’s an insidious opportunistic adversary.
The important thing is that you survived and drew a lesson from this experience. It happens to the best of us. I have worn an insulin pump for 35 years now and think I’ve learned first-hand just about every way to interrupt insulin delivery.
Changing an infusion site before bed is risky but don’t fool yourself, life will figure out a way to present you with this circumstance again. Stuff happens and much of it is beyond your control. If you’re forced to change a site near bedtime again, you could set an alarm (or two!) to wake you up 2-3 hours post-set change time so that you can do a fingerstick and see if you’re safe.
I recommend that you look into a blood ketone meter and strips. As @MM1 said up-thread, it is the level of ketones that determines your DKA status. It is the absence of insulin that drives DKA, not high blood sugar per se.
I had a malfunction in the last year of the communication between my automated insulin dosing algorithm on my phone and my insulin pump during the night. I woke up with blood sugar in the high 200s and sick to my stomach like you desciribe.
I did a blood ketone meter check and found that my level was 4.7 mmol/L. This was not DKA but I think I was well on my way and lucky to discover it while I could still take some corrective action. If I was above 7 or 8 mmol/L, I would have gone to the ER.
People who use the “untethered regimen” where they take a long-acting insulin via a separate needle each day in addition to their pump, enjoy protection from this exact experience you had. It’s something you might consider.
Well good freaking grief. How did this happen? The new infusion set I put in at 3am successfully brought down my blood sugar and kept me perfect all day long. Had an early dinner as I had to umpire a late afternoon baseball game and didn’t want to eat at 9 o’clock. I boluses for the food and in noticed it never came down. Shot up to 400+ again, and never came down. I ended up injecting 28 units of insulin to no avail.
This one was put on my lower back. A place that I’ve had great omnipod success. I took it out to find another bent cannula. Is it possible for it to be in successfully then bend throughout the first day? Also, frustrated that I never have gotten an occlusion alarm. How did I have 5 successful ones in a row and now 2 duds?
I put my cannula in my sides, between ribs and hip bone, where my ”spare tire” is. Or around the front of my belly toward the belly button. I sort of circulate around the sides and front. Only one bent cannula in about eight months with the tandem pump.
I had this happen to as well several months ago. Two bad sites in a row. Did both sets come from the same box? They could have been slightly defective. Report it to the insulin pump company 1. They will replace the bad sites and 2. They will know something might be going on with some lots of infusion sets.
Also, with Omnipods, anytime a pod failed, they were good with sending replacements. Does Tandem do the same thing with infusion sets no questions asked so I can stay on my 90 day cycle?
Edit: Just sent a text back to the Tandem nurse that contacted me, just asking for advice and asked if she knew if Tandem would replace them. She actually took my address and is sending me replacements, and is sending me True Steel just to try them out. Amazing customer service. Wasn’t expecting that from the Nurse.
There’s no doubt. At that time i was in the middle of umpiring a game and knew I wasn’t able to get a site change until I got home. Thought if I just kept bolusing, maybe a little bit was getting through. Doesn’t seem like it
