Can't pull out spring on Autosoft XC sets

Advice, anyone? I intend to change to True Steel, but Medicare just paid for 3 months of these, so I have to use them. I have opened the boxes. The neurologist says my extensor muscles have atrophied. I can’t set the spring mechanism.
I live alone in the middle of nowhere, and I have to drive about 50 miles round trip to get help. It seems crazy that it is so difficult!

Bummer. I don’t think the spring is essential for application. I suppose you could just remove the tape and needle cover and just manually press it into you, then remove the UFO housing like usual. It’s sharp just like any other syringe, so long as it’s still attached to the UFO housing with the inserter needle.

If you don’t like that idea, maybe you could get a neighbor to help you out? I get my husband to apply the sets to the back of my arms all the time, it’s really not awkward to get someone else to do it.

Also, maybe you could apply for some home health care, and they could apply the sets for you? I don’t know much about how that works, but seems you should be eligible with a diagnosed physical disability.

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For some reason it did not occur to me that I might be able to circumvent the spring-loaded contraption. Duh. I am not (nor have I ever been) afraid of needles. When I was diagnosed at the age of thirteen I said If anyone had to be a diabetic, it might as well be me, since I was not bothered by needles and wasn’t especially fond of most sweets. As the years wore on, my good attitude did not last. The sheer nuisance if it all took a toll, and then the expense and the complications that resulted from the inability to afford proper care kicked in. But I digress . . . I finally reached Medicare age and got back on a pump, so things are looking up, though my Pollyanna days are long gone. Anyway, inserting it “manually” won’t bother me at all. You are so smart! I would hesitate to ask a neighbor (few and far between where I live) in these Covid-19 days. Thanks.

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Please update how it goes, as I will be getting tslim soon, and know I will have difficulty pulling out the XC. It also so wasteful, I wish they had Quicksets like Medtronic.

Perhaps you might get them to let you try alternative sets before ordering 3 months’ worth. They gave me no choice in the matter. After explaining my difficulties to the Tandem trainer, she got me samples of the True Steel and another one. I have trouble with occlusion in the plastic cannulas–kinks in the ends–but the True Steel don’t have that issue and they are more comfortable. You just stick them straight in, no crazy spring mechanisms. I figure a Type 1 diabetic who is afraid to stick a needle into their body is a dead diabetic. The cost of funerals being what they are, they probably wouldn’t be able to afford an insulin pump anyway!

I would take it apart and insert manually.

An old post, but I had similar problem when I started using Tandem XC 90s.

I realized that after pulling out springer part, need to do a slight twist to lock it in extended position.
With Quicksets, the locking happened without need for that twist.