I am on MDI. I help myself avoid mistakes by getting Apidra vials, which I keep refrigerated even after opening, and Levemir pens that I keep on a shelf after opening. Also since I use a lot of half units, I use BD 1/2 marking syringes on both the vial and the pen. A doctor told me he never saw anyone use a syringe on a pen before me, but it works!
Does this not cause bubbles when you unscrew the old cartridge and screw on the new one? (I've only used Cozmo and Ping pumps, so maybe it's different, but it always causes a giant bubble when I've tried this so that I have to refill the tubing anyway.)
It works! I lost my G4 receiver in a doc's parking lot. Someone called me 3 days later (they finally took the case off) and even delivered it to me. Mine says MEDICAL DEVICE, my first name, and phone.
What works for me is to keep the vials -- even when refrigerated -- in their original boxes. I use three insulins, and while the vials look similar, the boxes each have different different sizes and shapes. And then I help things along by using a black felt tip marker to write a large letter on the box top -- L for Levemir, A for Apidra, etc. And I make it a rule NEVER to have more than one vial out of the box at a time -- I always put the one I've used back BEFORE taking out another.
So far, no mistakes.
I've been investigating what happens when you restart the dexcom (mine always "expire" early), because they've cut my shipment down to a month's supply at a time and with my traveling it'd be really hard to always get them in a timely manner. I restarted this recent dexcom and so far, so good. I don't think I'll take it past two weeks. I read this account online of someone else having success with this
"The worst kept secret in the DOC is that the DexCom sensors can be restarted at the end of their seven day life and often gain accuracy as the days go on. The package insert indicates that you have to change your sensor site at the end of those seven days, I am in no way suggesting that you should ignore that direction. I'm merely sharing how we do things... Many times in the past the DexCom 7+ would happily restart twice and would still be going strong as the last bit of adhesive was holding on for dear life. So far we haven't gotten a G4 to a second restart, but I'm not giving up on getting one into the three week range. Having said that, two weeks is really very good"
I'm a newb so not much to give to this thread but it is great! one thing tho..I do know for a fact that if you like 1/2 units for the pens you can request the "junior" version of the insulin pen you're going to use since they come in 1/2 units :)
This is an especially good idea because one time while shopping in a very large warehouse I lost my Dexcom. I had dress slacks on and the pocket was not very deep, hence Dexcom fell out. Someone noticed it fall out of my pocket and told me my 'phone' fell. Then when she handed it to me she said "That is an unusual looking phone, what kind is it"?
I have gotten my G4 to a second restart twice since I got it in November. However, it definitely starts to lose accuracy for me as the days go by. I made it to day 23 and decided it just wasn't accurate enough to go any further.
haha I love on airplanes when a rude stewardess snaps at me to turn my phone off. Sometimes I leave it out just to engage them and remind them about medical devices
Yes, I would imagine the cathode or cannula or whatever it is gets compromised, since it's not designed to last all that long