Freaking high blood sugars, no bent cannula this time, but filled with blood and a big drop of blood upon removing site. Why does this happen and why doesn't it happen right away??!! when you first put the site in??!!
I had that happen with one of Eric's sites recently. Left a great big blood blister too. I think you must have stuck the cannula right into the side of a blood vessel. The cannula itself kept the blood from leaking out, while (my hypothesis goes) the platelets trying to seal the wall of the blood vessel quickly sealed up the end of the cannula, preventing insulin from getting into the bloodstream. And when you took the cannula out, it tore open the "patch" and therefore you got blood. I have no idea if this is what really happened but it sounds good, and explains what I saw when it happened to us.
Sometimes sounding good is all that really matters...........:-)
happens to me from time to time. I think its just nature of the beast. I avoid certain area's due to these subcutaneous hematoma's, or whatever the hell they are.
Are you a minimed user?
It's weird how you can do this stuff for years and then suddenly you get this unexpected change from the norm.
I've had this happen too.
The worst was my experiences with the paradigm silhouette insertion device. For me, when using this, it caused the needle to dive upon contact with my skin, and basically inserted it straight down and into muscle.
I was new to pumping and didn't know this wasn't correct...Even if I started it at a very shallow angle, it dove RIGHT down (perhaps something to do with the articulated needle?).
I had one occasion that is as you describe where I actually had a heart rate pulsing jet of blood pumping out of me when I pulled the old set out.
Either way I started putting them in by hand at the correct angle. It's slower and a little bit mind-bending to put a needle that long into yourself by hand, but it's only happened once since. It's very obvious when you hit something you shouldn't have when doing insertions by hand.
I've since moved over to the quick-sets and although they insert straight down, the needle itself is tiny, and somehow because it isn't pushing at an angle on the underside of the canula, it doesn't get sore for me as quickly. I'm thinking that it's just a more evenly balanced sitting position so it stays stable. I am able to use the insertion device on the quick-sets, and perhaps my choice of site is a little more educated these days. :)
I am a MM user and have always used the quicksets with the insertion device. Just wierd how you can have normal readings (well kind of normal) for the first day and them bam it goes bad, like it moved and hit a vessel??
Just upsets me when high bloodsugars are equipment malfucntion versus eating a ton of carbs.
Another issue is that I have always used my abdomen to afraid to move around after 9 years of being on the pump.
I still haven't had any "bent cannula" problems in 3-4 years of Silhouetting. Did you say you tried them and didn't like them? I can loan you one if you want or I bet MM will give you a couple to play with? I agree equipment malfunction elevated BG suck. It's much better to at least have a burrito or something to get you there. I don't usually move but found above my hipbone in the back worked well on a couple of runs when I was playing around over the summer, again w/ the Silhouettes. I didn't like the Quicksets at all when I used them. I was jumping and doing crunches and some wild kicks at the time and they always felt like they were going to pull out. I don't like that feeling. I like the sucker to be in there.
Hi Karen. I don't know what caused the problem, but I definitely recommend rotating sites. There is too much possibility that scar tissue will build up on your abdomen if that is your only area for infusions. Lots of other places to try: around your hips, lovehandles, thighs, arms...
If you think the problem is with the cannula, you could ask MiniMed for samples of Sure-Ts, which have a metal needle. Metal needles do not hurt! Sure-Ts are supposed to be replaced every two days. If you get a bad spot or for some reason need to change the site because of the needle, you can just move it without removing the rest of the infusion. When I wear my pump, I use Apidra and Sure-Ts; Apidra is also supposed to be used for only two days, so it works out just fine.
Hi Trudy,
Speaking of infusion sites, I have been "enjoying" varied sites, especially the hips. I try hard to avoid my varied waistband levels. Tell me how you thread the tubing when you use your thighs. Also, I can't imagine how the tubing is dealt with when you use your arms. Where on the arms and thighs do you insert? I'm only 4 mos into this pumping life and have lots of questions.
Thanks, Cindy
Hi Cindy. I use a spibelt (www.spibelt.com), which is a waistband with a nylon pouch, to hold the pump. (The MiniMed store sells a velcro belt/pouch for the waist which also works, but I prefer the spibelt.) l use the Sure-T with 32" tubing.
For the thigh: I use the mid- to outer-thigh, thread the tubing up and under my underwear to the spibelt. For the arms: well, kind of tricky to do. Being right-handed, I put the infusion into the upper arm and thread the tubing down and under my bra to the spibelt. With my husband's help, I can also do my right arm. The thighs seem to me to take a little longer for absorption but are reliable; my arms are as good as the belly. I have favorite spots, but figure that rotation really is the best way to preserve those places. I also like to use cloth tape to secure the two adhesive disks so that I don't catch them on something and tear them out; for me, that cloth tape is essential. Hope that helps!
ooooooooooooooooh yes! very helpful, thanks.
And, I'm practically on my way to the store to buy cloth tape. What a great idea! Nothing is as creepy as dropping my pump and fearing the yank out! So far, it hasn't, but after all the trouble to get in inserted, I sure don't want to lose my connection... not to mention losing the insulin.
Thanks, Trudy
Sure beats the opposite, don't it?
I dunno, acidrock23, we get bent cannulas all the time and we use Silhouettes. But I'm guessing that you're not prone to, say, sliding down the stairs on your butt (which is where Eric's cannulas always are because he has no body fat anywhere else!) or running back and forth like a maniac and doing pratfalls in the mud or... [insert ten thousand other ways little boys abuse their buttocks here]. Right?
I've rotated around my abdomen for 7 years and seldom have problems with scar tissue. Sometimes I hit a blood vessel but that happens more rarely with my abdomen than when I was using my thighs. BTW I still have "holes" in the fatty tissue of my arms and thighs from giving so many insulin injections over the years. I use Quicksets.
LOL, it has been a **very** long time since I've slid down the stairs on my butt! When I run I would use the term "lumber" as I get going very precisely. I don't go "back and forth" as my knees don't like it at all.
It is worth to note that the Quicksets are based on teflon. After years this can lead to some subtle allergic reaction. Have you tried the SURE-T with the steel canula?
Are you using the inserter? I did at first and it was bloody. I do it manually and no bent cannulas.
Hi Richard~
I'm so shocked to hear you say that. I can't imagine manually inserting it - ouch and bent and crooked and not deep enuf are what come to mind. Spring loaded quick stick seem so much better. What was your reason for abandoning the inserter (mine is the blue one w/2 white buttons)? Was it the blood? My insertion has never been bloody. What's up?
I insert Silhouettes manually, I don't actually own the inserter for them. I like the feeling, I can kind of nudge it in as deeply as possible when I'm sticking it in, kind of fiddle with the angle to get it in as well. I really don't think I've ever noticed a bent cannula with it. I'm not sure I would notice but I've never had a mystery high that didn't go away correcting at some later point.
Same here. I use the inserter device for the quicksets but manually insert the silhouettes.
I feel the silhouette inserter design is deeply flawed.
The quickset is the one that uses 2 buttons. The other looks like a large pen and is more similar in design to the CGM device.
Difference being, imo that the needle on the CGM is heavier and as such doesnt bend snd nose dive like the silhouette.