Wanted to share something with you. You may already know, but thought that this may be useful for those of us who are new to pumping.
Oh! My 1st A1c on a pump was 5.7!!! Best I have ever had!!
My doc isn’t busting my chops about insulin any longer.
In May I began using just my upper arms for Pod placement. When I would change my Pod, I would just put it on my other arm. Each time I would just move it a little from the last time. Things went well til last week. My basal rates have been crazy and I have been having highs and lows. B4 I was very constant. Basal would go from .80 to over 3 units per hour in a day. Sometimes I would crash. Others I would need to back it down. But it was a constant battle. This week, I had a PDM problem, got it corrected, activated a new Pod, and promptly my bg skyrocketed. Long story short, I called Insulet and talked it out with customer service. The rep told me to change locations completely; giving the area 15 to 20 days to rest. After work and changing basal rate from 2.8 to .50 per hour and then placing pod on thigh, things have returned to normal after 2 days.
Apparently, because of overuse, my body (arms) was not absorbing the insulin consistently. Hmmm! I didn’t have that problem with MDI. Maybe because of pumping and having the insulin site for 3 days. I have to rest that area completely.
I can’t use my lower abdomen at all anymore after pumping there exclusively for 9 years. I’ve given it over 2 years of rest and still run high if i try the area.
I like to use the arms alot and havent found that my bs have been higher than normal. What Insulet told you makes a whole lot of sense though. I also use my back - right above where my pants stops and have always had good bs there. It seems when I use my legs or stomach I rip them off. I try to be careful but it always happens.
That seems very odd to me because my daughter has only been able to use her arms for sites for over two years now because of adhesive issues. We do move the sites more than just a little bit each time, using a spot at least several inches away from the last site on that arm. Maybe you were just not using enough of the total area and hit the same areas a lot?
I’d like my son to be a little more open to new sites but during shots he didn’t like using the abdomen then either. He exclusively uses arms and thighs for both pod and cgm sensor, which means the rotation is even more limited. I do look really close to the site I’m applying to avoid a visible used area. He’ll take his sensor on his lower back sometimes but the pod interferes with backpack there.
I’ve used my arms for two years now and rotate to 4 different positions between both arms. It sounds like it could be scar tissue buildup which would prevent or inhibit the uptake of insulin. I generally try to clean my sites really well, and not reuse a site if it hasn’t visibly healed mostly over.
It sounds like you just need to spread the love a little. I probably need to start using alternate sites, I just generally prefer using the back of my arms. I would hate to lose that ability however.
Hi Marty,
My 13 yr old son used only his arms at first and got the same reaction you did after a while. Now, he uses his upper arms and abdomen for the pod and rotates direction (towards navel/towards side and up/down) This gives him effectively 8 spots to work with and has been very good for the past 6 months or so.
–Cynthia
Brand new to pumping here, and going Omnipod. I’m wearing a sample now (with saline) on the abdomen and have been thinking about site choices.
I am thin and lean (6’2" 155lbs) and pretty uncertain about being able to use my arms/legs due to not having much flesh to work with. I knwo I can pinch up a bit of skin but is that really enough for comfort? I definitley want to rotate well as I’ve heard here and other places about sites getting less responsive.
I have just been in the hospital (St Barts London) and been told the same - i have a navigator as well - i was running the pair together. But I am not sure about this thigh site ? Where do you put the pod on the thigh ?
yes i was having this problem at least i thought it was this or the heat my sugars just weren’t coming down and my arms were getting sore so i just recently went to my abdomen and seem to b getting better control and did some adjustments on basal programs not enough on my days off and too much on the days i worked seem to b getting better .so i will see in the next week how things r looking Karen La roche
I’m not quite as thin as you, but I don’t have too much flesh. I have been using the side of my butt and it works pretty good. You have to be careful to put it somewhere where you won’t be sitting on it. But it’s been great, especially in the summer.
The trick with any insulin delivery, whether it be pod, pump or MDI, is rotation of sites. There is a number of issues that come with usinfg the same old spots. Ranging from rapid scar tissue, delay of insulin to the mainstream of the body, insulin pockets getting larger and storing or hoarding more insulin thus less getting direct use… also bruising and tenderness to the overused areas. Check with your educator and peers about this. It is easy to get into the left side /right side trick but using all possible spots does help keep things a lt more regular over the length of the marathon…
