Just wondering if anyone here has tried or uses the Sure-T infusion sets. I've been using the Quick-Set for as long as I can remember, but my endo told me I need to switch.
There are three things that seem like I'd need to get adjusted to: 1. The self-insersion. I love my spring-loaded inserter! 2. The two circles attached to me. My abdomen is limited on flat real estate (too many insulin injections in one spot as a child) so I'm curious about how it works with the two attachments. 3. The metal needle itself. The thought kind of grosses me out. Please tell me it's not that bad! ;)
I was using the Quick Sets for awhile and then I got a sample of the Sure-T infusion sets! I love them and never went back. I get much better BG readings. You do not feel the tiny needle at all and the two sticker tabs does not present a problem at all. Good Luck!
Thanks, Erin! One question: Do you change your infusion set every other day? I just noticed that it's recommended to change the Sure-T every 2 days, instead of every 3.
I used the Quick-Set for a while when I first started with the pump almost a year ago. I switched to the Sure-T and all my problems went away! It is not painful at all to insert....actually no pain at all. I prefer it to the Quick-Set. Only one of the 'circles' is actually used for insertion of the needle. The other circle is just where you disconnect for showering etc... They can be placed close together or as far apart as the connector tubing allows. I cover my insertion set with a bandage so i never have a problem with ripping it out by mistake, and I leave the connector part uncovered. I really love the Sure-T. As for the needle, it is small and painless (like i said before). the nice thing is...after you have inserted it, if you have to move the site (either right away, or a day later for whatever reason) you can because the needle can be reinserted, but the cannula on the Quick Set can not because it is just a piece of plastic. Try it, you'll like!!
Oh! Thank you for all of the information! I guess I could just insert the needle where I usually would, then the connector could be in a totally random place (where I usually wouldn't be able to insert the pump). Thanks!!
i have been using the silloette quick set for about 5 years now. i s tarted with an i9nserter when i first got my pump but i learned to do the insert myself. i went to my endo last week, she informed me that i need to change my set and site every three days. that means that i only use half the insulin in the reservoir.. the minimed rep has told my doc and the nurse educator that they have seen too many infections from leaving the set in too long in one place. so now i am changing every three days. ok. the needle isn't that bad.. i like the set because its close to the skin, and the adhesive is strong, even in the shower.my only complaint is that medtronic needs to make a shorter tubing like a 10 inch so i don't keep catching the tubing on doorknobs..good luck... k
I use the Sure T as well. I switched about a year and a half ago (from Quick Set and I used to use the Silhouette before that). The Sure T is by far my favorite. I find that my "dots" heal much faster because the cannula is made of metal and it can therefore be THINNER than the Quick Set. I have very few insertions that hurt. I think that inserting the Sure T is like giving an injection with a pen or a syringe (no need for spring loaded devices in my opinion).
There are two circles, but one of them is just a sticker (the place where you can detach the tubing). So you can put that anywhere within reach -- it does not need to be on a place that would be a good infusion site.
I DO change my infusion SITE every two days. I have found that it lasts about 2.5 days -- but if I wait three days, then I will likely have highs. The reason is that our bodies supposedly react more quickly to metal than to teflon as a foreign object in the body, but with my endos approval, I REINSERT the same infusion set and can use one infusion set for 4-6 days this way. This is something that you can't do with QuickSet or Silhouette. Basically I pull out ONLY the piece with the needle and move it somewhere else, but still within reach of the other "sticker" and then tape it down. It works great for me. If I ever insert the infusion set where it is painful, I like to have the option to just move it!
I do find that something laying on the infusion site is more painful that with Quickset. So I try to avoid sleeping on it, but it depends how much fat I have where it is inserted.
I have been using Medtronic 's Sure-T's for well over 2 years; pumping for over 10 years . I use the 8 mm after I used the 5 mm for a while .I do cover the needle part with IV3000 tape for security ...but maybe excessive ?? I have communicated with MM ( USA and Canadian Reps ) many times , that I would like the longer tubing ( 40 inches ??) instead of the 23 inches , however this is not the case . I would like to use my arms , legs and buttocks ; impossible for me to do this with the 23 inches length tubing ...I keep on ASKing . If I recall the Sure-T's are just a bit less expensive, but I do change the site around every 50 hours .
Hi Nel. I use the 32" Sure-T, which I love for the ability to move the needle when necessary w/o changing the infusion. About the tubing length -- some people have written that they wear the pump in their pocket, sewing a pocket into their clothing if necessary, then making a little slit in the pocket to run the tubing through. This should allow you to use the needle just about anywhere.
I've been using Sure-T sets for about four months now. I was having so many problems with the Silhouettes. Almost every time I would insert them I would bleed or the end of the tube would bend and I'd have to start over. I was so frustrated that I was about to go off of the pump for a little while. I mentioned my problems to my nurse practitioner and she gave me some Sure-Ts to try.
I'm so happy with them! The little needles cause me no pain (so much less than the Silhouettes). I have been changing them every 2 days, since my 3rd day numbers have been a lot higher.
So, I ordered the Sure-T's and have used them since about mid-December. Here's my review so far...
The self-insertion hasn't been much of a problem. Yes, it's taken me a little while to get used to it, and I've had one misfire so far (I inserted the needle, and got a No Delivery alarm a few hours later.. had to go home and re-insert).
I haven't had much problem with the metal needle. I can feel it sometimes, but most of the time I can't (just like the teflon cannula on my Quick-Set). I do have a little more sensitivity than with the Quick-Set, but it's not a big deal. I haven't had much pain with it, which is what I was worried about.
My endo did not suggest re-inserting the needle to get more use out of each set, though he said the set is handy because you CAN do that in emergency situations. He did recommend wearing the set for three days, so that's what I started off doing. But I did notice that my skin reacted to the needle on the third day (it was really itchy when I removed the set) so I've started changing them every two to two-and-a-half days instead, with better results. Now, when I remove the needle, I'm not as itchy, though I've noticed more bleeding with this set than with the Quick-Set. (I'll bleed a drop or so almost every time I remove the needle, when it was a sporatic occurance with the Quick-Set.)
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the set. My bloodsugars have been better over the past month or so, and I don't know if it's because of the set (this one is supposed to be more reliable) or because I've been paying more attention (it's probably a combination of those). Also, I like that the set itself lies flat against my skin--I feel like it gets less irritation that way because there's nothing to bump it on.
I'll come back here and leave a note if anything changes with more use. :)
