So today I put on my 3rd infusion set this morning. Started pumping Aug 8 and wore the first two for 3 days each. The first infusion set was easily the most uncomfortable. There was discomfort at the site for almost the rest of the day. It was very minor, but it certainly was hard to forget it was there. When I removed the set I had a bruise in an almost perfect circle where the set was around the cannula hole. (Picture attached below) It also bled a little, just a drop or two, not bad.
My second set was still uncomfortable going in (again nothing major, no worse than when you might happen to pick a bad spot for an injection). After about 20-30 minutes though any discomfort was gone. There was no bruise when removing this set, but still bled just a bit.
My question: Is having just a small amount of blood when removing an infusion set normal? I rarely had any injections bleed when I was doing MDI. I'm using a straight set with 6mm cannula. Would an angled set be better for comfort/not bleeding?
For those who are curious, the set I put on today I didn't even feel go in and has been great so far. All the infusion sets were put in different sites.
I don't know about you, awg, but I have awful hand-eye coordination. It took me a couple months on the pump before I could insert my infusion sets successfully without reading line by line the instructions. Then, a year in, I realized I was losing too many sets and re-read the directions and found I was holding my hand wrong!
In general, if a set continues to hurt beyond the first couple minutes after insertion or starts hurting later, I conclude it is probably not good.When it's in right I'm completely unaware of it. We are all different regarding which sets we prefer and work better for us. I've settled on the angled Animas set - Inset30 and I also like that it has a little plastic window through which I can see part of the canula.I would suggest requesting samples, or just ordering different types so you can try different types of sets. No, normally you won't have blood on removing the set, though it happens sometimes usually when there is a problem. Just wait till you have a gusher!
Bottom line is, dealing with sets is what we have to put up with for the reward of more accurate dosing and being free of 5 shots a day! But it will get better in time. I now keep most of my sets 3-4 days. But yes, I do have occasional times where I have 3 sets in a row fail, just not too often! It gets better.
My infusion sets definitely got better with time. I think part of the issue is that, initially, I was tense and hesitant, but as time went on, I just got so I would stick that baby in there and forget about it. I also have experimented with different infusion sets. You may want to do that to find the set that works best for your body. I just called Minimed and they graciously sent me out a couple of samples of each set. You may find that certain sets work better for different parts of your body. You can mix & match!
I'm also using the Inset30 infusion sets. I remember looking at through the window to see if I could see anythign with my first set, but the bruised area was so very localized that I couldn't see it through the window. I've read about the gushers from other users on here. Can't say I'm too thrilled about having my first one of those, but it will come! You're definitely right about it being better than injecting multiple times per day.
I was wondering if I was just needing to get used to doing it. I think the part about being tense could certainly apply to me. I know I was the first time I put one in, not as much the second time. I was still a little hesitant this last time, but that was mainly because the release was catching and wouldn't release properly. Had to squeeze it harder than the others to get it to go, but it worked. I think I may contact Animas and ask if I can have an angled set to try. Some parts of me are leaner than others so a mix and match may be right for me.
I'm a relative newby having been pumping now for 4 months. I started off with the Inset and the first few times worked fine. Then my numbers started to skyrocket and I was changing sets and self doubting my decision. I decided to request the Contact Detach (90 degree steel needle set) and my endo agreed that it would be a good choice. The local Animas rep dropped off some samples at my house and I saw improvement immediately. That's not to say it's a perfect solution, in that this past weekend I did a set change and saw the number rise. I pulled the Contact Detach and changed to Inset and within 6 hours or so, things were back to normal. Just take the time to see what works best for you.
The thing about the Contact Detach is there is no device to insert. You just peal off the tape and push it in. Mine are 6mm needles and very comfortable. All the best to you in finding the right solution.
So with the Contact Detach you basically have a 6mm steel needle inside you at all times? My immediate reaction is that it sounds like that would be uncomfortable to have something that wouldn't flex or bend as I do things. However, I rarely had discomfort from my MDIs, but that was only staying in a few seconds.
I just looked at instrutions for those infusion sets. They certainly seem less complicated than the Inset (not that the inset is difficult).
That's right and I just changed 4 hours ago and no discomfort at all. I share your concern that it would be a problem, but I haven't experienced many problems at all.
Yeah, the first few times I did infusion set changes, I bruised horribly. I also think that I wasn't good at judging what would make a good spot. Now, I am not tense when I put them in AND I know which spots to avoid. There's definitely a learning curve, but I can tell you that I haven't had a big bruise in almost a year that I can recall.
If you're leaner, definitely go with an angled set. I have a little bit of padding (being that I'm a woman), but in my lean areas, I have to stick to a 6mm canula, otherwise the canula hits muscle tissue and can be uncomfortable.
Hmmm...if you're looking through the little plastic window, that's inset 30's! The insets are one piece (round) and the inset 30's come in two pieces - tubing and the insertion part itself. I'm sorry I'm probably confusing the issue!
my son who is 7 started pumping 2 weeks ago and we use an angled set. My son says he doesnt feel it and forgets its there sometimes...and we have never had a site bleed or bruise. I would try an angled set, its worth a try.
I use the Sil, the Medtronic version of the regular inset. I insert manually and sometimes with the inserter. I usually get discomfort after the second day. You should keep trying different sets until you find the one that suits you.
