@MKSSS
I think it is simply terminology.
If you get right down to it, nothing is waterPROOF just like nothing is firePROOF.
Generally people don’t want to know whether something will implode at the bottom of the Mariana Trench or burn up on the surface of the sun. But still, the manufactures seem hesitant to use those phrases and instead go with terms like water RESISTANT or water TIGHT or something similar.
The products almost always have listed in the “specifications” of the user manual/guide what the product was tested and certified to.
For me however, I get the best feel for how a product can deal with water based on what will be replaced under warranty at no additional cost.
If the Dexcom Receiver gets wet and damaged, no replacement. To my way of thinking - OK. Don’t get the RECEIVER wet. (Dexcom Transmitter handles water easily in practical settings.)
If the Animas Ping, the Medtronic 630 or the Tandem t:slim X2 are fully replaced under warranty at no cost for any sort of water damage then my thinking is for all PRACTICAL purposes, these are all fine in and around the water.
I was just looking for what the Omnipod has to say about their products and I really find the way they describe it very refreshing. It would be nice if the other companies would adopt similar way of speaking plainly yet still providing accurate details.
The Omnipod says the “Pod” is waterproof although with a footnote. Read down on the footnote and it specifies IPX8 rating for up to 25 feet for 60 minutes. They also mention the PDM is NOT waterproof. Great information and very easy to understand. In my mind, I would agree. For all practical purposes, the POD is waterproof. (And the PDM is not).
That’s fair, but if that’s the case they’re not an affordable option for me and regardless I can’t even get them to last 24 hours reliably! I can feel the needle inside me and it starts to get really painful after a few hours. Luckily I had a Silhouette lying around, not sure what to try next…
Luckily between Pharmacare and private insurance, I can have enough sets covered to change them every 1-2 days. When I need to move a set after only 12 hours, I often just take it out, move it to a new location (using the same infusion set) and tape it down. That way I don’t waste too many sets. (I only re-use a set once, though.)
That sounds really annoying! Are you using the 6 mm or the 8 mm length? I find I can’t use the 8 mm sets because they hurt (they seem to hit muscle or something else that causes them to hurt whenever I move), but the 6 mm ones are much better.
Have you tried a 90-degree cannula set? Are you having issues with all cannulas? My endo said many people have fewer issues with 90-degree sets than angled sets. I find I have issues with all cannulas, though (none last more than 24 hours without getting very itchy/irritated and then dying).
Unfortunately I don’t have private insurance at the moment and I’m self-funding my Libre (which at least is a bit cheaper than the Dexcom), so I’m stuck with what the province gives me for pump supplies and nothing more ($2,400/year). Moving the location is a good idea, but I tried it and still experienced pain. I’ve been trying the 6mm Sure Ts and definitely couldn’t handle any longer. I think they just aren’t a good fit for me.
Yep, when I first went back on the MiniMed pump from my Omnipod I was using Mio and QuickSets. They worked well for a while but I started to have problems with them. The most consistent set I’ve used is the Silhouette, which I had used since I started pumping prior to switching to the OmniPod. I think that’s what they gave me when I first ordered the pump and I don’t even think I knew there were other options at the time! I’m using one right now and so far so good. No pain and consistent absorption. I also like that they come with 43" tubes which makes sleeping so much easier! I’m thinking since I took a pump break for a few months I will have success again with them for at least a while. I’ll just try rotating them as much as I can. Maybe I’ll even try the thigh, I’ve never tried there before actually!
Also I’m sure you feel the same way in that I can’t be happier to be back on the pump and it would take a lot for me to go off it again. I feel like I haven’t seen a flattish CGM line overnight in so long and I’ve been using extended boluses and temporary basal rates like an addict! Most importantly, nothing beats bolusing in restaurants or on the subway without having to take a needle out in front of everyone!
For what it’s worth, I recently got over my fear of using the thigh (with Omnipod). My thighs are lean and I could only imagine cannula constantly scraping muscle. But it was supremely comfortable, to the point of being unnoticeable. So I’m a convert.
I’ve thought about using my thighs but there doesn’t feel like much of a fat layer at all. I’m not a muscle bound body-builder but it feels like almost all muscle to me. I know that some women can carry fat on the outer thighs. I wonder if men can successfully use the thighs, too.
I’ve read recently that someone tilts the Dexcom applicator up so that the sensor is applied with a shallower angle when using the thigh or calf. I guess I’m just going to have to experiment and see how it goes. I do need more places to infuse.
Yes, I’m definitely so happy to be back. My nights have been pretty much flatlined every night. Yesterday I ran high for most of the day so bumped my basal rates up by 0.2 u/hr. Then last night I started trending a bit low from the tail of a bolus and set a temporary 0% basal rate for an hour, came back up nicely, and flatlined the rest of the night at around 4.5 mmol/L. I woke up this morning, looked at my CGM showing a flatline for the past eight hours, and though, “Gosh, I love my pump!” I will not be trying an MDI regimen again anytime soon. The pump and the ability to make these types of in-the-moment adjustments definitely give me much, much tighter control.
That’s too bad! I pay for Dexcom out of pocket, too. But for me it’s cheaper than the Libre would be, since I can stretch sensors to last a month each.
On the outsides I can pinch up 1/2 inch at the most, but there’s a small area in the middle of the upper thigh where I guess for some reason I didn’t inject much as a kid, and so I can pinch an inch easily. Still, given how comfortable it was, I may try the “thinner” sides next. The only real inconvenience was that the G4 receiver in my pocket kept bumping against my pod.
Yep, that’s true. Unfortunately I was never able to get Dexcom sensors to last more than 2 weeks and by the time I stopped using it I was barely getting 8 days out of them!
Hmm. I do my taxes online and for the past two years have claimed the Dexcom as medical expenses. I have receipts, but no prescription, because my endo said I didn’t need one because I already had an Animas pump Actually I do have medical necessity forms my endo sent to my insurance, so hopefully that would count if I ever got audited.
T:locks have been much better for us! It takes less time to fill and the bubbles don’t get stuck like in the luer lock. It’s not perfect but a big improvement.
I’ve just started using silhouettes in my thighs. The only problem has been my underwear snagging on them when I go to the bathroom. My solution has been to wear them so that the tubing pokes out sideways instead of up. I also put some hypafix tape over the cannula to create a smoother surface and at least keep it from coming out if I snag it during a really urgent occasion. Go for it.
Hello, my wife is using a 630g pump and I just had a simple question to see if anyone else has had this issue. She’s had this pump for a little over a year now and her guardian sensor has recently within the past couple months been giving inaccurate readings. We’ve tried moving the site around to no avail. Does anyone have any suggestions? It’s very frustrating and making controlling her numbers a bit difficult. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance!!
Are the sensors from the same box/shipment? They .might have been shipped/held in cold temps and impacted. Have you talked with medtronic support to troubleshoot?
I will not be trying an MDI regimen again anytime soon. The pump and the ability to make these types of in-the-moment adjustments definitely give me much, much tighter control.