I was finally approved for the Omnipod! 100% covered by insurance and I have ten years to wear it before Medicare kicks in and makes me change my pump.
My question is for Omnipod and DExcom wearing folks. How do you handle the rotation of sites? I use the DEx pretty much on my upper and lower abdomen. Tried the thigh, it failed, tried the arm, it ripped right off. I will be using the 3 day Omnipod.
Thanks!
Dexcom works surprisingly well on upper arms even though it is not approved for that location...
I don't worry too much about rotating the dex. It seems to do little damage. I switch the dex between the right and left side of my navel. I focus on rotating the pod. I use my abdomen exclusively. I have mapped 6 spots on the right side of my navel and 6 spots on the left side. I keep a log to track the 'used' locations. When I have used them all I start over.
Hi, I wear my dex on my abdomen exclusively toward the front. I use one site for about two weeks then move it about a inch or so up or down and then switch sides. My pod starts about three inches from my navel and moves back an inch every three days, I get about six sites per side. I occasionally use the back of my arm for pods, it requires a bit more attention to ensure it doesn’t get knocked off. Good luck !!
I had similar problems early on. Basically it does require some life changes, and changes in the way you move and work. Not a lot, but after time you'll become much better.
Great suggestions. I guess I'll have to be a bit more systematic with the insertion sites. The Dex stays on for two weeks so that helps! Does anyone use a table or something to keep track?
Thanks
I use a piece of paper. I imagine that it is a drawing of my abdomen. Whenever I place a pod I add a circle to my abdomen drawing. Low tech. I am all for simplicity.
The pod seems to work everywhere I can find that doesn't have too much muscle movement (some places on my upper arms) and doesn't get ripped off (thighs, pretty much everywhere, guess I sit down too much.)
It's just squirting insulin into our skin, so long as it doesn't hit the muscle I suspect it doesn't matter much where it is.
John Bowler
Linny,
Congratulations! I am so very happy to hear that you've finally been approved! What wonderful news.
I have tried a few different spots for both my Dex and OmniPod, but have always (for the past few years now) gravitated to using my abdomen for my Dex and the back of my upper arm for my OmniPod. I inject Symlin too, into my abdomen, on the opposite side of my Dex. Symlin needs to be injected at least two inches from insulin, so I play it safe this way.
I'm glad you asked this question because I need to pay better attention to rotations than I know I have. I move from side to side, but I have never paid much attention to placement on that side, such as doing what's been suggested here or something like a "clock rotation" with 12, 3, 6, and 9 points. I might find in a few more years that I'll regret having not done so.
Again, congratulations and thank you for asking such a great question!
Tap
I wear my dex mostly on my boob, sometimes the pod also. I rotate the pod, from back, butt, hip, stomach up and down, both arms, and sometimes the thigh. best place for readings is my boobs, then my back, arms, stomach. good luck, and enjoy becoming a podder, I am diaborg. lol
Thanks again, everyone! Excited and scared but looking forward to using insulin when I need it, not when I feel like giving myself a shot, I've been pretty non-compliant (hate that word) lately. and I finally brought my a1c down from 11.7 to 8.3 - thanks to the dex. but Ive been eating like crazy lately and haven't been good about taking my shots. So the Omnipod will help me with it's ease.