Hey everyone I just got the OmniPod and have started on my insulin a couple days ago. When I had the saline in the pod I couldnt feel a thing but now that I have my Humalog in it I am having trouble with getting it comfortable. An example being about an hour ago when I changed my pod, I took it off my arm and now the muscle in the arm is sore and kind of swollen. I am in high school and even though my arm is the most comfortable place, it gets bumped into A LOT. I cant put it on my stomach because it just doesnt work for me and my lower back isnt good because of my jean waistline. I am just wondering if anyone has any suggestions from experience or even from what they’ve heard or seen. Any ideas are welcome, I am just having a hard time adjusting to this.
I bump mine from time to time, but it’s nothing. I like placing it on the back of my arm, wayyy back, above the tricep, and it hardly gets in the way at all. I think I’m going to try the outside of my quad next pod change, but I hardly have any body fat, and it can be a bit annoying if you get the canula directly into the muscle. Did once on my arm and had a burning sensation for a while and if it moved, it hurt a bit, not bad though. You can also try the backside of your calf. You’ll get used to it. Make sure you pinch a bit of skin when the canula is being inserted so you don’t go directly into the muscle, helps.
Mike
Hey Mia…hope this gets better for you. I’ve not had any problems like this but thinking it might be that the cannula is either very close to being in the muscle or slightly in it? If you wore the pod in the same place when you were testing it shouldn’t be different with the insulin. I’m assuming your using the same (Humalog) as before when you where on shots, once or twice I felt a little burning sensation when I did a bolus, but it went away after a short time. Is it happening on both arms? Are you using the pinch up method when you apply and do the insertion?
I put mine on my back but higher up. Bout good 1.5 in over the waist line. It worked good for me. Good luck
This is only my 4th pod and Ive had it once on my stomach and three times on my upper left arm (different insertion places though) And the past two times I have been pinching. Im not sure about the insulin or whatever but I did notice that pinching does make the needle insertion hurt less. I think I did get it into a muscle though (the last time) I only changed my pod a little bit ago but I am pretty sure I got it in a good spot (im hoping anyway)
I am super sensitive to everything that gets injected into my body, and I can even taste the salt when I am injected with saline! What this means for insulin is that no matter where I have the pod, I can feel the insulin going in, and this is even worse when the cannula is touching/in my muscle.
Try putting the pods on your thighs (hard to get bumped there!) or on your butt (the top, about 1-2 inches below your waistline) I find those fatty(er) areas to be a lot better than my pretty muscular arms.
Good luck from a Maia to a Mia!
(and let me know if you have any questions!)
Okay Ill try it out but doesnt it hurt on your calf? The muscle on my calves are tight so just thinking about it, it just seems like it would be painful. Plus I wear skinny jeans and Im not really over the self-conciousness of people seeing it. Although it is noticable on my arms as well as anywhere…do you think it is comfortable on your calves at all?
Thanks Ill try it but I think Ill wait until I feel like wearing my dresses. Im just nervous about hitting it or something with my belt…
Thanks, your suggestions are really helpful. Does it get annoying on your butt? I mean like when you sit and your pants get tighter around that area. I would just imagine that jeans would push on it.
I wear (tight) jeans all the time, and its not really a problem. If you place it right, you dont sit on it, and it just hangs out, doing its thing, for the three days. An easy way to find this spot is to sit on the couch the way you normally do and find the spot below your waistline and out of harms way that feels nice and soft 
That’s probably a perfect spot for the pod! One thing to be careful of is your underwear, when you take off or put on your panties make sure not to catch them on the pod! Otherwise, its not really an issue at all…great in the summer time when you can actually HIDE the pod under a BIKINI! Never thought it would happen, but lo and behold, the pod was concealed!
I can wear pods on the small of my back, about 4 inches above my waistline. I’m pretty muscular, so its not like I have much extra pudge up there, but just enough to wear a pod pretty comfortably!
That actually sounds like a really good idea. In three days when I change again, i’ll try it out.
From an (old) guy’s point of view, I second Maia’s warning about catching the pod on underwear. I tried wearing my pod below the waistband on my abdomen, and when I undressed I caught the pod with my underwear and ripped it off. It wasn’t too painful, but I decided, because I am such a klutz, to wear my pod above my waistband. I don’t wear many tight shirts (only a few tees and a couple polos that I probably shouldn’t be wearing anyway) so the pod doesn’t really show under my clothes. It will probably be easier for you when the smaller pods come out. I think they are supposed to have about the same “foot print”, but not stick out as far.
Thanks:)
And yeah I am really excited about the new pods. Even though the pods now arent considered big, I see them as huge. I am hoping that in the future there will be an even smaller form of pod:)