Pod Failures from the "Spare"?

In the three months that I have been on the Pod, I have only had one occlusion (smile) and two failures during priming. I noticed that both times I had a failure, it was because I decided to rotate out the “spare” Pod that I carry in the back of the case and use that Pod. My case and PDM with the spare Pod do get clunked about a little in my briefcase or in my purse, so I try not to keep a spare Pod in there too long. I have noticed that pattern, however, and I am wondering if I should always try to use the spare Pod each time I change so the spare Pod is never carried around more than three days.

Has anyone else noticed a similar thing? Do you just put a spare Pod in the case and carry it around for an extended length of time? How often do you change out and use that “spare” Pod in the course of a month? I would appreciate any guidance I can get because I think that experience is the best teacher.

Hmm, well, I always use the spare pod and rotate a new one in as my spare. It’s worth trying and seeing if that does the trick.

My 3 priming failures were all from the same box and were replaced. My occlusions have all been on the small of my back when I probably didn’t get enough fat pinched up. And any pods falling off or cannulas slipping out have been on my legs or abdomen. Using IV prep around the edges of the tape after insertion seems to have solved that problem for now. So I think with the Omnipod, you have to be ready to notice trends more subtly and act on them bravely.

My “spare” is the one I use when I change pods so it is never in my bag more than three days. I have only had one pod failure and I’d already been wearing the pod for almost two days. I’ve been using the Omni Pod since March.
Good Luck!

Uh Oh…I have a spare in my purse that has been in there for months. I will use it next change and let you know if there is a problem.

I’m the same as Melissa and Alesha - I carry two spares and those are the ones I use come change day. Pod failures have been few and far between.

I never had a problem with my spare pod. It’s the last pod I used from that box. I replace it with the next box of pods that I’m going to use. Never really thought about it getting abused, but I will start being more careful.

My spare is in my briefcase and has been in there over a month. I’ll use it next and see. The one I had on this weekend was also in my briefcase but not as long, and it is working fine.

I do not carry a spare…HMMMM
Question: Do you also carry a vial of insulin too?

Yep. I work an hour away from home. I carry a spare and insulin always. I don’t always carry the stuff I use to get off my pod with me so sometimes I come home with an active pod on one arm and an inactive pod on the other.

I often don’t have time to immediately remove the old pod (I just rip them off but if they’re still stuck tight it can take 5 minutes or so…). A couple times I’ve run into problems remembering which was the old pod and which was the new though! Just make sure you’re careful about that.

Yes…and a syringe. The insulin lasts me about a month and I have not had a problem with it going bad just being in my bag unrefridgerated.

My back up supplies usually include: 2 pods, vial of insulin, 2-3 IV prep swabs, 1-2 alcohol swabs, 3 syringes, 2 medi-sol swabs (in case I struggle to remove the old pod), and extra test strips / lancets. This all fits in a fairly small purse that I can stuff in larger bags/purses or take out by itself. Sometimes I stuff an extra Dexcom Sensor in there too!

Yes, I always carry an alcohol swab, insulin, my pen with insulin… just in case, and a spare Pod. I have been diabetic for 43 years, so I know what it is like to be caught without the supplies I need. My family had to cancel a camping trip and drive home in the middle of the night during my MDI days, and I will never be without supplies again.

Thanks for all of the input. I have to change my Pod in about half and hour, so I think that I will make it a regular habit of always rotating out the “spare” Pod and putting a fresh one in the case to carry with me. I only carry one spare because I only live about two miles from where I work, so in true emergencies, I can always get home in about 10 minutes. I suppose I should keep an extra Pod in my desk, though. Winter is coming to Wisconsin… and running (slipping?) home isn’t always easy!

I always carry a spare pod, my insulin vial, 2 syringes, an IV prep, and 2 AAA batteries, as well as the daily basics (PDM, CGMS, strips, lancet device, & glucose tabs). It all fits easily in the black zipper pouch or in one of my little wristlets. If I’m more than an hour from home, I bring additional pods.

Run the diagnostics and the active one will beep

I don’t carry any extra supplies on me on a day-to-day basis, but everywhere I go I’ve ‘stockpiled’ stuff, so to speak. Like at my office, for example, I have a personal frig where I keep a bottle of insulin (and lots of diet coke or coke zero…b/c I live on that stuff :slight_smile: and I also have 2 or 3 extra pods and some alcohol swabs there. I also keep an extra tester w/ strips at work just in case.
At my girlfriend’s house I’ve got a vial of insulin in the frig and I also keep 2 pods and some alcohol pads there.
If I’m traveling somewhere I always carry supplies though. Sometimes on the days when I’ve used more insulin than expected w/ a particular pod, and I don’t have enough insulin left to basal and bolus, I will carry a pen and caps with me to cover my boluses at meals, and then I’ll change the pod that evening when it’s time for it to expire.
Otherwise, I’ve only got the bare minimum: PDM, strips, lancet device.

Update… changed the Pod to the spare and it is ticking happily away! No problems with it at all. I will always just rotate out the spare so it is never carried around more than three days.

I did have trouble with the Pod I took off, though. I had no pain with it, but when I took it off, I got a famous bleeder… wow! I have never seen so much blood, and I could not get it to stop. Thank heavens I had taken off my good work clothes, so they were spared the blood bath. Has anyone ever had an explanation of why this happens every so often?

No idea about the bleeder…I wonder why if you have hit such a spot, it doesn’t effect things before you take it off.
I changed my pod last night using the pod I had been carrying around for months and as you say, it is ticking along beautifully.

I think you likely hit a vessel under the surface of the skin that caused the large amount of blood. If you did not have any issues with your glucose, it was probably a ‘double-wall’ stick, so to speak, that went through the vessel and was actually infusing within the adipose tissue like it was supposed to…and then when you pulled it off yesterday, it was like pulling the nail out of your tire…air (blood) comes out everywhere :-/
If your numbers are every out of whack and then when you pull the pod, you have a gusher, you were probably infusing into a vessel (or near a vessel). If you’re ever infusing “IV insulin”, it does not take nearly as much insulin to produce the same effect as it would if you were infusing correctly…