So, the CDE gave us a few samples of the Skin Tac Wipe (adhesive wipes) and the TacAway (adhesive remover) and said that is what she recommends since my son has sensitive skin. They are non-latex and hypo-allergenic. Is this what most of you use to help keep the Pods on? This last Pod is JUST making it to day 3 (changing it this afternoon). This Pod is on his butt, so I think the up and down of his pants has given it an extra workout. Also, what site is the best for buying these products? THANKS! :)
Hi Mom 2 Kyle,
I LOVE Skin-Tac wipes. I've been using them since about week 3 and I LOVE them. They help the pods stay on so much longer. Here's a few tips:
- Make sure you prep with Isopropyl Alcohol swabs first on the skin, and wait for it to dry.
- Apply the skin-tac liberally, and wait till it has a crystalizing look and is tacky to the touch. Don't wait too long to apply the pod as it does tend to lose it's initial tackyness. Prep the tack after you're ready to apply the pod.
- Use isopropyl alcohol to remove the skin-tac around the pod once you've activated it.
- To remove the pod, apply very liberally alcohol onto the 3m portion of the pod (like, soak it). If your son has sensitive skin this will help immensely with removal. Another option is to steam it off in the shower, but the timing isn't always best with the latter.
I just buy from Amazon, it's about $16/box and once you get into the rhythm of purchasing, amazon allows for an 'auto refill' every X months that will give you a discount. Oh, and I buy the individual swabs vs. the bottle. Much easier in transportation.
I can tell you're a wonderful mother and your son is very lucky to have someone who is so invested in this process. Enjoy it, as it's more of an art than a science sometimes. Every day is new and every T1 unique.
Cheers!
G
How do you prep the tack after you're ready to apply the pod (I'm not sure I understand what that means)? So, alcohol will work just as well as the TacAway wipes that we were given? That will save us some $$ too. :) Thanks for your help. I'm going to order some now since we only have 2 wipes.
Sorry, I just meant in the timing of application of the pod. Sometimes I get ahead of myself and apply skin-tac before I've primed the pod. Then by the time I go to apply it, the skin tac has lost some tacky-ness.
Alcohol works a dream (i've never had to use TacAway and I have sensitive skin too). Cotton balls and a large bottle from your local supermarket will run you about $2 for use at home, and I just use the alcohol swabs when I'm out and about - they aren't as effective so I need to use a few more to really soak it, but by 3 days it shouldn't take much anyway :)
Thanks, that makes sense. Yeah, it took us almost 10 minutes to do a pod change (I'm sure we'll get better) ... it'd be totally dry if I applied it ahead of time. lol
You'll be like a formula 1 pit crew team in no time!
Hi Mom to Kyle, I also have allergies to the adhesive on the Pod. I use Coloplast Shield Skin Protective Barrier Wipes code # 65895-0001, which are pretty inexpensive @ $8.10 per box of 50! All you do is wipe the area before placing the pod! To remove, I wipe around the pod with a cotton ball that has a few drops of Baby oil gel...works wonders! You can order online at www.Firstoptionmedical dot com. Good luck.
I usually try to get supplies locally, because I prefer to support local businesses. But sometimes use these guys: http://www.americandiabeteswholesale.com/ They seem to be pretty good so far for me. Also, I use the 3M Tegaderm pads between my pods and my skin. Holds a little better, no worries about the canula going through the strips as it doesn't cause problems if it does. And it's easy to use and remove.
We use Skin Tac wipes on everything - Omnipod and Dexcom - love it. However, we use Uni-Solve wipes to get it off which is way cheaper than Tac Away. They are great for transportation too, so maybe just use these in your bag. I buy most of this stuff on Amazon, but will sometimes will buy on ebay depending on current prices. I've also used some of the diabetes wholesale sites, but mostly just amazon. I also know some people use baby oil to get any adhesives / sticky stuff off as well.
Just for grins, here's my method for pod changes.
1. start with the syringe fill, this always takes the longest it seems to get as much of the air bubbles out as possible. Sometimes I'm lucky though. Recap needle and set aside.
2. Prep skin (allows time for alcohol to dry...)
3. Cancel old pod (if not already cancelled due to empty reservoir)
4. Fill new pod and start it's countdown.
5. remove old pod and cleanup (usually takes the same time as new pod countdown.)
6. Apply skin pad or skin tack or whatever you use for skin protection. Sometimes I do this during step 2, but not always.
7. By now the new pod is ready, so partially peel 1st of the two adhesive covers, only partially to the edge of the pod and fold it upward. This allows both to come off quicker due to support of one cover to another holding the floppy pad underneath more rigidly. Peel 2nd protector off completely, then peel the 1st one off completely after that. If you peel one completely off to start with and if you're like me you'll usually have a fight to get the 2nd one off cleanly. partially starting the 1st, then moving on helps do it faster.
8. Stick the pod to skin and start the insert routine on the PDM.
I've got it to under 4 minutes, could do faster if needed I guess.
Scott, I found this to be funny ... http://www.americandiabeteswholesale.com/ is a local company for me! I called them to order the Skin Tac and they are just 15 min. south of us. :) They also carry the Opsite Flexifix for my son's CGM.
THANKS!! :)
We had A LOT of bubbles up in the tip/needle area today that we just couldn't get out. We tapped as hard as we could and we tried to squirt out some insulin & squirt a little more & still bubbles ... any suggestions??
Are you using positive pressure when you draw the insulin? Pull the plunger back half-way and insert air into the vial. This usually allows for 99% fluid to draw back into the syringe.
Well, here's what he does.
1. Pulls back on the plunger and fills the syringe with air equal to the amount of insulin he uses.
2. Pushes the needle into the vial and pushes the air into the vial (does it matter if the vial is sitting or upside down?).
3. Turn the vial upside down & withdraw the amount of insulin needed out.
4. Tap & tap. Push plunger and bubbles back into the vial.
5. Remove syringe. tap & tap & squirt out a bit of insulin.
Sound right??
Sounds like you're doing it all the same way as I do! Sometimes there's just more bubbles than normal. I tend to do the whole process with the needle pointing skyward - not sure if it makes a huge difference but could be worth a shot!
We also use Skin Tac wipes as well as Mastisol spray to "glue" the pods on my daughter. We don't use alcohol to prep the skin, as I read that alcohol can really irritate sensitive skin, although these products have a certain amt of alcohol in them anyway. My daughter's skin always has red itchy bumps underneath the pod whenever we remove an old one. I tried Tegaderm underneath the pod once in hopes of protecting her skin and to keep the pod from getting itchy, but the pod just practically fell off not long after we put it on, so I'm not sure what the trick is to make Tegaderm work.
Thanks to a few who mentioned DeSolvIt on one of these discussions, I just bought some and it works great for removing the old pods and kinesiotape I put over each pod. It's safe for skin plus you can use it around the house! Prior to that I was using Unisolve wipes to remove tape and pods. I pretty much buy all our ancillary supplies from Amazon or its Marketplace vendors.
As for the bubbles in the insulin, are you using insulin at room temp or do you keep it in the fridge? I was told that room temp produces fewer bubbles, so I keep it in a kitchen cabinet now.
Gail, does the Coloplast keep the pod from bothering you (itchy)? Do you have any red itchy bumps underneath the pod when you take it off? I prep my daughter's skin using Cavilon barrier spray, but I don't think it does that much good. The pod still itches her from time to time. I wish I could find the magic potion!
Scott, exactly which Tegaderm product are you using? I bought a box of them not long after we started and used one between the pod and my daughter's skin, even on top of Skin Tac, but the darn thing practically fell right off. I bought the non-waterproof ones, as I didn't realize there was a waterproof version at the time. The waterproof ones are pretty expensive though.
I keep my insulin in the fridge. When I have a high I can't fix, I at least know that warm insulin (since I have had it) isn't the problem.
To warm up the insulin to room temperature so the pod doesn't error on fill, I fill the omnipod syringe with insulin and leave it on the counter for a half hour...unless desperate.....then I warm the syringe-full in my hand for 10 min or so. This will sometimes help settle down some of the smaller bubbles. I tap the larger ones.
I usually fill the syringe with a little more insulin than I will need. If I have bubbles that I can't get out (maybe little gurgly ones), I turn the syringe up-side-down and make sure that all of the bubbles are at the bottom of the syringe. When I plunge it into the pod, I leave the syringe up-side-down and don't plunge all of the insulin in the pod. I leave the bubbles in the bottom of the syringe.
Yes, it does. Most of the time I do not get the nasty rash, which is real nice but I will once in a while. I then put Walgreens brand of anti-itch cream on my skin when I remove the pod and it disappears within hours. This is also low cost. Walmart also offers their store brand called " Equate" of Benadryl cream. I hope this helps :-)