Hi all!
So I’m busy preparing to get my Paradigm 715 on Monday and have been reading up on any- and everything. I’m still trying to figure out, however, how everyone seems to deal with the tubing, and which lengths have which pros and cons.
I have this image of me walking around blissfully unaware of a length of tubing trailing me at some off angle :P.
I use the 23 inch tubing if for some reason i have to use longer, i coil extra up and put it in the waist band of my pants.
Most of the time I just shove it down in my pants, shorts what ever. Sometimes it does escape, because I have hooked it on door knobs, stair rails. I use the 23", A lot of it will depend on where you place your site and where you are going to hook the pump. I have used inner thigh. This length still works for me. Alsways ask for some different lengths to try. Good Luck
I use the 23in tube any longer and it would be too much. Nothing like having the tubing catch a door knob.
I use the long 43" tubing. That way there’s plenty of slack when I use the ladies’ room. When I shower, there’s slack for me to set it in the soap dish or clip it to the shower curtain, depending on which side my infusion set is on, or I can just set it on the floor of the bathtub. When I’m getting dressed, there’s slack for to put it wherever, when I sleep, I set it under my pillow on one side, and I never have any issues with it pulling out, and when I’m having marital relations, I can maneuver without any problems. When I’ve tried the short tubing, I’ve hated it. I like the tubing to be long enough that I cam set my pump on the floor. I coil the tubing, and tuck it in my undies or down my pants. The excess slack has never caused me any issues.
I also use the 23 inch and I just tuck it into my pants, as I wear the pump clipped to a belt loop most of the time. I often am lazy and just let the tubing hang (but watch our for door knobs!!). You will find a system that works for you.
I don’t think that the Tubeguard would be that helpful. It seems that you would need to unwind the tubing every time that you go to the bathroom. I think just tucking it in is a better option!
I agree with Lee Ann and Kristin. The bathroom is the only place I ever have an issue with preferring a certain length of tubing. With my 43", I always have plenty of slack to pull the pants down with the pump clipped to the waistband. I’m so used to years and years of that length that I sometimes pull the 23"s a little hard and feel a bit of a tug when I wear them. But honestly, either is fine. From my experience here at TuD, I’d say most people trend toward the shorter. I’ve just always used the longer.
I can’t see a need for the tubeguard, but I’m a gadget enthusiast, so I can’t see harm in trying it later if you’re intrigued by it. Like everyone else mentioned, I just shove the tubing inside my underwear and don’t think about it after that.
Cindy’s right. Ask them to send you different lengths to try. All three of the companies I’ve ordered sets from have always been happy to do so.
I’m kind of curious to see what selection they have here, we have very few ‘pumpers’, so I don’t know what sort of variety of infusion sets, tube lengths etc. they import. I’m just going to have to wait and see.
I did order a ‘tubeguard’ from a website in the US, and it should reach me within the next few weeks, so I’ll report on that :).
I use 23" but, as likely as it may seem, I have never had my tube caught up with anything so strong to the point where it has pulled it out. If you feel it pulling (when it’s happened) you feel it where you can quickly back off and “untangle” it. Not saying it can’t happen, but I have been fortunate it hasn’t happened to me in 3+ years of pumping.
I wish you the best of luck with the pump. It is a bit odd at first, but if you are the kind of person that pumps are made for, you will really find it changing your life for the better in less than a month.
Kristin, I to just leave my tubing hang out which is dangerous for me because I move very fast!!! I have never ripped it out but I have said lots of bad words because it hurts like hell!!
I guess that I move quickly too! I have pulled mine site out at least three times. But I seem to be subconsciously aware of all doorknobs and hooks now!!
I tried the Tubeguard recently, but gave up after a couple of days. I use the 23 inch tubing, with infusion sites usually on the upper thighs. It was too much effort to unwind the tubing. If they made something that was spring loaded and expanded and contracted as needed, it would be worth using. I do not have much of a problem with excess tubing, though I have certainly had door knob issues and, everyonce in a while, the clip coming off and the pump hitting the floor.
I use the longer tube. I have had 2 or 3 times where I was going to the bathroom with the shorter one and forgot that I couldn’t just pull my pants all the way down. When I pulled further than the length of tubing, the pump came off my pants and hit the floor breaking the clip. I had to buy another and insurance doesn’t cover that. The extra tubing goes in my undies which usually holds it tight enough it doesn’t escape. It also gives enough at night that I can put the pump under my pillow. This helps some with getting tangled in it at night. Try them all and see which one works for you though because as you can tell from the responses, everyone is different. Hope you find the right one for you easily.