Oh boy - this comment is perfect timing! I was on the phone, last night, with MiniMed. I pumped from March 1999 till May 2007, took a hiatus and then started again in July 2008. All of a sudden – every other infusion set gives me “NO DELIVERY”. Last night - MiniMed informed me it’s “scar tissue”. Now I have to stand-up when inserting my pump paraphernalia. Please.
News to me. What happens when this stops working? Shall I stand on my head to insert? LoL Who knew pumping had an expiration date?
My next option is Oral Insulin - no hypos, no ‘rogue’ highs… and perhaps a little beta cell regeneration (a la C-peptide). Pressing onward……
Allie, give the scarred region(s) a long rest so healing can take place. Use non-scarred regions in the meantime and rotate sites so new scar tissue will not form. That is working for me. I cannot use my upper abdomen so I am rotating between my lower abdomen and upper legs. If I did not have arthritis I would be able to insert a set into my uoper buttocks but it is too awkward for me. Love handles work well for some people too. Good luck!
My brother is a Physician’s Assistant/ Nurse Anesthetist with decades experience. He recently suggested I ask for verapmil cream to put on my scar tissue areas. Has anyone tried this? It is a prescription item, primarily used by, ahem, men who have scar tissue on their penis as a result of trauma.
I’m rotating and keeping a detailed log of my sites, but lately I can’t seem to luck out with a good site. My doc wants me to change after 48 hours max, and I’ll tell you, if I can wait that long, I’m chomping at the bit to tear the thing out. I’m short and kinda slim, and I have a big scar from kidney surgery on my right abdomen.This week I had one gusher, one set that stung so bad on insertion I dropped to my knees, and a bunch that seemed to leave big holes when I took them out after only one day.
I know what you mean! I started in 1994 and it’s so hard to find a spot that is halfway usable to get the introductor needle in. Though, I’m overweight and the pump nurse feels this makes things more difficult. shrugs I don’t know if anyone else encounters that or not but that’s what I’ve been told. Anyway, I tried my leg and that was very uncomfortable and even painfu. The pump nurse pulled the plug on that (no pun intended) with my neuropathy being in the state it is. So I had to move on. Anyway, that’s all I have to add. I don’t know any tips or anything but if anyone has any to add that would be so great. Thanks.
I been fairly successful using the Silouette sets. When I was pregnant I used my inner thighs but sometimes the plastic insert would rub and get pulled out. I’m sticking with the pump a little longer. I don’t want to go back to carrying syringes and insulin vials, although, the pens might make being on shots a lot more convenient. I also need to lose weight. I’ve never really tried to lose weight. But now that I’m done having kids and the weight has not magically come off like with my other two. I need to lose about 40 lbs. I feel like I need to put a plan together so that I know I can expect some results and so that I have a plan to stick to. Just trying to watch my carbs, eat less saturated fat, white flour and eating more green veggies and adding exercise isn’t enough. I need an actual plan to stick to. Does anyone have any kind of spreadsheet or any aids that they use in tracking diet and exercise?
I’ve been pumping for about 13 years. 9 plus years on MM using Sils and now 3 years on OmniPod. I have rather thin (average) arms and use my upper arms for almost all my OmniPod insertions. I rotate one arm to the other and then up and down a little. I have much less problem with scar tissue with the OmniPods than the Sils. I could never get any of the 90 degree sets to work as they all occluded right away. When scar tissue rears its ugly (painful head) I just go to a totally different area for a few weeks. With the OmniPod this is very easy as I can use the abdomen or lower sides of my back. More difficult with other types of catheters.
13 years for me pumping and I have scar tissue issues as well. At the moment I have been giving my stomach a break and am back to my legs. I save my high hip area for my cgms. I hate it when I am getting wacky readings and change the insert and there is no problem with bent insertions then I know that I usually hit scar tissue. So frustrating! I am at fault though of not always changing inserts as often as I should. I will leave it in for 4-5 days because I have issues with not enough fatty areas to insert…other than buttocks which is not always comfortable.
Amy, the longer 45 degree needles always cause me to hurt more. I use Sure-T’s, there is a 6mm needle that goes straight in, no slanted insertion. Less skin is involved. I change every 3-3.5 days and there is no scar tissue. I rotate between abdomen and upper legs. I don’t know which pump you use. The Sure-T does not work with every pump. I use the Minimed Medtronic pump.
When I put my Sure T’s from MiniMed in my arms I trnd to rub my arms and pull it out. I use my thighs alot. I can’t put it in my adominal area on either side because of the scar tissue (the insulin just don’t get delivered to my system now) But as I was saying when I use my arms it seems to work fine for me if I can just remember not to rub my arms (didn’t work that well for my on vacation) and being a girl I just hook the pump under my arm up to my bra.
Brenda, one of our members here, Roman, is a med student, and came up with an invention which is like a scar tissue locator. Take a look at his discussion here about it.
In order to avoid scar tissue, we should all be changing our sites every two days. My endo. insists that all of her pumpers (and OmniPodders) do that! Of course, we must also rotate sites. I took MDI for 35 years before “pumping,” so I have sites (like both my legs) that I cannot use at all. Get your hubby to insert into your arms,too!
I was wondering about putting a set into my 'love handles", and they are plenitful, let me tell you, but my concern is a large scar I have from a hip surgery when I was a baby, about 15 years ago. The scar doesnt go up to there, but it is about 2-3 inches away, and I have never had any feeling in about 2 inches surrounding the scar. So would putting a set there be a good choice? I am kind of nervous about doing it, because I cannot see it, and I am very conscious of my sites and, for some reason, am constantly checking them through my clothing and whenever I use the restroom.
Oh and my endo says that I have done a really good job on not getting scar tissue, but it is mainly because I only used to test /take insulin 1-2 a day, I was such a bad kid!! LOL!!
Any suggestions, my loving, virtual Diabetic community?
I started pumping in 1980 when the big black brick the auto syringe came out that was my first pump. I was dx in 1976 and the doctor that I saw then told me that it is better to give yourself insulin in your stomach region as it tends to have better absorption I find as the years go by that when I put my sites for my pump in my lower stomach its OK and the absorption is somewhat slower if that makes any sense. I have been using the upper part of my tummy and it works very well on the left side and middle but not so good on the right so try to figure that one out lol. This coming up July I will have had type 1 for 34 years. I use the Minimed 722 and the Dexcom CGMS.
Marie,
I noticed you started this discussion June 2008 and thank goodness it surfaced again …have you been able to get a better " handle " on where to insert or are concerns still there ?
