Hello all.... I am new to this site and have a question about pumping....!
I have been on the pump for about 8 years now. In the past few months, I have realized I have had a tendency to get significant air bubbles in my tubing -- enough to make my sugars go UP. Its so frustrating. I am wondering if this has happened to any of you out there, and if so, what did you do?? I have been in touch with Mini Med, they've given me some tips as to how to more carefully fill my reservoirs etc. but the bubbles still come - usually a day or a day and a little after I have changed my set. I have also tried a different set of "lot" numbers (supplies) but same thing. All goes well for a while and then air bubbles.... Curious if this is something others deal with regularly? its so strange, for years it was not a big deal - noticing a bubble only every very once in a while. These days it seems inevitable that bubbles will appear.
I check for bubbles every day. In fact just this morning I primed out a bubble that was about an inch long. For me, the bubbles seem to appear after a period of physical activity (working in the yard, playing sports, etc). The movement must move them to the top of the reservoir. I usually see them a day or so after a re-fill as well. I've had people tell me that I'm not filling my reservoirs correctly and that I shouldn't be seeing bubbles but when I go 4-5 days between refills and especially during the active/warm summer months, I think it's inevitable that some will eventually appear. For me, it's just part of pumping.
I always try to hold the pump vertically as I prime with the hope that all the bubbles floated to the top and then get blown through during priming. Then I always pump a couple of units extra after the end starts dripping. Good luck!
I check and double check and triple check to make sure there are no air bubbles in the insulin cartridge when I load it, but every time I take it out to do a new one there are air bubbles. I just don't get it.
Thanks everyone for your input.... I will try holding the pump vertically when priming -- haven't tried that one yet! Its helpful to know that I'm not the only one a bit frustrated by this -- and then I guess I just have to get more used to checking for them in general. Hoping this can become more automatic for me- as a preventative measure - as opposed to realizing I'm higher than I thought I'd be and then look and find a big space in the tubing! Just strange as it only started to become an issue recently... or maybe I
am just being more vigilant these days? sigh.