The scar tissue is not visible on the skin surface, it is totally beneath the surface. It gradually builds up and eventually will cause poor insulin absorption and high blood sugar. I am concerned about those of you going longer than 3.5 days without changing your sets. If you insist on continuong this way, be sure your sites are about 1.5 inches apart and that you rotate sites. That will help with the scar tissue issue. I use my lower ab for a few weeks and then switch to my upper legs so my ab can completely heal before I use it again. I did not know about scar tissue years ago and was not rotating sites. I did MDI too long on my upper ab and have permanent scar tissue there. i can never use that part of my body for infusion sets.
Grandpa Richard is concerned that some of you will have a lot of high blood sugar due to scar tissue that you do not realize you have.
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Hi Grandpa Richard,
Some of us can rotate 1.5" or so each time, but there are still some of us who are fuzzier than the rest. I only have 2 sides - right love handle and left love handle, that are not fuzzy and not over muscle. That being said, I don't have much of an option. Now I'm sure I'm the only male with body hair here and in the minority, but that's my 2 cents on scar tissue...
I change everything every three days. It is better to be in a full cycle rotation in my head, plus this way the amount of supplies I have is always the same. I have 8 infusion sets, 8 tubing, and 8 reservoirs. I like things being equal. And Patty cakes this is why you should move to the arms and do a little manscaping. You don't have to full body wax, but a little razor here or there opens new spots up so you can rotate things better.
Hmm, my CDE told me not to do that because the insulin can actually absorb some plastic from the reservoir. Not sure if this is true or not, but I do it because I'm slightly neurotic :P
I like the iCal advice, I am on my computer for a good 5+ hours a day and that will definitely help me remember. I like just filling my cartridges all the way and not changing it as often as my site (no OCD about things being even like Brian) so I don't want to start only filling it with 3 days worth (like 50 units?).
Maybe you could fill it with 100u of insulin instead of 200u? That still gives you more than enough, but you're not wasting an ass-ton the next time you change it.
I change everything every three days. It is better to be in a full cycle rotation in my head, plus this way the amount of supplies I have is always the same. I have 8 infusion sets, 8 tubing, and 8 reservoirs. I like things being equal. And Patty cakes this is why you should move to the arms and do a little manscaping. You don't have to full body wax, but a little razor here or there opens new spots up so you can rotate things better.
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Arms? Are you mad? :P There's no fatty tissue there lol. Not to mention what I'd do with the tubing or how it would ever survive rugby or a crossfit session.
If you've got Oprah-like arms, as my sister says, sure you could probably pull it off, but toned...eh no so much :P
Rachael - you are what we refer to as a "type 3" - someone who loves/cares about/cares for someone with diabetes. We are glad to see people who make an effort to understand, at any level, what living with the D is like. If only more people were like you! :) Welcome!
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I like it, I have some friends to officially knight as "type 3s" this weekend.
Maybe you could fill it with 100u of insulin instead of 200u? That still gives you more than enough, but you're not wasting an ass-ton the next time you change it.
PS. How much, exactly, does an ass-ton weigh?
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I just started rotating onto my legs, the outer sides right below my butt. It's awesome to have more Rotation-Locations.
I think both my butt and my sides were getting a little tired. I find that my sites will pull out body hair but that it doesn't hurt too too much, definitely no worse than MDI. AND my slow hair removal will eventually result in a hairless physique... think "Golem" but hot.
I'll leave my sites in for 3-4 days, 5 seems... gross? Saving a couple bucks is good but I just hate that angry red bump that's left if I wait too long. I recently took out my latest MM CGM sensor and I have this awful hard knot left on my stomach... it's been shrinking but.... man. That MMCGM is a BEAST, I cannot wait for a smaller sensor. I just don't have the stomach (get it? GET IT?!?!?!) to keep up with CGM when it's such a monster.
I'll fill my reservoir up to about 130 u, Having extra is good (because the pump always acts funny when it's too low) but having too much extra is just wasteful. And running out of insulin is a good reminder to change your pump site:)
P.S. are we talking a metric ass-ton? Or standard?
pat: you're just jealous iowa makes it onto all the top places to live while baltimore and maryland are never mentioned. don't be a hater. my little state is a haven you'll learn to love. most of your no-carbohydrate-diet (which i still do not endorse) probably comes from iowa anyway. :op
I almost just spit coffee out of my body. Thank you both. John if C likes you and you pick on Patty cakes you are good with me.
Truthfully, though the bumps and bruises from the MM CGM were one of the reasons I left it. Between spitting blood and everything else like the honking needle. If they use something a little less obviously intrusive I might have stayed.
I always leave about 20 extra units of Insulin in my pump to cover those random I am going to eat anything I see days to cover. They don't happen often, but you leave me in a place with enough sugar I will go into the other type of diabetic shock. You know, the GET IN MY BELLY now type. That is where the extra is so great.
I have left mine in for up to 6 days (at the time I had no extras and had to call Medtronic --something I am not a fan of--and my husband had to yell at them for me.) Anywho, I usually average about 3-4 days and that is with having my reservoir half filled. If I were to fill it fully, I'd have to eat more or keep it in for a week.