With summer approaching, I am looking forward to going to the beach (Southern CA) but I dread taking my pump on and off and now with my daughter who is 9 also has a pump- we end up having some problems.
Does anyone have some good tips for
keeping site from peeling off?
being able to reconnect-sometimes is it is so pliable after being in the water, we can't twist it back on?
keeping pump cool without it getting too cold in ice chest or wet (I usually put it in ziplock and a washcloth on top of ice pack and then pump on top?
Hi Laura, I have the same pump that u and ur daughter do, what I do in the summer time with my pump is i take it off, i really dont have that much trouble with the site peeling off, and as for reconnecting the pump when u come out of the water, than reconnest the pump and just put in beside u, and dont forget it is on the ground beside u. And keeping the pump cool, when i want to the beach last summer I pump my pump in my bag that i had and left in it the shade ( i want with my youth group) hope this helps with what u wanted to kown
Mastisol is helpful with keeping sites from peeling off (it's a really strong liquid adhesive). It's a constant struggle though, especially swimming at the beach. I always use the protective set caps when I disconnect at the beach - they minimize the amount of salt and sand that can corrode the set. I also try to keep my site under my bathing suit if possible, to keep it protected from the waves and such. Best of luck!
Hi Laura. Have you tried IV3000 to keep the site from peeling off? We are about to head out for our first vacation since my son got his Minimed, and his endo gave us some samples. They are just an adhesive that goes over the site to keep it in place. His skin is sort of sensitive, so he may react to it...not sure...but I thought I'd pass it on...
1. TEGADERM! It's great stuff. You take the sheet, fold it in half, and cut a circle in the middle. Then you disconnect, place the open circle around the plastic of the site, and press the Tegaderm around the site. It works really well for me at the beach-- after my site fell out in the ocean one time, I realized it was time to start using Tegaderm.
2. Not too sure about this one, but I guess I would just make a V with your first and middle fingers and place those fingers above/below the plastic of the site, on top of the adhesive, to hold it in place while you're reconnecting.
3. Try an insulated bag (soft-sided) inside a hard-sided cooler. In the insulated bag, put an ice pack in a plastic bag w/ a paper towel around it, then put your pump in a different plastic bag. Works for me.
I've never had much trouble with my site pulling off, but I do notice that if I put a new one in and then get it wet quickly it will peel right off. If I know I will be getting it wet, I always try to put a new set in at least 12 hrs before, so it has time to really "stick". I also sometimes keep a bottle of fresh water around to rinse the site with when I get out of salt water, it helps wash some of the "grit" out so you can twist it back on. I wrap my pump up in a towel and keep it in the shade. I've never had any trouble with it getting too warm.