Have you ever stood there at the kitchen counter with your insulin pump all refilled, tubing primed, and the only thing you have to do is insert the site but you just stand there looking confused? Well, I have, and more often lately that I'd care to admit. It isn't because I don't know what to do, after all I've been doing this for over 2 years (yes.. a short amount of time in comparison, but still).
One issue I have is residents on the Real Estate front. When I first started using an insulin pump I was told to change out my site every three days, and to not use the same area all the time. My current endo said the best thing to do is to find ten spots and rotate through them. That allows each site to heal for nearly a month before being used again. This worked GREAT! I have two sides, left and right, and so all I really needed was five spots. I chose arm, boob, belly, back, and butt, with a spare of thigh. It worked for me. I started on the left side and went clockwise, as if someone else was looking at me as a clock. I always knew where my next site would be and how long it had been since I'd used it.
Fast forward a year and enter CGM. This absolutely wonderful device threw a kink into my schedule. I won't put a pump site close to the sensor so I have to alter my rotation. Combine this with scheduled activities and adjusting my pump site to accommodate, and you can see where I get confused. Did I use this site recently? Will it be in the way of my massage this weekend? Will my CGM sensor need replacing before this site does? How well did that spot absorb last time? Should I let is rest more? And these are just some of the questions that I'm thinking while standing there.
How do you keep track of where to put your infusion sites?
Boob?!
ReplyDeleteHaha...yup boob. My endo suggested it and my gyno said it was ok and wouldn't interfere with any mammograms as long as I didn't use it all the time. I rather like the site and it's location makes it less likely to get pulled out.
ReplyDeleteBoob sounds painful! Plus I don't really have much so it's not really an option for me. Ouch, it hurts just thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteIt really doesn't hurt anymore than any other spot. I was hesitant at first too, but I needed a spot and it works. In fact, I have less fat other places that I use.
DeleteI find that I use my upper arms and thighs for Dex sites, but for the most part stick with my trunk in front and as far around back as I can reach for infusion sets. I'm not particularly organized on how I rotate except that I always stay an inch away from scar dots. My philosophy is that if they haven't disappeared yet, they must be too recent to repeat.
ReplyDeleteI've never had problems with scarring and I do think that certain people are more prone to problems than others. But I do try to be careful.
I've not noticed any scarring, yet, so so far so good.
DeleteWow, now that's a new site!! I'm a type 1 (granted a male), but never thought of anyone using that as a site. Wonderful blog by the way! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I never thought of it either until my endo suggested it
DeleteThanks for reading. :)
Oh my goodness-I've never heard of using a boob before! You learn something new everyday :-P
ReplyDeleteAll you need is fatty tissue, right? There isn't anyplace fattier.. well, ok maybe there is... butt it works nicely. ;D
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