Switching to leg site works wonders

[Linn]

For four years I only used stomach sites. A month ago I finally got up the courage to try my leg. I was so scared, but numbers have been wonderful since then. I think I was injecting my sets into some scar tissue , what do you think?

Do you use leg sites and do you switch between leg and stomach upon every insertion or do you go a few months using leg and alternate that with stomach?
Thanks :)

[David]

I love using my thighs too. I'm happy that they're working well for you.

I don't stay with one area for a few months because in my mind, doing that increases the chances of scar tissue from repeated sets in an area with little time to heal in between. I can't prove that, it's just what I think.

I rotate every insertion between my arms, 'rear cheeks', abdomen and thighs, working my way down the left side and then down my right side. Using this method, it's 21 days (changing ev 3 days) before I return to a previous area. I try to insert a couple of inches from the 21-day-ago site if I see or remember its exact location.

If you use only your belly and thighs, you'd have 9 days of healing time before you returned to that same thigh and you could still steer clear of the last site you had there.

David

[Linn]

David thank for all that info ;) I wondered why there were many times over the course of the past few years that I would have highs, yet no air bubbles in my line, no explainable stress, etc.. Those unexplained highs were from me overusing my stomach i guess

[Cyborg]

I've never used my thighs. Does the set get irritated by getting bumped by chairs, etc.? Do you use the side of your thighs or the front?

[David]

I prefer outer thighs although I've heard of some who use the inner. No problems with bumping things, but I have to be careful pulling down and pulling back up my trousers so the don't catch on the set or pull on the tubing.

David

[type1tenorlady]

I tried to use my upper thigh (near the hip) yesterday but as soon as I took the needle out blood came up into the cannula. Needless to say I took it out and inserted another one somewhere else, but that makes me even more hesitant to try my thighs than I was before.

The only place on me where I have a significant amount of "pinchable" fat is on my stomach, and even then it's closer to the middle. I've had some good results going lower on my abdomen (below the pant line) but I'm guessing that's just because I don't have any scar tissue there (I used my stomach for injections almost exclusively for 6 or 7 years prior to pumping). This also makes me hesitant to fully commit to an exercise program because, among other things, I know that I lose fat pretty uniformly all over and when I was working out regularly and had a lot more muscle mass I found that it was extremely painful to inject in my thighs.

[NoelD]

I've never used my thighs. Does the set get irritated by getting bumped by chairs, etc.? Do you use the side of your thighs or the front?

I use the outer, upper part and my numbers seem just as good if not slightly better. The front is too painful for me. Bumping chairs doesn't seem to irritate it. I ripped one out the other day squeezing between 2 server racks, and yes, it was a bit painful, but not too bad. I kinda prefer the thigh now because it makes it easier to me to hide the tubing.

[Gordonm]

I have been wanting to try my thighs but have been hesitant about it. This will make me try it now seeing tha tothers are having success with it. I'm going to try it tomorrow and see how my numbers are. I don't have much fat on my stomach and lees on my thighs so it will be interesting to see if there is any pain with it.

[Alnan]

What do you folks do with the tubing to eliminate problems with snagging tubing, pinching tubing, etc. Any delivery issues due to the elastic at the waist band?
My wife used her stomach predominately for years prior to getting a pump several years ago. On the pump she began using the hips more and more as the stomach became increasingly unreliable.
With changing to the silhouette infusion sets, she is again able to use the stomach. But, we don't want to go back to the time we called our endo's nurse regarding bad sites, and they told Nancy she was running out of the sites she was using without scar tissue. We had already eliminated the other possible causes before calling her on that occasion.
Scar tissue we believe is the issue causing so many bent needles if we try to use the sil-serter now. That's what the MM rep said. Nancy doesn't like the manual injection of the silhouette, but overuse of any area can cause these problems in years to come it seems.
So I am trying to encourage Nancy to experiment with other usable areas to lessen these risks in the future. But she has concerns about the using thigh that I can't answer.

[mcneely]

I like to use the front side of my thigh, near the top. When sitting the site is about two inches from the fold of my skin. I do bleed as someone else mentioned. I think because the veins are so much larger in the legs around that point. If you see a bit of blood after inserting new site, when doing the legs, I would just back it out as within a few hours you will know you aren't getting any insulin...

I have never did my side of the thigh or inner. I have done my glute, if that is consider the side of my thigh, then I guess I have.

[notme]

I am also using the front of my thighs as high as you can go without hitting the (girls only) panty line. My set it about 1" to the center of where a trouser crease would hit. I love this site and it never gives me trouble. Unfortunately, I can only use this site about once a month so it can heal before I use it again.