[mcgriff]

After reading several alarming posts about the Cleos I was hesitant to use them. These things aren't free for me so I don't want to waste my money on a crappy set. Well, the Cleos are doing a good job so far. I just use the IV prep pad sold from Smiths and they seem to stick really well. I do think they are worth a shot if you want to try em out. Insertion is so easy.

[Gina R Snape]

I've been using the Silhouette for a long time, but today I received samples of the polyfin to try out on my legs. Can someone tell me how to insert them? They didn't come with adequate directions.

HELP PLEASE!

Thanks

[fgummett]

Originally Posted by Gina R Snape

...today I received samples of the polyfin to try out on my legs. Can someone tell me how to insert them? They didn't come with adequate directions.

I've not tried them but there is a very brief animation on the MM site here...

[bbowles]

Thank you. I had a few questions that I was able to answer with the link to Minimed.

[blue_eyed_devil]

Originally Posted by mcgriff

After reading several alarming posts about the Cleos I was hesitant to use them. These things aren't free for me so I don't want to waste my money on a crappy set. Well, the Cleos are doing a good job so far. I just use the IV prep pad sold from Smiths and they seem to stick really well. I do think they are worth a shot if you want to try em out. Insertion is so easy.

to be honest i think they either suite you or they don't...

i find them usless but i sweat a lot and they just seem to pull of very easily (on my clothes or even when i'm sleeping) despite useing iv prep.

but i know other people who love them and have no worries. it's you call really. worth a try definatley, because they are easy to use and not at all painfull...

[daddyjukebox]

Originally Posted by iDream

For anyone who uses the Medtronic (Minimed) pumps:

Which set do you use/prefer?

Diabetic friends suggest the quick set over the silhoutte and sure T.

I've been using a 522 for a couple of years now. Started out with the quicksets and had tons of problems. Insertion, bent cannulas, leaking, pulling out, clogs, you name it. Switched to silhouettes a few months ago and those problems all but disappeared.

The biggest problem I had with the sils was the inserter. The quickset's serter is this friendly little blue disc. The sil's serter is a torpedo that goes WHAM! when you push the button. But now I have no leaks, pullouts, clogs, or bent cannulas.

The sil's also leave more visible marks on my abs but cosmetics arent as important as a reliable insertion that works, so I'll deal. And my woman doesnt mind the marks, so Ill stay with the sils.

[CaitE]

I have always used the 6 mm quicksets as I don't have very much body fat. I have recently (in the past 3 months) started having problems with the insulin pooling at the quick release. I have noticed this only after having infinite "no delivery" alarms. After MM told me i was scar tissue (which I don't believe to be true since continue to have this problem on new sites), I have switched to silhouettes. My first question is- other than the stomach, where do people wear them? I don't know how I"ll insert them on my hip or butt??? Also, I noticed someone wrote about the 6mm quicksets inserting past the adipose tissue? I wonder if this is my problem? Does anyone else know about this problem.

MUCH THANKS!

[CaitE]

I have always used the 6 mm quicksets as I don't have very much body fat. I have recently (in the past 3 months) started having problems with the insulin pooling at the quick release. I have noticed this only after having infinite "no delivery" alarms. After MM told me i was scar tissue (which I don't believe to be true since continue to have this problem on new sites), I have switched to silhouettes. My first question is- other than the stomach, where do people wear them? I don't know how I"ll insert them on my hip or butt??? Also, I noticed someone wrote about the 6mm quicksets inserting past the adipose tissue? I wonder if this is my problem? Does anyone else know about this problem.

Also I'm finding that the silhouettes are more tender than the quicksets and appear to be slightly red within hours after injection. I'm not sure if this is typical, or if I'm injecting them at the wrong angle?

MUCH THANKS!
__________________
--------------------------
Diabetic Since Age 10 (1993)
Last A1C 11/08 7.0%
Pumping since 2001

[csad]

Originally Posted by CaitE

I have always used the 6 mm quicksets as I don't have very much body fat. I have recently (in the past 3 months) started having problems with the insulin pooling at the quick release. I have noticed this only after having infinite "no delivery" alarms. After MM told me i was scar tissue (which I don't believe to be true since continue to have this problem on new sites), I have switched to silhouettes. My first question is- other than the stomach, where do people wear them? I don't know how I"ll insert them on my hip or butt??? Also, I noticed someone wrote about the 6mm quicksets inserting past the adipose tissue? I wonder if this is my problem? Does anyone else know about this problem.

Also I'm finding that the silhouettes are more tender than the quicksets and appear to be slightly red within hours after injection. I'm not sure if this is typical, or if I'm injecting them at the wrong angle?

MUCH THANKS!
__________________
--------------------------
Diabetic Since Age 10 (1993)
Last A1C 11/08 7.0%
Pumping since 2001

Hi - I've been using silhouettes for many years. When I started on the pump in 2000, the quick-set didn't work for me at all (I'm pretty thin, they said, though i can pinch more than an inch!). I used my stomach almost exclusively until late pregnancy a couple of years ago, when I had to try other sites because of bleeding at the stomach sites (pregnancy causes extra blood vessels to grow). Other sites are harder to use than the stomach, and insulin delivery isn't as fast. Leg (inner thigh) didn't work for me, not enough fat, and movement made it fall out. The upper butt worked okay but it's very hard to reach - I used the inserter (I usually do by hand in the stomach). It also didn't stick as well, so I had to use Tegaderm over the top. I found the upper arm worked best, but I couldn't use the silhouette there, I switched to the 6 mm and it seemed to work well, though it pulled out sometimes. (6 mm quickset didn't work in my stomach). Not sure whether that'd work for you as you said you had a pooling problem. But that makes me wonder - if the only sign of pooling is no delivery alarms (and no obvious lump under the skin), maybe it's not pooling but crystalizing of the insulin (my doc said that could be a problem with regular humulog, but not with novolog). With the silhouette I have sometimes had redness at the site, and that usually means it's not inserted right (I find about a 30 deg. angle works best, but it probably varies for different people; so try different angles). I also use oragel at the site for a few seconds before alcohol wipe and injection. Without the oragel, the insertion is often excruciating, and the site is sore for hours afterward; with the oragel, no such problems. I hope you find something that works well for you, it does seem like we have to go through a lot of trial and much error!

[rjoyner17]

Hello Folks,

I am a type 1 since 13 mo's old, and been pumping since 15 years old. I am now 23. I am using the paradigm pump and the quicksets. The quicksets have been ok for about 3-4 years. Recently my tummy to the left and right has been inflamed and little balls left in my skin after removal.

I dont know whats going on. I got a new quickserter and everything. Nothing seems to be working. I have gained maybe 7 lb's in the last 4 months but nothing to worry about. I am 158 overall and 5'9. So I am not fat by any means.

Since my tummy is inflamed and hard to infuse the sets are now sitting on a mound of what appears to be tissue and they are having an even harder time staying in. Now if I sweat at all its done and I am removing and re doing it. I am using mastisol and tegaderm to keep it in me but it seems to be keeping the sweat under the tape and making the set come apart even easier.

So here are my questions:

1. Why the issues with inflamation recently and what do I do?
2. What other options do I have for sets that stay in better? I like the quicksets more than the sillohuettes.
3. How do I keep my tummy from looking like a disgusting warzone? I honestly look like I have fat mounds on either side, but I am the only one who really knows thats its tissue.

Help??

[FatCatAnna]

Ouch - on the inflamed stomach. How often do you change your infusion site (e.g. after being told off by a few posters - and thank goodness they told me off - I now rotate every 3 days - RELIGIOUSLY). Also, do you rotate to allow skin to heal inbetween? I move my next infusion set over by about 1" each time. I have only been pumping for over a year now and so I'm still a newbie (MDI'd past 40 years). I use both Quicksets and Sils - find I have more irritation with the Sils tho'.

[Dogen]

Day 3 with the new Ping and insets and I have some questions...

1. Is there a method for changing sets? I looked through the info in the inset box, but it only tells me how to insert the set. Changing sets was pretty painful as a result, and I leaked - both insulin/interstitial fluid and a little blood.

2. Is there a preferred time period between a bolus and a set change? I waited about an hour, but I still leaked. I'm not sure if this was related to the bolus or not. It was maybe 2 or 3 units worth of fluid.

3. Is there a better way to get the infusion set disconnected from my skin than the bandaid method (close eyes, pull hard and fast)? I have a raw, red spot from where the inset was stuck to me, and had to move my new set farther away. This probably helped me bleed/leak, too.

4. I had about 20u left in my reservoir when I switched, and the DE told me not to worry about it, but screw that, you know? I screwed the needle from the new reservoir onto the old one and put the 20u back in my vial. ... Okay, that isn't really a question.

[telizas]

You can always just change the set and not the reservoir, which is what I plan to do since I'm not going to use up the 200 units I started with by tomorrow morning. If you're using the insets, just unclip the tubing from the set, replace the set and ditch the old tubing, or set it aside for your next reservoir change.

This is all conjuncture on my part tho... waiting to see answers to your other questions.

[butterflykisses]

Originally Posted by Dogen

Day 3 with the new Ping and insets and I have some questions...

1. Is there a method for changing sets? I looked through the info in the inset box, but it only tells me how to insert the set. Changing sets was pretty painful as a result, and I leaked - both insulin/interstitial fluid and a little blood.

2. Is there a preferred time period between a bolus and a set change? I waited about an hour, but I still leaked. I'm not sure if this was related to the bolus or not. It was maybe 2 or 3 units worth of fluid.

3. Is there a better way to get the infusion set disconnected from my skin than the bandaid method (close eyes, pull hard and fast)? I have a raw, red spot from where the inset was stuck to me, and had to move my new set farther away. This probably helped me bleed/leak, too.

4. I had about 20u left in my reservoir when I switched, and the DE told me not to worry about it, but screw that, you know? I screwed the needle from the new reservoir onto the old one and put the 20u back in my vial. ... Okay, that isn't really a question.

I tend to leave the old set in place for at least three hours if I gave myself a recent bolus. That usually prevents anything from leaking and I feel assured that I'm not losing part of my bolus when removing the set. However, I really try not to bolus before set changes, but that's not always possible.

As far as removing...I don't do the band aid thing, even with band aids, lol. I like to pull it up around the edges and then pull it off, gently. There are products that help dissolve the adhesive if you have trouble...I haven't needed to go that route, perhaps someone else here has. It's not usually painful to me to remove them. Only time I'd say it was painful was when it was painful site in the first place. Sometimes if it's gotten sore it just feels so darn to get it out I don't think I'd notice if it was painful.

[Dogen]

You know, I think that might have been part of it... I'm not used to being tethered to anything, and I've pulled the cord a few times - dropping my pants, changing my pants, not realizing it slipped out of my pocket and then standing up... I need to become a woman, then clip it to my bra.