[Bunkins]

Does Iv-Prep have something in it that numbs your skin?
Just put in my 2nd infusion set, for the first and 2nd I've used Iv-Prep, I dont even feel anything.. When I was doing MDI it was often like that, but with the larger and longer needle, I figured it would sting a little. Didnt feel a thing. Those parts of my body have never had a needle in them, and actually kind of sensitive.. Kind of odd I thought, just made me wondering if it numbs your skin or not.. I know it makes your skin a bit tacky.. As much as I move around I'm having to tape the set down, the sticky stuff on the first set didnt last 1 day before it started coming off, I decided to change it out tonight because it had pulled back a bit, so the canula wasnt as deep in my skin. That and I'm seeing the doc tomorrow, didnt want to get chewed out for wearing the set for 3 days. She's not the nicest lady in the world, by the book type person.

I didnt change the tubing or cartridge, I still have 80 units left in it, probably change it tomorrow though.. Which brings me to another question. How often are you guys changing tubing and cartridges? If you have insulin left over, hasnt been to hot or to cold, do you reuse the insulin in the cartridge? A doctor will say not to do it, or change when changing the set, but I want opinions from people who are actually using a pump.. I'm not going to throw away 80 units of insulin, so I'll either reuse it in another cartridge, or keep using the cartridge until the insulin is gone. I've been on pens for about 6 months prior to getting on the pump, but the left over from the pens, normally 10 units, I'd stick it in a Humalog bottle.. Thats actually what I used in the pump.. Cant decide if I want to use the insulin from my pens next time, or keep them around. I have 8 pens.. I'll probably pick up a few bottles tomorrow though.

Last question, if you take the tubing off at the pump, do you need to prime it after you reconnect it? I know to look for bubbles and all that, just wondering what you guys do.. I've disconnected at the site everytime, but for some things it would be easier to disconnect at the pump, for getting dressed in the morning and what not.... I know all of this info it floating around on the forum somewhere, just dont really have the time right now to do a bunch of searching

I'm diggin the pump though, numbers are very stable and predictable. Need a bit of fine tuning on the basal, but only being on the pump for 2 days is to soon to tell, been a crazy 2 days at work, so this hopefully this weekend I can work on it... Highest I've been so far is a 144, average is about 120 ( I want it lower, but I'll creep up on it, I liked being in the mid 90's, doctors give me a "are you nuts" look when I tell them that ) I've had 2 lows, first one was my fault, the 2nd one came from no-where at the same time I was changing out the set.. So needless to say the transition has been smooth. I can see why people say it gives your more freedom. On MDI it seemed like I was constantly having to watch things to keep my numbers inline, now I just check my numbers 3 hrs after a bolus which are normally right on, then I forget about it until the next time I eat.. Love it! Cant believe I didnt do it sooner.

[Keezheekoni]

Does Iv-Prep have something in it that numbs your skin?

Not that I know of... It usually doesn't hurt to put in my sets and I have put them pretty much everywhere.

That and I'm seeing the doc tomorrow, didnt want to get chewed out for wearing the set for 3 days. She's not the nicest lady in the world, by the book type person.

Um, you're supposed to wear them for 3 days. That's why there are 10 sets in a box...1 box=1 month. If yours was pulling out though, that is when I change mine too.

I didnt change the tubing or cartridge, I still have 80 units left in it, probably change it tomorrow though.. Which brings me to another question. How often are you guys changing tubing and cartridges?

I only change the tubing when I'm changing the cartridge. I only change the cartridge when it's out of insulin. Usually that's about 6 days with a 300mL cartridge (so every other set change for me).

Last question, if you take the tubing off at the pump, do you need to prime it after you reconnect it?

I don't take the tubing off, so I can't answer this. I've only needed to take it off once, because the tubing got chewed by kittens while I was sleeping. I ended up needing to change the cartridge anyway. Now, if you get a small bubble in the tubing from taking the tubing out, I guess you could account for that at your next meal... I'm not too sure how you could know for sure how much that bubble would make you miss though.

For changing your clothes, I use 33" tubing, so I don't need to take off my pump to change. I either leave it on my bed, or I attach it to the neck of my shirt or on my bra, with the case clip, while putting my pants on.

[Bunkins]

They told me to change every 2 days, not to go 3.. No idea why, I only know different from what I've read on here.. I had always read 3, not 2.. I get tired of gettin chewed out, so I figure if I do what they ask for a while, I'll be left alone LOL
Hopefully I'll just have to see the endo this one time that is out of the normal 3 months interval. So for once I'm trying to do whats asked of me, for just that reason. I was also told to change the cartridge every 2 days.. I've heard different from you guys, I always go the route of what other diabetics are doing, not what the medical community says, my health has been much better because of that too ironicly.. Of all the reading I did on pumps, these subjects are ones I havnt researched into much at all.. So I'll just change the cartridge when it's empty, and tell the endo "tough" Mine came 10 to a box as well, got 3 months supply.. 5 boxes of both the sets and cartridges.. Maybe it's just a Animas thing saying every 2 days

I disconnect because I run the tubing through my pants pocket ( the small one ), leaving very little exposed.. I'm a mechanic, so if anything loose is hanging, it will get ripped off. You wont find any mechanic thats been doing it for long wearing loose clothes, jewelry, metallic objects etc, just to dangerous. We've all got stories about that, my dad once left a ring on his finger, it shorted out on some electrical connections, burned his skin down to the bone. Then with the ranch, throwing hay bales, operating the tractor, animals, just begging to rip a set out, or rip the pump off you.. I've yet to figure out a way to put the pump under clothes where I can get to it easy. During the summer that will be a bit different, but during the winter I wear layers, so it would be tough.. So I disconnect twice a day for maybe a minute at a time, the hook-up for the infusion set is larger than the hook-up to the cartridge. So I could get by with a smaller hole in my pocket to run the tubing through, if I can disconnect at the pump without having to prime. I'm betting though that you'll get air bubbles.. I'll experiment with this when I change the cartridge.. Other than that I dont have to disconnect, night time I clip the pump to my boxers..

[thomasb]

man, every like third set i put in hurts like crazy. Don't know why. A small price to pay though for the pump, so i don't mind...

[lilituc]

Originally Posted by Bunkins

They told me to change every 2 days, not to go 3.. No idea why, I only know different from what I've read on here.. I had always read 3, not 2..

You only need to change every two days if you're using a metal set.