Day 18 update

[Riri]

Hia - things on quite and even keel with BSs in the 7-9 region.....until today! All numbers have been between 10 and 14 despite numerous correction boluses and a 2 hr increase in basal to 110%. Feel a bit deflated now. My DSN wants a record of my BSs over the last 4 days before she changes anything in case it's a one off day I'm having? I'm not feeling I'll at all so I don't think it's that - maybe just one of those things and it will settle back tonight/tomorrow but right now it feels like a setback. Also, my husband away tonight with work so first time alone with pump - not looking forward to the night i have to say!!

How are others who are new to pumps finding their blood sugars?

 

[Osidge]

Hi Riri

I am not a pumper but don't get despondent. Have the readings got any better?

Regards

Doug

 

[jopar]

Hang on in there..

Has your DSN discussed some fasting testing to pin down your basal..

Problem is if you are trying to work out your basal rates, and you eating/injecting corrections etc then it makes it a lot harder to pin down the basal, as you start getting carb/correction even normal bolus insulin impacting on the basal..

 

[gollymax]

Hi all
Just a quik note as I got to start work in a few mins.
I have been on the Accu check Spirit combo pump since the 25th November, I have had a couple of highs and a couple of lows, but on average my sugars are between 4-8.
I am some what shocked and over the moon with the results. I have got an appointment to see my DSN this friday 9th December. I will keep you all up to date.
Kev

 

[Riri]

Thanks for all replies guys. Not much better on Friday but i did a set change on my consultants advice and a bit better by Saturday. However another reading of 16 at 11pm Saturday night and then all night high readings no mater how much I corrected. We were away on the Saturday night as well which didn't help matters. I got back home Sunday and changed the set straight away and I noticed that the cannula had blood in it - hadn't noticed this before and it maybe contributed to the random high number i.e. not a total blockage but maybe not getting through as it should??

Since the set change things are much better - still in the 8 to 11 range though. I've got an appointment to see my consultant tomorrow - she has not suggested any fasting tests yet but I hope she does as these corrections cause more confusion, as you say Jopar.

Well done Kev - great numbers.

 

[gollymax]

Hi Riri

Hope you are Ok and your levels are sorting them selves out. I dont kow if it is pure luck or years of diabetes and playing with a new toy (the pump)
I have to change my canular every 2 days as mine is a metal one. I noticed after the second day I had a bit of blood on the canular, I was a bit worried but after I changed it the blooded area did not not look too bad,
I have done a few canular changes since I have been on the pump and noticed a bit of blood on the pad of the canular just before I change it.
Yes i am very pleased with my results and I am sure the Accu Check Rep and my DSN will be as well, I get a bit worried when I am about to go off to bed and my BG reads 4.5, I have taken the risk and gone off to bed and around 1 am I usually wake up and the 1st thing I do is check my BG and it has usually gone up to say 5.5.
I am not a very god sleeper and never have been but when I was injecting I could go to bed with a BG of say 5.0 and around 1am it has gone up to 12-15, and again I would jnject another lot of insulin. I feel a lot better with the pump and hope the Rep and DSN will be when I see them on the 9th December.
I do hope you get everything sorted Riri
Kev xx

 

[Riri]

That's the trouble with me too Kev - 4.5 at bedtime would make me very nervous .... But on saying that my BS always used to do the same as you and rise through the early hours on MDI.

Are you on one rate of basal through 24 hours?

E x

 

[gollymax]

Hi Riri
No my basal rate varies over 24 hours, the rep set it up on her laptop and asked me if I was happy with the settings. I said yes and she programmed my pump.
I have put the basal rate up in the late afternoon since the rep set up my pump., what I like about the pump is that you can read the pumps data onto your computer and then adjust the basal rate as you like. One you have done your changes you can send it to the pump and save the information as a file on the computer.
So for example if I found that the reps settings were better than my settings I can refer back to the rep saved file and send it to my pump. I can see the graph of the basal rates on my computer and adjust them by clicking on the peak and drag it up or down, say it reads 0.95 at 1am I can click on that and drag it to 1.5, so at 1am I get 1.5 units of Apidra. I hope I have not confused you too much?

Kev xx

 

[jopar]

For some strange reasons DSN still don't like the fasting test and like the stab in the dark approach :shock:

A good book to get is John Walsh's 'book 'Pumping Insulin' a bit of a pumpers bible.

Kev,

What software are you using for you Combo, is it the 360? And if it is are you using it on Win7 64bit?

I've got the 360 had it for a year, but I brought a new laptop last January which is a win7 64 bit, so my version doesn't run on it, I did load a virtual PC on my laptop but the resolution isn't compatible, so end up having to scroll for simple tasks!

You both sound like you getting there with your pumps, I would be a bit concerned about blood on the cannula though, shouldn't really happen and defiantly not on a frequent bases, might indicate that you need to use a different infusion set..

Oh have anybody mention 'gushers' were you take the cannula out and it really bleeds... as yet I haven't experienced one, but I've never had blood on my cannula either.. But if it happens don't panic, just get a bit of tissue press down on the site for 5 minutes then check to see if it's stop, if it hasn't then keep putting pressure on it until it stops..

 

[sugar2]

Hi,sorry, too late now, but I always suspect 2 things when my BGgoes high, and stays high...bubbles or a cannula issue. Check for teh former, and if no bubbles are obvious, always worth changing the cannula..just in case.

 

[Riri]

Thanks all. Basal, supper bolus an insulin active time all changed by consultant today (a bit randomly I thought). She was very encouraging however and said I was doing fine so far. She said I may need to change to new sets if tenderness etc. continues. Already seen lower numbers tonight so a bit more of a happy bunny now :x I will remember to change my set if I get higher than expected numbers - thanks for the good advice.
Kev - you have got to grips with the pump and software wonderfully - long may it continue!

 

[gollymax]

Hi everybody
Jopar thank you for the info in your message, I am using Window XP as I dont like Windows 7, I am using the 360 software, the rep gave me 360 software which I use with my smartpix and when I ordered my stock of canulars etc she told me to order 360 software, when my 360 software arrived it was different from the 360 software she gave me. When the 360 software arrived it came with a blue tooth TX & RX with I can use for both the pump and meter data. :thumbup: As for the the blood, I have not had any in the tubling it is usually around the sticky plaser bit but this only occurs after the second day most times. It might be due to me tossing and turning in bed at night and I am very restless, so I might be pulling on the tubing.
Riri I am glad you have seen your consultant and your levels are starting to sort them seleves out, I continiously look for bubbles in my pump nd if I get a big bubble I just disconnect and re prime, I know you gan get bubbles due to temprature changes and I do get the champane bubles sometimes.
I have little experience in the pump but I listen to Jopar has he as the pump experience :thumbup:
I hope all of us do well on the pump :clap:
Kev

 

[jopar]

Errr Hum I'm actually a She :lol: :lol:

I've been pumping now for almost 4 years, but around insulin pump therapy for almost 10 years as I had to battle for several years to get funding, so when I started pumping a I had a lot of theory under my belt so for me it was putting what I learnt into practice..

I started with the Accu-Chek Blue Spirit similar in design to the Combo but without the bells and whistles.. All the calculations that the bolus wizard does, active insulin on board, avoiding stacking etc were all calculations that I had to do myself, and some nifty workarounds as the old Spirit didn't have as fine a dose as the Combo does. No regrets though as it gave me a very good understanding and grounding with my pump and don't fear anything happening to my remote, as not having it would be a pain but wouldn't impact on my control..

Pump/control wise I've always made my own decisions no input from my team on that score, yes it is and was there if I want/wanted it... But haven't hit any problems that I haven't been able to resolve for myself yet.

Kev do you use the inserter or do you self insert?

I've always self insert, two reason partly because I use the Tenderlink Angle (teflon) infusion set, I don't really carry any fat layer very hard to find on me, but also I didn't like twang the inserter made when it fired, sounded way to fierce for my liking :shock: Which I'm sure the reason while I don't seem to get the problems others seem to get is down to self inserting..

And in your case I ponder whether the force of the inserter is pushing your cannula a bit too far and it's either catching some of the fine veins that thread through the fat layer or actually hitting muscle underneath causing a small bleed, that takes time to reach the surface?