How do you do yours?

My set changes are far more haphazard!They tend to happen after a bath but I remove the old one before the bath so I can have a proper scrub set free!!!! They are also usually after dinner and before bed,not ideal granted but I haven't had any major problems. I have to say though I almost resent set changes now as much as I resented doing injections!!!

Hi..
Have you tried putting sets in by hand. I know you said you are needle phobic but personally I find using any kind of device which fires set into me much more traumatic and more likely to fail.

At least when putting them in gently by hand you can stop if it is painful.

I use Sure T's which are metal 90 degree sets, they are very thin and go in amazingly easily. I don't feel a thing.
I use a 150% temp basal for 2 hours after putting new set in.

I start by removing clothes, so I don't need extra hands to keep clothing out of the way. First I put the new set in, while still connected to the old one. That way if a site bleeds or I'm indecisive about where to put it, the delay doesn't affect the time I'm disconnected. (This was expecially useful the first few times.) Next I prepare the new reservoir (if not done in advance), change battery etc if necessary. I only disconnect from the old site when I'm ready to load the pump and prime, so I'm only disconnected for a few minutes. Then spray the old site with Lift Plus and leave it to work while I note the time & new site in my log book and test BG as baseline. Double-check I'm connected to the new site (not the old one through habit) and remove the old set. I don't bolus any extra or bolus to compensate for disconnected time. Test BG 2 hours later to make sure its working.

Initially was told to do changes in the morning, but on work days that meant getting up extra early and/or doing the change under time pressure, not good. BG seemed to go awry after 2 days, so I started changing after 2.5 days, thus alternate changes were around 6pm when I got in from work, with dinner bolus after. That works well for me, BG doesn't rise much after dinner so plenty of time to make sure everything's OK before bedtime. BG now more settled so I'm going to try changing after 3 days, early evening.

I have a little melamine tray, the size that comes in 'tea for one' mug & coaster sets. Cleaned it with alcohol rub before use. On there I put the next reservoir, set, inserter etc and put the whole thing inside a clean freezer bag. When I come in to do a set change all I need except the insulin & meter is in one place ready. Between changes it lives in the supplies drawer.

Recently started following iHs' suggestion of filling the reservoir 12-24 hours in advance then wearing it or carrying in my pocket. The insulin reaches body temp before it goes in the pump and any bubbles seem to form/expand during that time. I purge them before the insulin goes into the pump which reduces bubbles during use.

I use angled teflon sets with an inserter. It looks like a blunderbus but I don't mind it. Not sure I'd get such a long needle in by hand without bending or snapping it. Have learnt if it doesn't go right in, there's no point pushing it as there's probably a small blood vessel in the way which will hurt & bleed.

I was initially told to change my set before breakfast and when I first started pumping I had issue with non deliver 2 or 3 times before I got it right so a change later in the day wouldnt have been good for me as sometimes it would be 6-9hours before I got it right so I've stuck to doing that...

When I'm using a new vial of insulin I will get it out the night before, otherwise it stays out until it's empty...

I dont mark dates or anything in a diary because every now and again I somehow manage to unceremoniously manage to pull it out (2 days ago I had just plugged myself back in after a bath... was walking past the radiator and the tubing got caught so had to change early ) so I just keep checking last change and changing after 3 days

I now use Silhouette infusion sets, used the quickset to begin with and even though I'm not as skinny as I once was :cry: i had issues with them and I use the inserter... i have no phobia of needles but the thought of manually putting it in makes me feel a bit off lol its sooooooo long!!!!!!

So my morning consists of waking up, having shower, changing set, getting the babies up and ready for nursery... it only usually takes me 5mins, 10 tops to change it so it doesnt mean getting up earlier than i normally would

Hi

My son also has a Animas 2020 and uses Inset 11. We change his set before dinner at 6pm. We leave in the old set and take it off when he has his bath later on.

If the set isn't working at all your blood sugar would soar after your meal (high teens and 20s) as no insulin would be getting through which is why you were told you would know after told 2 hours.

Just a thought but does keeping your sets in the fridge not make them cold and more uncomfortable to put in? Is it possible the cold is doing something to the tubing that means you have a lot of set failures?

Worth mentioning to your DSN.

Annette

I find it so funny/strange/unsettling that no-one is told the same thing. Surely we should all have the same information and training should be the same for everyone?

We were told to always change the reservoir at the same time as the set because the insulin starts to react to the bottle after that time - something about it sticking to the plastic and then becoming less effective?

So we're changing everything every 3 days and so far (I feel I may be tempting fate here!) have had no failures in our 4 weeks. I have to say it feels like much longer than 4 weeks!

Sometimes these threads, though always useful & interesting, can also add confusion. :? I too wish that there was a standard set of instructions! After reading various threads here I checked with my consultant re cannula/reservoir changes, she confirmed that I should change my cannula every 2-3 days, but only to change the tubing & reservoir when it is empty, which for me is 7-9 days.

I'm also about to change pumps & have been bombarding the various company reps with questions. The Medtronic Veo rep also confrimed that it was not necessary to change both cannula & reservoir at the same time.

The only thing my consultant said was (stating the obvious really) that we're all different & there could be all sorts of reasons why we're given all sorts of different advice.

I'm of the "quick change" group. I do it all in a few minutes, no TBRs afterwards; I get the new vial of insulin out of the fridge when I empty the previous one, so it's kept at room temperature for up to 4 weeks. I don't bother with a BG 2 hours afterwards as I have some absorption problems & always have double figures after a meal. I wait until 5 hours after my meal (for the insulin to stop working in my case) & then check my BG.

I change a cannula usually before dinner, purely as this is a convenient time for me; I'm just home from work, changing out of my work clothes, so a good time. I've never had a set failure/problem to my knowledge. I insert by hand & must say that the idea of firing it in with a gadget scares me! :shock: if it hurts when I break the skin, I move it to another spot. I use angled teflon cannulae.

Have to say I feel like I am very slapdash in my approach compared to many of you! It takes me a couple of minutes and is done when convenient. Yesterday I was changing a set while getting dressed, putting makeup on and eating breakfast in a mad rush to get out the door to work!

I'm with you Meela83, I'm about to get a new pump & a major factor in choosing it is that I have to faff around changing reservoirs as little as possible & that it's quick & easy.

Re manual changes, the cannula has a needle down the middle if it of course, so I just stretch the skin slightly & push gently until it pierces the skin & assuming that isn't very painful, which it isn't 9 times out of 10, I just keep pushing until it's fully inserted then withdraw the needle. Simples! I'm sure you know how disproportionately painful it is when you nick a capillary, with manual insertion, I can avoid that excruciating pain.

When comparing different things we've been told, remember that pumps and infusion sets vary. What works with one may not help, or even be possible, with another. For example, I googled for insulin pump/bubbles and what one Youtube video recommended would be impossible for me to do with my Veo.

Until now I've always changed set and reservoir together and wasted a lot of insulin as a result. I'd never even removed a reservoir and put it back in. Hadn't been told I must change all at the same time, just an assumption by the DSN that I would. This week I'm mostly at home, so time to experiment and change the res only when nearly empty. Seems a much better plan. Will reduce wastage but still won't have insulin in the plastic for more than 6 days, so I'll continue this.

In 2 months I've had 3 insertions that bled immediately, the last one quite profusely, but no occlusions or kinks.

The main cause of bubbles seems to be when the insulin warms from room temp to body temp, but with Omnipod you wouldn't see the insulin, so what do Omnipod users do about bubbles?

I never have a problem with bubbles. I only take my insulin out of the fridge just before I fill reservoir and put it straight back in fridge afterwards because that is the easiest place to keep it.
Medtronic pumps don't seem to have the problems with bubbles that other pumps seem to have but
I do wonder whether people worry needlessly about bubbles.

I am also of the quick change group, it takes me about 5 minutes. I don't make any special preparations or clean the skin with anything. I always change the set when I change the reservoir but also change set alone once in between. I do get a raise in blood sugar after change but a temp basal for a couple of hours prevents that happening.

On the back of what I said previously I was told to change resevoir at the same time as the infusion set, I was told just to draw up enough insulin to last me 3 days, as I usually use 40units a day i normally draw up 150 units, yes i do waste some insulin sometimes but i did experiment and I was always wasting some insulin regardless of if I changed it all at the same time or not so this is what works best for me

I've been diabetic for 25 years and have always had a fear and phobia of needles and although I did my own injections this could at times take minutes to do and were often painful.
So when my DSN finally convinced me to go on the pump and I saw the different cannulas available I went for insertion device based on the fact of "how hard can it be to press a button?!"
However, I've had various different degrees of success with my cannula changes. When I first went on the pump it was done and dusted in 5-10 minutes, but after a succession of really painfull insertions each cannual change turned into an extremely traumatic experience, often leading to not changing the cannula for days (obvioulsy not a good thing to do as the insulin absorbtion decreases).
In the end I came off the pump because I had such a mental barrier with the cannula change it was counta productive. However, after much support and help from my family, I have gone back on the pump, had my parents changing the cannula for me to start with but have now just started doing it again for myself It can still take up to half and hour to change but it's a start.

I tend to do my changes early evening, just because it's more convenient, but I was told not to do it just before bed incase you're sugars spike. Sometimes I'll be good and keep the old cannula in for the evening/next morning just to make sure the new one is in properly. I have had a few occasions where after changing a cannula my sugars have run in the high teens all day so I know it's not working.
My cannula is changed every 2-3 days and the whole infusion set every 5-6 days. The insulin cartridge is changed when it's empty, the insulin is kept in the fridge until I get my warning alarm telling my cartridge is running low, and then I draw up the new cartridge and leave it out until needed. It was suggested by my rep that keeping a full/fill cartridge in the fridge is fine, so it's already set for when you need to change it.

I'm on the Accu-Chek Spirt Combo, from Roche

I have set an alarm for set changes on my phone because else I will never remember! I always do them on the same time of the day (10 am) not chosen for any specific reason it's just a convenient time. I used to change sets and reservoir at the same time, but for convenience's sake I have started to fill my reservoirs up full and only change them whenever they are empty.

So, I will do a set change every 3 days and a reservoir change every 5-6 days. It's what works for me!

giving sets for roche combo

Hi

I am very new to this as just got my pump monday and still only pumping saline. I have a roche combo pump. Really getting het up though about thegiving sets. Like the idea of the soft canula as its only needing to be changed every 3 days but find insertion and connecting up really fiddlely. Has anyone else found this and does it get easier? At the moment I am thining the solid 90 degree metal needle seems so much easier for me but dont like the button connection showing under clothes and the fact I have to change every 2 days. Am I missing something ? Are there any other choices as spoke to someone on careline and she said ther ewere other choices but they were not being encouraged because stocks were low !!!!! If anyone can help advise me I would be grateful as I need to make a decision tuesday as to what giving sets to use and I dont want to feel I have not taken everthing into consideration that I need to .

I am 47 have had diabetes since I was 10 and was so excited at chance of new treatment and now feel scared I have made a mistake