- Messages
- 647
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
I've been on the pump a year now and am still learning how to get the best out of it. I'm quite interested in how people manage the set changes within their daily life and thought it might be useful if we shared our typical set change routine. Here's mine:
I always do my set at lunch as soon as I've put my son down for his nap. Firstly I put 70% of my hourly basal rate through the pump using my old set and then I disconnect but leave the old set in. I have a hot shower, which I find makes the change less painful, helps avoid infection and helps me relax a bit.
After the shower I chill out pump free for about 15 mins, which also helps prepare me for the change. Although it's more uncomfortable than painful I am still needle phobic and even after a year I get nervous about firing the new set in.
I grab my set from the fridge and get it ready. I pick my site and then it takes me about 10 mins to actually fire the set in. What a wimp! :lol: Once in I prime my pump and fill the cannula. I then fire 0.5u through to "clear gunk" as my DSN told me. I know others don't do this but it seems to work well for me.
I then bolus through for my lunch, wait 10 mins and eat. Two hours later I do my first BG check. I can't always tell from this that the set is working (it can be 8 or 9 sometimes due to food peak or if my new set is quite far away from the old one). Even if the BG is good I don't trust the set until another hour has passed. Then I'm looking for a good drop in BG to feel it's safe. I have had good readings and then the set fails later that day so I now leave my old set in until betime when I am fully happy that the new set is working.
This mistrust in the sets means I tend not to plan anything for the afternoons of set change days and I wouldn't feel happy changing my set in the evening. However I'm too tired first thing in the morning to do a set change!!
I'm interested in learning how other people do theirs, especially times etc. Although I wouldn't be without the pump I do feel that for half a day every 3 days I can't relax.
I always do my set at lunch as soon as I've put my son down for his nap. Firstly I put 70% of my hourly basal rate through the pump using my old set and then I disconnect but leave the old set in. I have a hot shower, which I find makes the change less painful, helps avoid infection and helps me relax a bit.
After the shower I chill out pump free for about 15 mins, which also helps prepare me for the change. Although it's more uncomfortable than painful I am still needle phobic and even after a year I get nervous about firing the new set in.
I grab my set from the fridge and get it ready. I pick my site and then it takes me about 10 mins to actually fire the set in. What a wimp! :lol: Once in I prime my pump and fill the cannula. I then fire 0.5u through to "clear gunk" as my DSN told me. I know others don't do this but it seems to work well for me.
I then bolus through for my lunch, wait 10 mins and eat. Two hours later I do my first BG check. I can't always tell from this that the set is working (it can be 8 or 9 sometimes due to food peak or if my new set is quite far away from the old one). Even if the BG is good I don't trust the set until another hour has passed. Then I'm looking for a good drop in BG to feel it's safe. I have had good readings and then the set fails later that day so I now leave my old set in until betime when I am fully happy that the new set is working.
This mistrust in the sets means I tend not to plan anything for the afternoons of set change days and I wouldn't feel happy changing my set in the evening. However I'm too tired first thing in the morning to do a set change!!
I'm interested in learning how other people do theirs, especially times etc. Although I wouldn't be without the pump I do feel that for half a day every 3 days I can't relax.