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thinking of changing back.

L

LauraNoraLoo

Well-Known Member
Messages
76
hey fellow pumpers!
i think that ive hit pump blues. Im fed up of it - big style! I cant believe the amount of times ive had trips to the ANE department of the hospital due to DKA due to insulin pump failures! ive been more times in the past 9 months when using the insulin pump than i ever did in the 9 years of injecting!!

it seems that mostly i rip the cannula out during the night and dont realise until the morning, by which point i am vomiting, not keeping down liquids, keytones off the clock and out of it! the whole process is becoming as familiar as the back of my hand at the moment! the only problem is that where i live, diabetes isnt such a huge thing in the ANE department so its highly frustrating to communicate what i need and why. but thats not the point.

am i the only one that this happens too? if it something that is going to continue then i cant see me keeping the pump for much longer. im trying to reduce my HBA1C but with these spells literally happening every month then it is getting more and more difficult!

help! :cry:
 
Hi Laura

What cannula are you using? How are you wearing the pump at night? I have only woken up once with almost DKA due to a set failing in the night and that scared the hell out of me. I can't imagine having to cope every month.

I used to worry about pulling my set out at night but I use Insets and they would need a serious tug to rip off. I now always wear PJs and clip the pump onto my PJ bottoms belt. I then tuck all tubing into the bottoms so there is nothing left to pull on or catch. This seems to work well for me. Do you know how you're ripping your sets out in the night?
 
Another thing you can try is a security loop: Loop the tubing a bit of micro pore tape loop to skin, then if it's yanked with enough force the loop takes the force and not the cannula..

You can also just put another micro pore holding the tube down, near the cannula' just make sure you are kinking the tubing where it joins the cannula. This helps to provide some more protection from tugging..

A third thing you can do, is get some Skin tac/adhesive, which is a solution/spray that you can put on before inserting the cannula and it makes the area more sticky, and holds the cannula's securing patch better..

Talking about stickiness, do you use shower gel, moisturiser if you do, ensure that you've raised shower gel, soap etc well off the area that you'll going to put your set, and if you use moisturiser avoid using it on the area you going to be putting your set next change... As these products can effect the adhesive..

I've been pretty lucky in that 4 years of using my pump, I haven't pulled the cannula out, I do move in my sleep quite a lot and I leave my pump to roam at well..

Hope some of the above idea's help, shame to give it back if at other times you achieving good control
 


I always wear PJ bottoms too, and place the wiring through the side of my underwear so it is compltelty out of the way. Ive asked my partner on many occasions if ive purposely pulled it out during the night and he has said no, i just turned around an awful lot during my sleep which much have soemthing to do with it!

I do mositorise but never on my stomach where i wear the pump, due to having to stick something on it.

Its highly frustrating now and a pain in the bottom having to deal with DKA after DKA at the moment! Im pooped!
 
Hello Laura

I'm sorry to find out about your frequent trips to hospital regarding DKA caused by the set coming out during your sleep,

I've never had a set come out myself whilst asleep but I do go to bed with the pump either tucked in the top of my knickers (lycra) or put the pump inside a mobile phone sock type wallet. I've never left it to roam............. Just recently, I bought a sleeping bag for the pump (ebay - phone sleeping bag) and using a hole punch for paper, made a hole in the corner opposite to the zip and using a neck chord for MP3 players, hooked the chord through the hole in the sleeping bag. This works well for me as when in bed I dont know that the pump is there as it is hanging down on the end of neck chord zipped up in the bag underneath my PJ t-shirt. I also use a short tube (20cms) for my tummy and a 50cm one for my backside and legs.

I think if you use a shorter tube and get something like above to put pump in when asleep you shouldn't find that the set will come out as you wont be tangling the tube.

Hope this gives you a bit of help..........
 


Thanks a bunch! ill give what you said ago! ive tried pretty much everything else! i never really feel the insluin pump when i sleep anyway, even when i do lay on it by accident sometimes!
 
Hi Laura,

Sorry to hear that you're having a tough time with your pump. Stick at it, it'll be well worth it in the long run!
I've been on my pump for 7 years now, but I've only ever pulled my cannula out once or twice, usually when it's in my thigh and I'm getting changed/going to loo in a hurry!
I always sleep with my pump in one of those travel money belts, left loose to allow for movement while asleep.
Hope you find a solution soon.
Liz
 
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