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Permalink Reply by Richard157 on June 22, 2008 at 4:01pm

Scar tissue is not on the surface of your skin, it is beneath the surface layer of skin. You do not see it but if it is there and you inject into it then you will experience slow or incomplete absorption. I used ordinary injections for 62 years and almost always used my abdomen, usually my upper abdomen. I had tough spots but thought the needle might be dull. No doctor or anything I read said anything about scar tissue. I started pumping in June, 2007 and started having no delivery alarms in December. I was still using my upper abdomen. My endo did not know what the problem was. I called the Minimed hot line and after talking with a young sounding lady for almost 20 minutes she suggested I had scar tissue and told me to use other body parts and give my abdomen a long rest. I started using my upper legs in front and on the outsides. My absorption was great and I had good control again. Now, finally, I know to rotate my sites frequently to avoid having scar tissue again. I have been using my lower abdomen recently and have given my upper abdomen a six month rest. I hope the scar tissue there is gone now.

Some people use their buttocks successfully. Love handles and buttocks are difficult for me. I have arthritis and I cannot seem to inject my Sure-T sets perpendicular to the skin surface. It always seems to go in at an angle which does not work with Sure-T's, at least not for me.

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Permalink Reply by Marie B on June 23, 2008 at 6:29am

Yeah, I'm doing the legs and contorting myself to get around the rear areas, but I really hate putting it where I roll on it in the night,etc. I'm going to a CDE tomorrow, and I can't wait. My endo says I have to change every other day. Quite frankly, it sucks

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Permalink Reply by Stuart on August 4, 2008 at 8:07am

Hello Marie:

I have scar tissue as well; arms, legs, abs, even my rear end. After nearly 40 years, (MDI) don't care how often you rotate, it WILL happen... only so much surface area we can use easily....

What are lovers, partners, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives might be willing to do for us that's another couple inches if we're lucky ;) Regardless your endo does not shoot every day themselves do they....?

Sure rotate but I don't know that every day is helpful to you. You have 8 sites that are easy access using shots anyway. Pumps, infusion sets more skin surface to use perhaps (?) but not much easier by any means. It has to stick and STAY for a couple days right....

No thanks shots works very happily by comparison
Stuart

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Permalink Reply by Marie B on August 4, 2008 at 8:33am

hey, Stuart, I guess I was lucky to go as long as I did without the "scar tissue issue". It can get very depressing, especially when the endo says things like when I'm in a scar tissue area, I need to up my basal. whattt? how am I supposed to calculate that? And yes, my husband does help!

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Permalink Reply by June English on November 22, 2009 at 9:24am

In order to avoid scar tissue, we should all be changing our sites every two days. My endo. insists that all of her pumpers (and OmniPodders) do that! Of course, we must also rotate sites. I took MDI for 35 years before "pumping," so I have sites (like both my legs) that I cannot use at all. Get your hubby to insert into your arms,too!

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Permalink Reply by Melissa Warren on June 22, 2008 at 6:29pm

My husband has been on the pump for five years and doesn't have scar tissue. He does have a couple areas that take longer to heal if he doesn't move the site right at three days, which increases his risk of scar tissue. If you give your scar tissue area a rest, medium to deep tissue massage 10 minutes a day will help break up the scar tissue.

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Permalink Reply by Toni Crebbin on June 22, 2008 at 9:13pm

I've been pumping about 12 years now, and have had no problems with scar tissue. I originally had a pattern going between my abdomen and my hips, but now that I also wear a cgm, I use my hips for the pump (Thelma) and the ab for the cgm (Louise). The buttocks are a bit too low for my liking, as it's uncomfortable to sit on.

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Permalink Reply by Jenny on June 22, 2008 at 11:06pm

I use my upper arms, and outer legs. I can use my upper boo-tocks as I don't sit on that.

I am using a CGMS on loan, and am using my midriff area for that. I know I am on a bit of a roller coaster with the readings I get, they look like H-E- double-hockey-sticks. I'm wondering about scarring, as it seems no matter WHAT set I use with the Paradigm 722, I get cruddy readings.

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Permalink Reply by Kirsten Welter on June 23, 2008 at 8:46am

I've been on the pump since 1994 when I was 10, and it wasn't until 2002 that the doctors realized that the "funny lumps" in my stomach were actually scar tissue. For 8 years, I had moved my sites between the exact two same spots on either side of my belly button and only changed them once every 4 or 5 days. The scar tissue has not gone away at all (that I've noticed), even after not using my abdomen at all for sites for the past 6 years. I now use my thighs, hips, upper rear end, and love handles and change my sites every 2 days to avoid any scarring whatsoever!

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Permalink Reply by Doris D on August 4, 2008 at 10:19am

I think I've got you beat there. Been pumping for 20 years now and took off for a few years with a Transplant but went back. Scar tissur well let me see. Yep more than I have sites to put the infusion sets in! HA!! Inbetween pumping and surgery well let's just say my tummy is now on perminate vacation! My thighs also say no!! HA! Rump all the way down and up right now! Too! HA!!

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Permalink Reply by J. Davis Harte on August 4, 2008 at 11:39am

I first started pumping in 1993 I think or 92, with a two or three year break, so let's say 13 years. And I've been faithful about rotating: abs both sides and slightly higher or lower, lower hip/upper bum area, and thighs, basically the front of them. The hips keeps me working on staying limber! I recommend yoga.

I've heard about scar tissue since I was very young and used to see signs of it when I gave most of my shots in my arms - but I haven't had any trouble with it pumping.

I go through phases of massaging the sites when they're not in usage (esp. thighs), with vitamin d or st. johns wort oil or something, just to try to keep the potential scar tissue area soft. I do give extra rests to areas that seem to be hardening up, but, like I've said, I haven't been bothered by it! Another thing to be thankful for in this wild ride. Oh, I rotate every 4 or so days, depending.

The other thing is I don't feel comfortable wearing the pump on my arm - but I wonder how others feel about that?? Does it work well for you?

:DH

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Permalink Reply by Doris D on November 17, 2009 at 7:23am

When I put my Sure T's from MiniMed in my arms I trnd to rub my arms and pull it out. I use my thighs alot. I can't put it in my adominal area on either side because of the scar tissue (the insulin just don't get delivered to my system now) But as I was saying when I use my arms it seems to work fine for me if I can just remember not to rub my arms (didn't work that well for my on vacation) and being a girl I just hook the pump under my arm up to my bra.

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