Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by still_young_at_heart on January 29, 2012 at 8:07pm

That's right - swap out whatever needs to be swapped and keep the rest. It took me the longest time to put away the cheat sheet for doing a site change :-)

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Permalink Reply by Cindy on January 30, 2012 at 5:31pm

Please indulge me with one more question...
Today I did the reservoir swap using yesterday's new infusion site. Being nervous, I put on my big girl panties and filled a new reservoir to make the change. I saw bubbles in the tubing next to the rez and BEFORE ATTACHING TO MY BODY I did the fill tubing action to be sure they were out. I used even more than my usual tube filling amt of insulin. Can someone talk to me about that? Do you take that step? When I attached back to the site I assumed my cannula was still filled and didn't need filling so I omitted that step. Everything seems fine, but I'm a little skitterish. Thanks in advance.

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Permalink Reply by still_young_at_heart on January 30, 2012 at 6:35pm

I always use fresh tubing with a fresh reservoir. Were you trying to reuse the tubing?

Maurie

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Permalink Reply by Cindy on January 31, 2012 at 9:22am

Yes, I did use the same tubing.

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Permalink Reply by Korrie on January 30, 2012 at 6:09pm

Here is my suggestion - works for me. (sorry kinda long!)
make sure you let your bottle of insulin come to room temp. I store mine in fridge, but remember to take it out ahead of filling reservoir.
When filling res, pull slowly, trying not to get huge bubble in. Little ones, ok, not huge. Slow is the key. Fill past what you will use, with res still attached to insulin, tap res - insulin bottle above res. This gets bubbles to get to top of res. Push out what you don't need back into insulin bottle, slowly!
Attach tubing to res, keep res with top (where needle of tubing goes) upright toward ceiling. Don't lay it down.
Into primed and ready pump, again, keep tubing/res pointed to ceiling. Prime as normal, all the bubbles that may be in res should be primed out. Anything left should just be the little ones and are usually not a bother. Insert, finish as normal, and should be set.
Bubbles will tend to develop in res with temp changes, i.e. working outside in the heat. Also you will tend to see more bubbles when insulin in res almost out.
Biggest key I think is insulin at room temp, not cold. And slow when filling res! Anytime you find large air bubble in tubing that worries you, just prime it out. Bubbles won't hurt you, just if to large you will miss insulin either w/basal or bolus. Depending on your sensitivity it may or may not be a big problem.
If you do not put in new site, do not need to fill the cannula. Some people reuse reservoir and tubing multiple times, I chose not to just because. I have reused when new reservoir or tubing is faulty. (Always call and complain if that happens, you should get new and may need to mail in faulty parts) I never add insulin to old insulin though, if reusing reservoir push any old insulin out before reusing w/new insulin.

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Permalink Reply by Cindy on January 31, 2012 at 9:23am

Big sigh of relief!! Don't apologize for length; my brain needs step by step instruction initially. I'm not one of those quick studies. Plus there is an outsized fear element for us because we're dealing with insulin. Too much or too little are behemoth problems for us. I'd be a little more cavalier if you were telling me how to change my oil. Please know, Korrie, that you have made a difference for me! LOL
Cindy

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Permalink Reply by kphil06 on January 30, 2012 at 6:15pm

I have a One Touch Ping. I did this a few days ago by inserting a new inset, d/c the tube that came with it, and plugging the old one (which was already primed) in. Then, I "filled cannula" with 0.30U and have been good to go ever since! I used to switch them both out at the same time every time, but found this way to be much more frugal in terms of supplies and insulin.

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Permalink Reply by Cindy on January 31, 2012 at 9:26am

Great! You must have used Korrie's technique and avoided the bubbles. I didn't and did have bubbles by the rez. I'm going to get it right soon. Thanks for encouraging me to swap separately if I want to. B4 this, I thought you had to replace the whole shebang everytime, even if only one end was a problem. I have been shy about this from the beginning.

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Permalink Reply by abcpav on January 30, 2012 at 7:31pm

I reused my reservoirs (Minimed) a lot, and still do sometimes. However, I did notice after a while that sometimes the O-ring in the reservoir plunger (that slides forward as the insulin is dispensed) sometimes leaked a little insulin on the 2nd or 3rd use of the reservoir. Since then, I've started using reservoirs only once (most of the time). It may have been a bad batch of O-rings/reservoirs, I don't know if that was typical of all Minimed reservoirs ever made.

When I've had a bad set/site before it's time to "change out" I will often continue with the reservoir and most of the tubing that was already in action, and just "fill cannula" into a new 2" of tubing + set, and then insert the new set. voila.

Cindy - you'll be a pro in no time!

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Permalink Reply by Cindy on January 31, 2012 at 9:31am

Your encouragement means the world to me. I mean wearing a pump is hopefully a lifetime decision for me. I really take it (and my control) seriously and am so eager to settle into it comfortably. I want maintaining it be become second nature. You CAN teach old dogs new tricks!!

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Permalink Reply by Korrie on January 31, 2012 at 10:26am

Cindy, another FYI based on my pump experiences - when I began 4 yrs ago, I was ready to throw the thing into the deepest lake within a couple of days of getting it. And while calling my trainer, calling Minimed helped, I have learned so many things by the forums. Remember tech support has guidelines to follow, we live it! So don't hesitate to question - someone has probably had the same thing happen to them!

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Permalink Reply by Cindy on January 31, 2012 at 5:18pm

I take that advice to heart. TuDia has changed my life already! Yeah, the corporationsthink of liability first for sure. Besides, the Supreme Court may have ruled corporations "people", but I don't buy it. You are PEOPLE! Thanks

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