Do you have a system to track how well you are rotating?

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Permalink Reply by Dave   _ on February 4, 2009 at 12:07pm

scar tissue formation seems to vary greatly from one person to the next. 13 years here and no scar tissue despite using only my abdomen area. i go 3 days on one side, and the next set goes on the other side, but i try to place each set in a different specific spot than where recent ones have gone.

so as far as a "system", it's just "left/right/left...." for me.

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Permalink Reply by Jason on February 5, 2009 at 11:45am

I do this as well. No scar tissue under the skin and I have been pumping for 11 years in the abdomen only.

Not to say it looks pretty- I have small bruises sometimes and some light scarring on the surface of the skin.

Oh well.

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Permalink Reply by Emily Joy on February 4, 2009 at 12:13pm

Why do you have to change it every other day? is the absorption that bad? I don't REALLY take note of where i put my sites. i don't have any scar tissue... I only did stomach injections for 4 months, and i've been on a pump for 2 months.

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Permalink Reply by Marie B on February 4, 2009 at 12:53pm

I did exactly like Dave for about 16 years. Then I noticed getting a lot of unexplained highs, "pump bumps", and site soreness or itching after 1 day. The endo said I had to lay off the abdomen, and rotate to areas not previously used for pumping, and change every other day. I frequently notice blood or insulin coming out of a site I have just taken the set. We had a discussion about long time pumping and scar tissue last year - here - it is a subject of great interest to me since I cannot find any answers. I'd love to find someone who's been pumping as long as I have.

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Permalink Reply by Dave   _ on February 4, 2009 at 1:01pm

are u using Humalog or another insulin?

I had a lot of scar tissue in 1996-1997 due to 18 years of MDI. I started pumping in may of 1996. In less than 2 years, the scar tissue resolved itself. I hope not to suffer a repeat of scar tissue in the future, but I guess time will tell. :)

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Permalink Reply by Marie B on February 5, 2009 at 12:40pm

Humalog. the endo didn't think it would matter if I went to Apidra. I think it has to do with being an older woman.....you know....

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on February 4, 2009 at 1:05pm

I have no system, but now that you mention it, I should! Thanks for the tip Marie!

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Permalink Reply by Sugabetic on February 5, 2009 at 12:35pm

I cannot use my stomach right now. I used/abused it for 8 years. ( I hated changing my sites, so there were times that I didn't change it until day 5 or so.) I use an OmniPod pump, and I use the back side of my arms for sites now. I just go from right arm to left arm and rotate the pod... like this right arm/cannula up; left arm/cannula up; right arm/cannula down; left arm/cannula down. Then start back over. This is working for me right now until I can start using other places. I tried my back, but it seemed to want to pull away after sleeping on it, and I haven't tried my thigh because I never got good absorption with shots or standard pumps, so I just steer clear of it. (Not to mention I used to almost always rip out the site pulling my pants up when changing or using the restroom!)

I am not trying to be rude or graphic here, but when you list your rotation for your "butt", where is it exactly? Like on the curvature, the side, or on top right below the belt line? I was "blessed" with one unfortunately, so I'm sure I could get SOME absorption there, just haven't known where to put it!

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on February 5, 2009 at 12:55pm

LillyBell, I'm in the same situation. I used to leave my sets in for 5-6 days to save money. I always preferred my sites on my butt and I exhausted it after 4 years. I'm on a very long break from from infusion sites on my butt.

To answer your question, butt for me means anywhere below where my belt line is and any spot that is vertical when I sit down. I used to sit down and put my infusion set in to make sure that I would not put it so low that I would sit on it. I loved it there because I would never notice it was there (for 6 days!). Some (like my doctor) say this is a bad site cause I move every time that I sit down and it could rub against my pants, but it always worked the best for me! I hope that the scar tissue some how "disappears" (didn't think that was possible). I miss my butt infusion sites.

Now I'm using my "love handles" just above the waist line on my back.

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Permalink Reply by Sugabetic on February 6, 2009 at 8:23am

Thanks for the tip, Kristin! I changed my pod this morning and put it right below the belt line. I just hope I don't almost rip it off when going to the restroom! That will be the next test. Maybe I need to get some big tegaderm patches to put over it? We'll see how it goes. I'm interested in seeing how the absorption is there too!

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on February 5, 2009 at 12:57pm

OK Marie, now I'm curious: where is the low, front part of your butt? I can't imagine :)

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Permalink Reply by Marie B on February 5, 2009 at 2:22pm

if you put the heel of your hand on your hipbone, and spread your hand out, where the hand is spread out is where I call "butt" I count about 9 general areas to poke there, 3 vertically called low/med/high, and 3 horizontally, left/mid/right. gosh, I wish I had more skin. I remember Doris Ann and I used to talk about the torsos of the swimmers in the Olympics and how we envied their long abdomen areas!

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