Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mark on October 8, 2011 at 8:45pm

I've only put the pod on my arm with the 'nose' pointing toward my elbow twice and it failed both times. So I always put it on with the nose pointing toward my shoulder.

I've had about 5 failures in the last 3 months, two were occlusions but the cannula never seems kinked in any way.

Permalink Reply by Jacob's mom on October 8, 2011 at 5:53am

my son had had kinks on his legs only, more muscular, i think it starts when he is sleeping and flipping around even though he istn't a restless sleeper we have held of on legs he is a belly guy maybe changing up your placement would help, sleeping on your back and moving may disrupt it how about arms and belly for a while and see if that helps, oh the challenges good luck!

Permalink Reply by Katsz on October 11, 2011 at 7:43am

How are things going now? Are you still getting the kinks?

Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on October 12, 2011 at 12:18pm

Yes, I'm still getting kinks. Had another one last night - my sixth(?) in the last month. Corrected a 188 and an hour later I was 206. Took off the pod and there it was - another d@mn kink. I'm so frustrated. I've stopped pressing down on the pod at insertion, too.

I don't think it's sleeping on it that's an issue for me - I am pregnant and pretty much have to sleep in one position on my side, so a pod on my back/butt/etc should be unencumbered.

I'm back to thinking it's an issue of scar tissue, muscle (though I laugh at the thought of me having any), and/or bumping/movement. I'm thinking I might to switch to my Cozmo for a bit and see if I have the same issues. It would help me rule out the angled vs. straight cannula issue and isolate whether or not it's the sites I'm choosing or the pods themselves that my body is rebelling against.

Permalink Reply by Katsz on October 12, 2011 at 3:10pm

Wow.. yes.. wonder if that will make a diffrence. Hope it does for you. That has got to be frustrating. I am not sure my son has ever had a kinked canula.. not sure he even checks though. When you take them out they are obviously bent?? I will start looking. Today he is having some unexplained highs.... maybe that is it?

Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on October 13, 2011 at 2:40pm

Yes, it's usually an obvious bend. Sometimes it isn't. The obvious ones are about halfway up the cannula and can be bent as much as 90 degrees. The two I've had with double kinks would have a small one about a third of the way from the pod and a more severe one halfway down-ish. I have sent three back to Insulet already, but I'll try to snap a photo of the one I just pulled off. Still haven't called it in.

Permalink Reply by EricG6410 on October 13, 2011 at 4:27am

Is there a way you could share a pic of the kinked cannula?

Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on October 13, 2011 at 9:05pm

I removed the adhesive and held it against something dark to show the cannula more clearly.

Permalink Reply by MossDog on October 13, 2011 at 9:31pm

I would try the Cozmo as soon as you can. Kinks that heavy are hard to rationally explain and if it was from to scar tissue or pretty much anything to have to do with YOU pretty much any teflon infusion set would have similar problems. The only infusions sets I have ever seen that are that bent were usually put in a more bony place and the presumption was when pressure was put in that area and the catheter was "pushed" against the bone the catheter was then bent that way. Perhaps because of the Omni's higher profile it is getting "pushed" into muscle and/or bony places more than you realize and ending up bent like that?

Are you like super human with muscles so strong they "bend" everything they come in contact with???? :-) Seems silly but it is a struggle to find a reason they would consistently bend this way for you?????

Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on October 14, 2011 at 11:18am

Yes, by night, I have a second job as Wonder Woman. j/k :)

I wasn't kidding about the kinks, right? I honestly find it hard to believe it's an issue of not enough fat. I'm...curvy. Pre-pregnancy about 165 pounds and 5'5" with more than enough butt to use as a shelf. And pregnant, I'm resting about 20+ over that right now. I'm experiencing the kinks primarily in my buttocks and the small of my back (also plush enough, we'll call it). Or at least I think so. And in those places, there's no way I'm hitting bone. Even in my back, I point the cannula away from the spine just in case, so I'm really hitting lovehandle or close to it.

I think trying a different infusion set in the same areas would tell me a lot. I'm 11 years into pumping, so scar tissue could certainly be an issue, but I've been using these areas for only 2-3 years, as opposed to the first 8 years spent solely on my lower belly.

Permalink Reply by MossDog on October 14, 2011 at 12:46pm

I know nothing is always typical but usually the scar tissue can be felt. Can you feel anything untoward in those areas? Everytime I have felt someone's areas that has scar tissue build up it has always been easily recognizable as that.

The places where you get the kinks have me wondering if it is a jostling issue even if it is not something that you consciously recognize. You could also try putting a Pod in those areas and seeing if you are ULTRA careful about not siting/leaning/ or otherwise applying ANY pressure to the Pod makes a difference. I think trying another pump/infusion set would tell you something very similar though. This is strange and something like those kind of kinks would drive me nuts if I couldn't figure out the WHY????

Permalink Reply by EricG6410 on October 18, 2011 at 5:16am

Wow that is very strange. It definitely is bent, I wonder if that is enough to prevent insulin from passing through, but your numbers dont lie.

It almost seems like the pod isnt "attached" to you and it slides down your skin after the cannula is inserted. The angle that the cannula is inserted, even if it did hit something hard it would deflect in a different direction. Really seems like the Pod is sliding forward (toward the cannula) after insertion.

I am a pretty lean and active guy and have placed the pod in some lean areas and never had an issue. I sleep on mine and bump it ALL the time with no issues. So I would be hard pressed to say that applying pressure after the cannula is inserted properly would cause an issue.

If you ever do find an explanation for this please remember to share!

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