Accu Chek Tenderlink

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Phil65

Phil65

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Cannulas have always been my main frustration with my pump. I have had various steel 6,8 and 10mm (my current) and have found that I need to change them daily. I am very insulin resistant and find I get tunnelling and fails regularly, my DSN has given me some Tenderlinks to try today......anybody in the same boat?
 
Hi Phil,
I use the inset 30 (Animas) which is exactly the same cannula but with a self serter.
It's the best I have found to use so far.
All you can do is try it and see if it works for you or not as the case may be.
 
Pumper_Sue said:
Hi Phil,
I use the inset 30 (Animas) which is exactly the same cannula but with a self serter.
It's the best I have found to use so far.
All you can do is try it and see if it works for you or not as the case may be.
Click to expand...

Thanks Sue and very true! I've just inserted my first tenderlink .....fingers crossed!
 
I've got a box of Tenderlinks I've never dared try since the cannula looks so flippin LONG due to the angle, plus being as you have to DIY too, puts me off more than a bit! Perhaps I'll try one next change on Sunday - I know they don't stick out so far from your body so perhaps I'm just being daft.

Do you just stick em in like you would a straight needle?
 
How daft, the needle's always straight LOL
 
The tape goes on exactly the same as the straight cannula.
I was told many years ago that the angled sets were better for people who have had diabetes for a long time as better absorption. No idea what that was based on but hey it works for me 🙂
 
LOL - I meant before you get to the part where you stick the tape down Sue, I mean when you stick it physically into you.

Do you insert the needle at an angle (you know like years ago when we had to pinch and ram in a hedgestake long enough to come out the other side nearly) - or dead straight at 90 degrees like a syringe/pen with a very short needle, which is the same as you do with a 90 degree cannula.

See, bats as it may be cos I'm not partic needle phobic, so if you have to have ANY injection well you just have to have it so why bother making a fuss, just get it over with asap - but looking at those angled cannulas reminds me too much of the old syringe needles which very frequently hurt - but there again I was told I always had to inject in my thighs, and having no fat there it still hurts like stink now, 40 years later.

So I'm scared, basically, Sue - but I like the sound of 'better for old hands' LOL
 
Ah ok TW sorry half asleep.
The cannula and needle go in at the angle required. I use the inset 30 and quite surprising with a name like that it goes in at a 30 degree angle 🙂 It has little feet on the inserter which sit at the correct angle so no mistake. Pain free and easy to use. No problems withdrawing them either. Will own up and say I'm a complete wimp regarding putting the angled sets in manually. 🙄
 
I inserted my first tenderlink (13) last night, happy so far! Easy to insert not much different to whacking a steel one in, one noticeable difference is if I press on the cannula there is no discomfort whereas if I pressed on a steel cannula patch, it was a little sore. So far no cannula fail.....wonder if it will last past 24 hours? 🙂
 
Good luck with it Phil, hope this one works well for you - we have had a few problems with cannulas in the past, v frustrating! 🙂🙂
 
Oh well tomorrow morning, my turn to try with one. Had em 3 years, hope they're not out of date !
 
The angled ones def fail much less than straight ones (teflon) apparently - never figured out why & DSN/reps couldn't answer that one either??

I found they went in ok and then you pull needle out whilst holding plastic pinch bits BUT then I struggled to get silly sticky pads off without partially pulling the cannula back out!! Eventually a rep showed me I had to press my finger on top of cannula where it entered whilst peeling off stickies, and I also found it best to semi-loosen the sticky bits BEFORE starting the whole insertion. Finally got the hang of it!

Gave up on 'em in the end though cos they tended to leave a bigger entry scar for me than straight or metal sets.

Good luck with them!
 
ingrid said:
The angled ones def fail much less than straight ones (teflon) apparently - never figured out why & DSN/reps couldn't answer that one either??

I found they went in ok and then you pull needle out whilst holding plastic pinch bits BUT then I struggled to get silly sticky pads off without partially pulling the cannula back out!! Eventually a rep showed me I had to press my finger on top of cannula where it entered whilst peeling off stickies, and I also found it best to semi-loosen the sticky bits BEFORE starting the whole insertion. Finally got the hang of it!

Gave up on 'em in the end though cos they tended to leave a bigger entry scar for me than straight or metal sets.

Good luck with them!
Click to expand...

That all makes sense to me 🙂 so far so good, absorption seems better (might have to turn my basals down!) and no fail......yet! 2nd day.
 
Not yet Phil - I hadn't realised until I got one out that I would have to change the tubing cos the ones from the Flexlink are different - and I'm not my best of a morning LOL - so I snoozed the message on my handset LOL and then promptly forgot about changing it.

I'll do it now!
 
Done it - great difficulty getting it into my skin to begin with though, nurses in hospital on DX doing my early jabs, told me I have tough skin in 1972 though !

Anyway I scrapped the first one cos I don't think I got the right angle and I could still see cannula in the 'window' so I used another and pulled the first one out.

Hell, aren't the needles long?

The old one (2 days) was beyond it's lifespan as usual though, so good job I saw this thread when I did - BG was 12.4 and admittedly it was 9 at lunchtime (from a nice 5.6 this morning) but I couldn't be bothered as we were late having it and it was going cold - so just bolused for the carbs and a correction for the 9, and then all sorts of things had to be discussed. That's why I'm better changing sets first thing really before I get side-tracked. (ie someone attempts to communicate with me LOL)

If only I could see and function properly when I got up !

So I've had a correction through it and we'll see !
 
I'm a fan of these.....officially! 🙂 if I was to be picky......they are a bit chunkier and the connection between cannula and transfer is a liitle trickier than the steel, oh and the housing bit that connects to the pump is a bit chunky too. But hey.....so far so good! 🙂
 
Phil65 said:
I'm a fan of these.....officially! 🙂 if I was to be picky......they are a bit chunkier and the connection between cannula and transfer is a liitle trickier than the steel, oh and the housing bit that connects to the pump is a bit chunky too. But hey.....so far so good! 🙂
Click to expand...

Fantastic news Phil very pleased for you.
 
trophywench said:
Done it - great difficulty getting it into my skin to begin with though, nurses in hospital on DX doing my early jabs, told me I have tough skin in 1972 though !

Anyway I scrapped the first one cos I don't think I got the right angle and I could still see cannula in the 'window' so I used another and pulled the first one out.

Hell, aren't the needles long?

The old one (2 days) was beyond it's lifespan as usual though, so good job I saw this thread when I did - BG was 12.4 and admittedly it was 9 at lunchtime (from a nice 5.6 this morning) but I couldn't be bothered as we were late having it and it was going cold - so just bolused for the carbs and a correction for the 9, and then all sorts of things had to be discussed. That's why I'm better changing sets first thing really before I get side-tracked. (ie someone attempts to communicate with me LOL)

If only I could see and function properly when I got up !

So I've had a correction through it and we'll see !
Click to expand...

Hope it's going well? ......you do make me laugh!
 
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