Another omnipod joiner

M

Mumpie_olgran

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
A few days in to my journey with HCL and omnipod. Just on my second patch
I have high hopes (dangerous with diabetes I know...)
So far so good although it's definitely taking some time to settle down
1. I need to resist managing it as closely as I used to on MDI and let it learn
2. It's been a bit heavy handed with many more dextrose required on pump 1. But I think the algorithm has swung too far the other way on pump 2 and I'm taking a long time to come down on BS after eating

I have a ton of questions as there are so many levers that I could pull. Change length of time insulin stays active, change correction factor, target glucose level, carb ratios at different times of the day. But I won't ask any of them as I think I just want it all to find a pattern before I tinker.

One observation is that my total insulin usage has dropped pretty materially (about 25%). And I wonder if before I had been on marginally too high lantus. I injected all c. 20 units in the morning which generally kept me flat overnight but I suspect it's slightly more effective in the first hours than the last. Hence carb ratios may have been flattered in the day time through slightly high IOB

That's enough musings for now. I'm sure most will be wrong or will change anyway

Special thanks to @PhoebeC for some behind the scenes encouragement
 
Mumpie_olgran said:
One observation is that my total insulin usage has dropped pretty materially (about 25%). And I wonder if before I had been on marginally too high lantus.
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When I transferred to a pump, I was told that we need less basal compared to injecting due to the way it is delivered. I never looked into the "mechanics" of this but it has certainly been the case for me even though I do not have HCL.
Like you, my pump basal is about 25% less than my Lantus dose.
I am only a sample of one (or two if you include yourself) but I do not think your findings on HCL suggest your Lantus was too high, unless you were hypoing a fair amount previously.
 
Yes you're probably right. I had very few hypos under MDI.

My thinking was really that I'm a grazer of food generally between meals so that could have offset a structurally high daytime Lantus level (noting we're talking about relatively small margins)

Just another one of those could be / maybe hypotheses of D....

In any event I think I need to adjust my carb ratio now under the pump as I do seem to need more for meals. All early days yet mind...
 
Yes, when I started a pump my insulin needs decreased by at least 25%. My pump trainer said that was normal, as MDI was a bit of a blunt tool. He said insulin usage normally decreased 20-25% but occasionally slightly more/less.

He also said that people on MDI usually had excess basal that mopped up a few carbs but on a pump I’d probably have to bolus for even small amounts of carbs and would have to count carbs carefully as it was more finely tuned.
 
Mumpie_olgran said:
. I need to resist managing it as closely as I used to on MDI and let it learn
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I found that very difficult when I first switched to HCL. I had been used to micromanaging my diabetes and putting a lot of ‘work’into it, so it was really hard to let that go. I gave up on HCL after a week and worked in manual for a month before trying again.

So glad that I stuck with it as I now get better management (if I measure with TIR) fewer hypos and I do far far less.

Let us know how you get in. I think most systems like this take a little time to settle.
 
Yes I wonder if the better advice wouldn't be to go to manual pump for a while to sort out charges to basal then take on HCL. But either way I'll ride it out

Nice one getting your funding btw
 
Don't know what happened yesterday but BS stubbornly between 12 and 14 seemingly regardless of what I was doing

Onwards and sideways
 
Mumpie_olgran said:
Don't know what happened yesterday but BS stubbornly between 12 and 14 seemingly regardless of what I was doing

Onwards and sideways
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Yup! I remember that feeling from my pump-start (a fully manual pump with only fingersticks, no sensor worn at all).

After almost 2 decades on injections there were so many more unknowns, it was almost like starting insulin again. I found it much harder to know whether this, that, or the other ‘felt right’ or indicated something that needed action.

Hang in there. Some folks feel at one with their robot companion instantly, but it took me at least 6-12 months of experiment (and errors!) to feel like I was properly getting the hang of it.
 
helli said:
When I transferred to a pump, I was told that we need less basal compared to injecting due to the way it is delivered. I never looked into the "mechanics" of this but it has certainly been the case for me even though I do not have HCL.
Like you, my pump basal is about 25% less than my Lantus dose.
I am only a sample of one (or two if you include yourself) but I do not think your findings on HCL suggest your Lantus was too high, unless you were hypoing a fair amount previously.
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Same mine is less, I’ve not done the maths.
And my background was never right for long, more than a few days and now because I have the preset modes it is right lost of the time.
It will take time @Mumpie_olgran, you are doing great
 
Quick update. It's obviously great to fairly consistently wake up to BS around 6. So real encouragement there. Even if it's still all a bit volatile in the daytime. But much hope to be taken I think

BTW has anyone taken a pod through the airport scanners? My dexcom has always been fine but not sure about the pod
 
Mumpie_olgran said:
Quick update. It's obviously great to fairly consistently wake up to BS around 6. So real encouragement there. Even if it's still all a bit volatile in the daytime. But much hope to be taken I think

BTW has anyone taken a pod through the airport scanners? My dexcom has always been fine but not sure about the pod
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There’s a certain type they can’t go though.
I think the metal ones are fine but not xray.
My nurse confirmed let me see if I can find the details.
 
When travelling to Dublin last year they had body scanner at port, told Border Force guy that I was pump user & was libre user at time, was told to bypass scanner & was given patdown instead, no issues whatsoever, would do same if going through airport.
 
I went through the one where you stand there and sort of hold your arms up with hands next to your head. It seemed to keep working alright afterwards

I told them about the pump and they waved me through it anyway
 
Just over three weeks into this thing and this is to you all who gave me a bit of encouragement. I'm starting to feel the giddy first few moment of a love affair between me and this pod. It's awesome

Until it's not of course. But wow I'm pleased with the difference so far. I can sleep for one.... And go for a lot longer without checking in on levels. And when I do check, most of the time they're pretty good!
 
Mumpie_olgran said:
Just over three weeks into this thing and this is to you all who gave me a bit of encouragement. I'm starting to feel the giddy first few moment of a love affair between me and this pod. It's awesome

Until it's not of course. But wow I'm pleased with the difference so far. I can sleep for one.... And go for a lot longer without checking in on levels. And when I do check, most of the time they're pretty good!
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This is how I feel. Apart from my period days I am 70% in range. Actual full nights of sleep, nice and level.
And more food freedom, which wasn't something I even released I was restricting or altering, but some things not worth the injection.
It's changed my life and I cannot imagine HCL.
Made up for you @Mumpie_olgran
 
Have any of you guys ripped your sensons off, or had them come unstuck? Ive had 2 lots of sample testers and within a couple of days ive managed to pull them off.

Im a relatively fit 35yr old male with a low / medium fat percentage. As im bending down to the floor and general work, along with gym workouts the body fat areas generally 'scrunch' up more than ( not being rude) some one with a sedentry life style and more flat stable fat for it to remain stuck too.


Ive given the area a good rub with high % alcohol wiped and let them dry. Sometimes ive used them in the gym and obviosly through the shower and done my best not to catch it.

Ive tried different areas ( the back side can involve awkwardness when sitting back)

On the arm it sticks out to much for me, i have to put my arms into tight closed areas which can be easily caught when either on the side or back of arm.

i often open heavy boxes & lean things against my stomach & front too so im getting really nervous about where to put it. I was so excited about having it on after waiting a year or more.


ive seen a lot of extra patch covers / tapes which i used for my libre but DAMN they hurt when pulling them off even after 2 weeks!


and as the pod needs changing every 3 days im gonna be saw everywhere as i doubt areas will recover quick enough.

Thanks for any help
 
sorry , just been reading so many other questions about this in other posts and see their are many people putting forward their previous history with wearing one.
 
ginger89 said:
sorry , just been reading so many other questions about this in other posts and see their are many people putting forward their previous history with wearing one.
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Not a problem.

Well worth starting a new thread if you have a specific questions. As I don’t use Omnipod I might not have looked at this thread, until I spotted HCL reference so read on.

Like others I put extra tegaderm over sensors if they start to look dodgy. I am not sure how it works with Omnipods if that is what you are using.
 
ginger89 said:
Have any of you guys ripped your sensons off, or had them come unstuck? Ive had 2 lots of sample testers and within a couple of days ive managed to pull them off.

Im a relatively fit 35yr old male with a low / medium fat percentage. As im bending down to the floor and general work, along with gym workouts the body fat areas generally 'scrunch' up more than ( not being rude) some one with a sedentry life style and more flat stable fat for it to remain stuck too.


Ive given the area a good rub with high % alcohol wiped and let them dry. Sometimes ive used them in the gym and obviosly through the shower and done my best not to catch it.

Ive tried different areas ( the back side can involve awkwardness when sitting back)

On the arm it sticks out to much for me, i have to put my arms into tight closed areas which can be easily caught when either on the side or back of arm.

i often open heavy boxes & lean things against my stomach & front too so im getting really nervous about where to put it. I was so excited about having it on after waiting a year or more.


ive seen a lot of extra patch covers / tapes which i used for my libre but DAMN they hurt when pulling them off even after 2 weeks!


and as the pod needs changing every 3 days im gonna be saw everywhere as i doubt areas will recover quick enough.

Thanks for any help
Click to expand...
I have never ripped off a Omnipod or libre sensor including playing full contact rugby 3 times a week. Sometimes for matches if very muddy / wet I would use patches or vet wrap on my libre but never my pod.

I have only ever have had one Omnipod knocked that made it loose, and it was already loose before training, I was just seeing if I could get a few more hours out of it. I found my backside the best for rugby, but not for absorption of insulin, again that is another thing to think about. And the planning of when I want it there is something I think about. This season we had a few very close matches, so when I could I would rest those sites to allow it to be in the right places for matches.

I don't use all of the possible sites suggested (not enough flesh on my back) but I still have 10 sites I can use and I find that is enough on a rotation basis, my legs recover the slowest but they are also a bigger site, so that helps. I have only recently started using the side of my leg (its rugby off season) and I am finding this is my new favorite location. Also I find if you turn the pump 180 that can help with site locations, giving space between previous sites. And it is less sites than injections so I still find my sites much better than on MDI.

Sometimes it goes get in the way but not as much as I thought and I think it is worth it for me personally.
 
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