PhoebeC
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
We had an absolutely wonderful chilled time in Tenerife. It was warm but breezy and a few overcast days. We didn’t do much at all. Food was good. Airports and journeys smooth. I love that island.
But both pumps and libres just did not behave and I am very glad I followed the theory of taking extras of all the spares as I needed them. And taking spares out everyday.
First my libre, my first libre 2 plus, on day 1/2 overnight, it just lost its sense completely. Alerting low (all night) readings of between 2-3 but blood glucose via fingers 6-8, and no symptoms. I gave up in the early hours and just took it off.
That was our first night.
The next day. My pump on my thigh a steady location for me and only on for a day, just completely peeled off my leg, but it must have already lost the canulla as I went from a lovely green in range line upto 14 (my alarm) and then 18 once it fell off, upto 22.
On the beach, miles from our hotel. So pump change on the beach. And patch over it. I must say this is not an ideal way to change a pump but I had water, wipes, and all my stuff. Smell of insulin on the beach is a diabetic holiday alright.
Now this one could have been as it was warm and I had sunscreen on but I wouldn’t say I sweated more than usual and I only put cream on once on my legs at this point so it doesn’t add up compared to usual.
Anyway then I took off my backpack on day 4 and ripped my new libre off. Again this never happens and I always have backpacks on. Odd but there we go.
Didn’t have my spare on me so a few hours of finger testing.
And then on day 5 my levels didn’t make sense. A pod which still had 8 (plus the extra 8) hours in use, insulin working but slow and then my site really started to hurt a lot and my levels kept rising. So family consensus (again on a beach) that I might as well take it off.
Underneath the site skin was raised, lumpy and I had a horrible blister type rub type sore next to the canualla site, that stung as soon as it was exposed to the air. Never had this issue before with my sites. I’ve had leaky locations with a little lump and some bleeding, but not this. Hubby suggest friction due to movement but again it was on my other thigh so not a rubbing area.
It’s healed up well, scab came off overnight tonight. Or it could have been the beach isn’t a clean location even with water and wipes on the site, or that and a combination of being warmer / sweating etc.
Thankfully I had taken 3 libres, in Devon last year my spare when I had a fault (unknown error) the cannula just bent out of my arm and wouldn’t apply or stick at all and I had 4 days of finger testing so I leant that lesson before.
And my pumps I took 8 actually which seems excessive but I used one much earlier than I needed and another at least 10 hours early so it all adds up. I did take all my MDI as extra back up so I was prepared. But other times I have thought “do I really need all this stuff” and yes, yes we should take too much, just to be sure.
Like that one night trip in London years ago, when I got knocked and dropped my bag, the cartridge in my MDI pen cracked and I had to find a chemist with it in stock (which you think would be easy in London but wasn’t).
I need to phone both insulet and freestyle and report / replace. Will brave those calls next week.
Oh and as an update on the pump patches whatever stupid name they have, podpal, they do an okay job on holiday and I used them for the 2 beach applied pods after the first fell off and they both stayed in place. Went a horrid colour with sunscream so not the beach babe look I was going for and increase the patchy pod tan lines but I would rate them now a 7/10. They do the job okay, bit peely and don’t feel or look nice but not useless as I first thought.
But both pumps and libres just did not behave and I am very glad I followed the theory of taking extras of all the spares as I needed them. And taking spares out everyday.
First my libre, my first libre 2 plus, on day 1/2 overnight, it just lost its sense completely. Alerting low (all night) readings of between 2-3 but blood glucose via fingers 6-8, and no symptoms. I gave up in the early hours and just took it off.
That was our first night.
The next day. My pump on my thigh a steady location for me and only on for a day, just completely peeled off my leg, but it must have already lost the canulla as I went from a lovely green in range line upto 14 (my alarm) and then 18 once it fell off, upto 22.
On the beach, miles from our hotel. So pump change on the beach. And patch over it. I must say this is not an ideal way to change a pump but I had water, wipes, and all my stuff. Smell of insulin on the beach is a diabetic holiday alright.
Now this one could have been as it was warm and I had sunscreen on but I wouldn’t say I sweated more than usual and I only put cream on once on my legs at this point so it doesn’t add up compared to usual.
Anyway then I took off my backpack on day 4 and ripped my new libre off. Again this never happens and I always have backpacks on. Odd but there we go.
Didn’t have my spare on me so a few hours of finger testing.
And then on day 5 my levels didn’t make sense. A pod which still had 8 (plus the extra 8) hours in use, insulin working but slow and then my site really started to hurt a lot and my levels kept rising. So family consensus (again on a beach) that I might as well take it off.
Underneath the site skin was raised, lumpy and I had a horrible blister type rub type sore next to the canualla site, that stung as soon as it was exposed to the air. Never had this issue before with my sites. I’ve had leaky locations with a little lump and some bleeding, but not this. Hubby suggest friction due to movement but again it was on my other thigh so not a rubbing area.
It’s healed up well, scab came off overnight tonight. Or it could have been the beach isn’t a clean location even with water and wipes on the site, or that and a combination of being warmer / sweating etc.
Thankfully I had taken 3 libres, in Devon last year my spare when I had a fault (unknown error) the cannula just bent out of my arm and wouldn’t apply or stick at all and I had 4 days of finger testing so I leant that lesson before.
And my pumps I took 8 actually which seems excessive but I used one much earlier than I needed and another at least 10 hours early so it all adds up. I did take all my MDI as extra back up so I was prepared. But other times I have thought “do I really need all this stuff” and yes, yes we should take too much, just to be sure.
Like that one night trip in London years ago, when I got knocked and dropped my bag, the cartridge in my MDI pen cracked and I had to find a chemist with it in stock (which you think would be easy in London but wasn’t).
I need to phone both insulet and freestyle and report / replace. Will brave those calls next week.
Oh and as an update on the pump patches whatever stupid name they have, podpal, they do an okay job on holiday and I used them for the 2 beach applied pods after the first fell off and they both stayed in place. Went a horrid colour with sunscream so not the beach babe look I was going for and increase the patchy pod tan lines
but I would rate them now a 7/10. They do the job okay, bit peely and don’t feel or look nice but not useless as I first thought.
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