Omnipod 5 rotation

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Evergreen

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1.5 LADA
Hello everyone!

Just wondering what sights people use to rotate their pods (and still keep line of sight with the Dexcom). Do you have a system?

Also, how many sights do you tend to use and how many days should you leave a used sight to rest before reusing?

I’ve only just started on the omnipod and am due a change tomorrow. I’m currently using my stomach but a little worried about using other places on my body as I’m quite lean…can it hit muscle?!
 
I do not have the OmniPod but I have a different patch pump.
Like you, I am quite lean. I tend to just use my abdomen. I “rotate sites” by starting at my right hip and migrate across my body each pump change until I reach my left hip, turn the pump around and migrate back. I have two rows of five or six sites. I have been doing this for 5 years with no issues.
My pump does not use Dexcom but its own CGM. I do not need line of site and surprised you do when both Dexcom and OmniPod use Bluetooth. There is a minimum distance of around 6cm between pump and CGM to ensure they do not affect each other.
I usually locate my CGM on my upper torso between my ribs. I cannot put it too high because it will get in the way of my heart rate monitor in the gym.
 
Oh that’s interesting! Could I ask what patch pump you use? Is it similar size to the omnipod?

If you always use your stomach, does that mean you use below and above your belly button too? And over the ribs? The omnipod trainer said not to go over the ribs.

I also wondered for how long you would avoid previous used sights? I’m trying to come up with a bit of a ‘plan’ and wondering if 12 days rest might be ok (if no obvious damage of course)
 
Podder myself, in essence you can place pods where you would normally inject on mdi, I'm not lean but use stomach sides arms occasionally legs & sometimes chest, tend to leave used areas for few weeks to give them time to recover.
 
Evergreen said:
Oh that’s interesting! Could I ask what patch pump you use? Is it similar size to the omnipod?

If you always use your stomach, does that mean you use below and above your belly button too? And over the ribs? The omnipod trainer said not to go over the ribs.

I also wondered for how long you would avoid previous used sights? I’m trying to come up with a bit of a ‘plan’ and wondering if 12 days rest might be ok (if no obvious damage of course)
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I have. Medtrum. It is slightly smaller than the OmniPod.
I only use below the belly button. I avoid my waist area which is quite broad because my trousers have different waist heights.
I have never used the rib area because I have no fat there. I once tried to put a cannula in my hip bone and it was excruciating so bones with little padding are avoided.
I have used the area between my ribs occasionally but that is currently reserved for my CGM which has to be a minimum distance from the pump.
My arms are too muscley due to climbing and gym and my legs wouldn't work with some of my clothing (skinny jeans and leggings).
My sites are probably rested for 5 or 6 pump changes (about 15 to 18 days). Although I would be surprised if the cannula goes into exactly the same spot.
 
It is helpful to hear both experiences, thank you! I think I’m going to try my lower back and legs next and see how it goes.

A nurse told me when I was diagnosed to be careful injecting in the leg as it can speed up absorption when walking/being active. Is that right and should I be careful with the pump on my leg for that reason? I like to walk everywhere
 
It’s right in theory @Evergreen but I’ve never let it bother me and only really thought about it if I was, say, on a day’s hike. I use my thighs for my pump cannulas and have done for years. I’ve never had any issues. The only thing to think about is positioning to make sure it goes into fat.
 
Evergreen said:
A nurse told me when I was diagnosed to be careful injecting in the leg as it can speed up absorption when walking/being active. Is that right and should I be careful with the pump on my leg for that reason? I like to walk everywhere
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Nurse is not wrong, as walking increases blood flow it speeds up insulin absorption, same with arms if you've injected in there then go out to dig garden or similar.

Even injecting in stomach then taking shower straight after has same effect, as heat increases blood flow to area of injection so you have to be careful sometimes.
 
Evergreen said:
Thank you. I suppose I’m just going to have to give it a go and see what happens! It’s all a big learning curve isn’t it!
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It's smaller than you think. My daughter has been using Omnipod for a few years now and very rarely uses it anywhere but her stomach. There's a fair area you can use, switch orientation etc. By and large they work well and stay on. Exceptions tend to be things like hot tubs. If she is going to do something very active like a theme park she will pop some kinesiology tape over it for extra support. She wears her libre 3 on her left or right arm and we have no communication issues or reading issues.
 
I rotate mine legs, stomach, arms and bottom.
I find bottom best for when I am playing rugby so I do get annoyed if we have a match cancelled (twice recently) and I have just put on there.
I try to use next the site I haven’t used in the longest time. My legs work well when its on there, but do take longer to heal and I can only use the fronts as I have a lot of scar tissue everywhere else on my legs(pregnancy related) which doesn’t allow insulin absorption very well.
As I’m on the libre 2, that’s only arms so I might end up with two devices on one arm but I do try and heal the other arm for the 2 weeks until its swap over day for the libre.
I have swam, been on hot holidays, in and out of pools and played a lot of damp muddy rugby matches and never lost a device yet.
 
Does it absorb better in different places? I found Jo goes a bit high on the third day sometimes.
 
Yes, I have found my legs are more stubborn, at the start of the pod and last few hours, arms faster and belly most stable.
 
Tom1982 said:
Does it absorb better in different places? I found Jo goes a bit high on the third day sometimes.
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The absorption’s dreadful on my legs - it took a while for me to work out why I was going high all the time...if I use my thighs again, I’ll pre-bolus earlier than usual.
 
I’m pondering giving Omnipod 5 a go when my contract runs out in the Summer, and to be honest “where on earth do you put it” is my biggest concern (always has been with patch pumps). I’ve used sides and back for sites for years now, and it feels like I’d always be leaning on it, lying on it or sitting on it!

Time will tell if I do give it a go!
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
I’m pondering giving Omnipod 5 a go when my contract runs out in the Summer, and to be honest “where on earth do you put it” is my biggest concern (always has been with patch pumps). I’ve used sides and back for sites for years now, and it feels like I’d always be leaning on it, lying on it or sitting on it!

Time will tell if I do give it a go!
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For what it’s worth, Josie is 6 and spends most of her time climbing up things she shouldn’t be climbing, jumping around on the floor…. Or me, and running about at school and she literally doesn’t know she’s got it on. Brilliant bit of kit. I would also like to say how good Insulet are when something does go wrong. All-in-all they’ve definitely made diabetes easier in our household
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
I’m pondering giving Omnipod 5 a go when my contract runs out in the Summer, and to be honest “where on earth do you put it” is my biggest concern (always has been with patch pumps). I’ve used sides and back for sites for years now, and it feels like I’d always be leaning on it, lying on it or sitting on it!

Time will tell if I do give it a go!
Click to expand...
I mostly use backs of arms or tummy, and I can honestly say that once I attach the pod I completely forget where I put it. To the extent that I have to pat around to check where it is when changing the pod. I've never detached one accidentally e.g. by catching on a door frame, although I've thought I've come close.
 
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Bloden said:
The absorption’s dreadful on my legs - it took a while for me to work out why I was going high all the time...if I use my thighs again, I’ll pre-bolus earlier than usual.
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Do you find it gets worse as the days go on? It always seems to start okay then by day three, in certain locations, it’s not good at all.
 
m1dnc said:
I mostly use backs of arms or tummy, and I can honestly say that once I attach the pod I completely forget where I put it. To the extent that I have to pat around to check where it is when changing the pod. I've never detached one accidentally e.g. by catching on a door frame, although I've thought I've come close.
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Yeah backs of arms are my preferred sensor site, so I worry a little about site congestion there!
 
Tom1982 said:
Do you find it gets worse as the days go on? It always seems to start okay then by day three, in certain locations, it’s not good at all.
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No, not really. It’s pretty much the same every day.
 
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