Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Bad sites

I think that my site has suddenly gone bad.

I changed sites yesterday morning, and had no problems all day. I even woke up this morning with a spectacular fasting blood sugar of 4.7 (85). But within an hour, it climbed to 8.0 (144), and my blood sugar has been increasing steadily throughout the day. I just tested, and right now it is 15.7 (283). I took a correction bolus and I'm crossing my fingers that it comes down.

Anyway, my question is: At what point do you usually decide that you have a bad site and change it?

Honestly, sometimes I'll try to ride one out for as long as possible. Sometimes, it seems that I'm still getting insulin, it just isn't all absorbing. So if the corrections are working, I'll continue correcting as necessary for the life of the site (i.e., until the insulin reservoir runs out). Or I'll increase my temp basal to like 150%.

(Of course, these methods do not work if the cannula has become completely dislodged.)

Infusion sets are too damn expensive to waste. And my insurance is pretty strict about me ordering any more than 10 sets a month.

The decision whether or not to change out a sluggish site is always a struggle for me.

4 comments:

Scott K. Johnson said...

I've not had many problems with sites, so it's not a decision I have to make often.

But, if my blood sugar refuses to come down by taking insulin via the pump & infusion site, but comes down normally with an old fashioned injection, I know the site (or the insulin in the cartridge) is the problem.

A process of elimination to help determine if the site is bad or I'm just having stubborn highs.

Anonymous said...

My completely unmathematical and illogical reasoning is that if I have a series of high readings that reaches over 300 - the set comes out.

Bernard said...

My answer is that I never do it soon enough.

Like Scott I don't have too many problems. And when I do get recurrent highs I sometimes continue to bolus to try and get them down. Then (sometimes after 3+ hours) I suddenly go "I should change the set (dope slap)".

Anonymous said...

I agree with Bernard, it's always a couple of hours after I should have that I finally give in and change the site. Sometimes, the best bet is probably just to go ahead and change it .... and save yourself from not feeling good from the highs ...