MiniMed Soft Sets
I have gotten my samples of the soft sets and the inserter. I am going to
order them. I wasted 3 of them because I didn’t get any instructions and it
took me a while to get it right.
I am thinking of starting my infusion set at night but I don’t understand
the problems. I have severe dawn effect and waiting for the insulin to kick
in causes me to go very high. I thought that starting at night would stop
that problem. What if I started it in the evening, a couple of hours before
bed???
Catie
April 14th, 2003 at 4:07 pm
Catie,
One of the reasons I use the bent needle is to avoid the problem you cite. It
always works! Also, I use Humilog, which allows verification in a matter of an
hour or so.
David
Catie Andrews wrote:
April 15th, 2003 at 9:18 am
Hi Catie:
The idea behind starting during the day is to pick up highs so that they
don’t go higher. I know when my sugar is above 150 - for me, I get hot, my
pulse rate picks up ( over 180 b.g.), and I get sleepy.
I get the dawn phenomenon too, but it’s better to know that your site might
not be the best one so that you can relocate.
Might be an idea to ask your pump trainer for a variety of the different
infusion sets and see which ones are easier for you to insert. The soft sets
are nice, simply because of the inserter. But you might like the tenders
too, so it might be an idea to get comfortable starting out with what you
have, and once you get the hang of it, try something a bit different. Use
that pump trainer - he or she is there to be used as a resource, so take
advantage!
Also what type of insulin are you using? You have Regular which takes about
1 hour to kick in and can last about 4-6 hours and Humalog, which takes about
15 minutes and lasts about 1 hour.
You need to work this out with your endocrinologist and your diabetes
educator…they are supposed to be working with you as a team, so go with a
lot of questions. Sounds like you have a few.
I usually end up changing my sites in the evening too. Best time after
dinner bolus is in. I check my b.g.s every hour until bedtime, but my tattle
tales usually remind me faster. Scar tissue, or placing the cannula a bit
too deep can keep it from infusing correctly. I usually pinch the inch so I
know I’m in subcutaneous tissue and not close to muscle.
Might be an idea to get the "Pumping book" to help with the adjustment and
getting the kinks out. My budget is pretty tight right now, but I understand
from my pump trainer that it’s a great book - the pumpers bible.
Anyway, ideas. Back to pathophysiology. Nite, Joan:)
April 26th, 2003 at 1:41 am
Weren’t you instructed how to use by your Rep.??
fp
April 26th, 2003 at 9:49 am
The Pumping Book……?? where do you get that??
fp
April 26th, 2003 at 10:40 pm
The book I use is called Pumping Insulin by John Walsh, I think it is
available through Barnes and Noble, The Diabetic Mall, Or any online book
store.
April 28th, 2003 at 10:35 am
Thanks Frank I’ll try to get that. You mentioned you have increased your
basal in the early morning hours to prevent dawn syn. what increase did u
use? I’m currently @ 1.8 starting @ 3 am till 6 am. and most times still
higher than I’d like to be at 6:30 or so.
fp
April 29th, 2003 at 10:58 am
Whats the addy for the Diabetic Mall??
fp
May 1st, 2003 at 11:34 pm
Hi footprints:
Many of us get the"dawn phenomenon" where our bodies decide to dump a bit
more glucose into the system during the wee hours of the morning… but, its
far more complicated than that. You should be working with your diabetes
educator/pump trainer to get you levels fine tuned. It means doing your
fingersticks about 7 times per day…fasting, then before breakfast, 2 hours
after, then lunch, etc. and doing your carbohydrate counting so that you
know how many grams of CHO will raise your glucose just so much. The goal is
to get your basal levels adjusted so that you don’t have to bolus as much and
keep your glucose levels within the targeted range set by your CDE &
endocrinologist. You may have to increase your nighttime basals a bit more
than your daytime. That’s why its a good thing to get to know your CDE and
vice versa so that you work together as a team. There is the 1500 rule. ask
him/her about it and how to calculate your best basal levels….back to
homework, Joan:))
May 2nd, 2003 at 3:59 am
Thanks Joanie, the thing that really bugs me is all the other fasting
readings during the day are bang on where they should be except at 6 am.
my basals are: 12 midnite to 2 am =1.4; 2 am till 5 am =1.8; 6 am till 11
am =1.4; 11 am till 8 pm =1.2; 8 pm till midnite =1.4………I’ve been
considering raising the2 am to 5 am to 2.0. Any advise??
fp
May 2nd, 2003 at 3:49 pm
Hi fp:
your CDE should be telling you this, but what is your target range for
keeping your bg in what area? It would take you a week of getting up during
the night, or try doing it on a long weekend…to wake yourself up to get
your bg s during the night, then you’ll know when your sugars start to rise.
Its usually a good idea to increase your basals a couple of hours before the
rise starts so that this way you have a better idea of what you’re doing.
So, if you go to bed at 11 p and bedtime bg is done then, get up 2 or 3 a and
get a bg then. Makes the eyeballs very tired when I did it, but you get more
information for yourself and know how your body is running. You’re lucky you
don’t have to deal with the wonderful "period", which really makes us crazy,
right?, so count your blessings. Get the pumping book frank told you
about….I’m sending for it soon. Learning a whole lot each and every day.
Anyway, you might try raising your night time basals by 10 % and give it 3 -
4 days do see how your body adjusts. The diestronic doesn’t have a square
wave bolus like the minimed does, but you can set a temporary night time
basal that lasts for 12 hours. Check the manuals that came with the pump,
there’s information on setting temporary basals, start with the low end of 10
% and give it a couple of days….homework calls, later::::))))))JOan
May 2nd, 2003 at 8:14 pm
Thanks JOanie, you’re a real help. whats a CDE? ……….Diabetes
Educator? I ordered the book already from Amazon.com I find I learn
every day, the best tips come from those of us who are living through this
thing. The big thing to remember is that the pump is only a tool we need to
learn how to make it work best for us. Many thanks again, JOanie.
fp
May 4th, 2003 at 12:20 am
Heeellllooooo my dear:
yes, your diabetes educator should be a CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator.
I’m working toward getting there… have to finish the graduate school first,
so another 1 1/2 years!!! The training and testing are very stringent, have
to renew the certification every 5 years, sssssssooooooo that’s the deal,
later : )) Joan