Wednesday, May 25, 2011

well.....update on the Inset30 infusion set

today was a "lazy" day.  i didn't do a whole lot.  i did have a little person here with me.  my 15mth old granddaughter.  she is a little sweetie.  she makes me laugh with the faces she makes.  my husband and my grandson went to visit our son, and do a little fishing.  so it was girls day!  no boys today! 
which really doesn't mean a lot!  the house got just as messy, and there was just as much noise.  this leads me to believe that perhaps it's not the boys that make all the mess!  however, we did have fun! and after yesterday morning, i needed some.  8-)

yesterday, was not such a fun day.  well it certainly didn't start fun.  it started "stupid" and will definately be on a "bloopers"  list someday in the future.
as i think i have mentioned before (probably 100 times!), i have recently started using an Animas Ping pump.  so far things have been pretty good.  i love how it tracks things, and i don't really have to do any math (other than carb counting which i can do sleeping!).  so i have tried a couple different infusion sets, and as i mentioned the other day, i was going to try the Inset30.  now i had read the book, and watched the little video.  i thought i had it all down pat. perhaps i was still a little sleepy.  i didn't think so.  i had driven my hubby to work, and left plenty of time before the grandkids arrived to do the site change, and even make a coffee! 
then Murphy arrived.  Murphy and i are not really close, and he always arrives when he is least wanted.  he really should call first and then i would tell him that i didn't have time for a visit from him!
so i disconnect from the pump.  i take out the old cartridge, and fill a new one.  all is good.  i rewind, i load cartridge, perfect.  i choose a new site and i begin the 'procedure'.  i am following the instructions in the book to a T.  i get to the part about insertion, and here i go.
 
"Position Inset30 with its legs level (flat) on the skin to ensure an insertion angle of 30`.  Make sure to maintain a 30` angle while inserting and gently squeeze once to insert Inset30."

and as i am doing this my eyes skip to the row of words above this one which reads "Immediately before insertion, carefully remove the needle protector.  Be sure the tape is not stuck on the introducer needle"

i look down and think "where is that little plastic shield?  is it in me??"  with that thought barely formed, i have ripped the Inset30 out of my body, and dropped it on the table.  there is now blood gushing out of me.  and why wouldn't there be?  there is a little tiny blue plastic bit stuck somewhere under my skin acting as a tube of some sort to assist in the gushing!!!!  grabbing kleenex, dabbing my wound (the needle on the Inset30 is HUGE!)  i begin to look for the little blue needle protector.  now you all know what i am talking about don't you?  i know you do.  on every single infusion set that i have used (totalling 3 different ones), there has been a little tiny blue plastic bit covering the needle. 
so i decide at this time (7:15am) to call Animas helpline.  oh, all their representatives are busy, please hold.  still holding 15min later, a woman comes on and says that i should leave my name and number and she would have someone call me back within 10 minutes.  okay fine. 
and so i wait.  and wait.   and wait.  my grandkids get dropped off every day at 7:45.  i am still waiting for a call.  i feed them breakfast, and i am still waiting.  teeth are brushed, still waiting.  finally after gettting them settled in front of the tv (bad gramma), i decide to attempt this again.  but before i do, i turn on my computer and watch the video.  AHA!!!  there is no little blue piece of plastic covering the needle!!!  there is a big blue piece of plastic and it basically falls off all by itself when you pull back the spring to load the device!!!! 
so now i go ahead and actually insert the Inset30, without too much panic, and without any major bleeding (none infact) and no pain!...i now can prime the tubing, and attach and prime the cannula, do a blood test (14.9 ~ a little stress?) and bolus for breakfast with a correction in there also!!

then the phone rings.  i had forgot Animas was going to phone back.  now i feel like a fool.  but i spoke with a very helpful lady, who apologized for taking sooo long to call back.  it seems that alot of the techs work from home and with the storms, they have no power, no phones, no internet.  this made me feel better in an odd way.  i told her about the stupid little blue cover, and how i thought it was stuck somewhere in my belly.  she did not laugh at me (at least while i was on the line), and she answered all my questions.  she was very helpful, and told me i was not the first, nor would i be the last to think they "had stuck a little blue plastic bit in my body".  good to know! 
i ordered some supplies, and decided to stay away from the Inset30.  not a big fan.  nor am i a fan of Murphy.  8-{

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