A week ...or so... ago .... while at the local pool...
I had met a POD Lady thanks to my friend's astute eye in detecting diabetes paraphernalia. Chairs and children were immediately navigated in order to make initial contact. I asked the said lady if her "device" was an Omnipod; she confirmed. I shared that my son was going to try out the POD in a few short days. That was about the extent of our first encounter.
A few days ago... again... at the local pool...
"I'm looking for the bulge...look for a bulge in her suit...I think that is POD Lady." ~ Me to Dave.
It was her, confirmed by the bulge. I, of course, made a bee line her way.
I updated her on Joe's POD start. She gave me a tip that she dries off her POD every 30 minutes or so, while swimming. I listened to her diagnosis story. She let me know that the insertion needle on the POD doesn't retract fully and can prick if the POD user bends the POD-ed area a certain way. During her diagnosis story, I immediately identified her "trigger" to beta-cell demise; a first she stated...that someone "got it". I asked her about a possible "over-ride" function to suspend the beeping alarm that the POD makes when it is time for a POD change. She stated there was no such function. I thanked her for putting up with me. She got it. She gets it. Her response was "it can be a lonely way of living."
I'm sure when she spots me in the future she will experience some sort of Cop Theme Song thought-feed with the lyrics of "POD Mom, POD Mom...whatcha gonna do? What ya gonna do when she comes for you?"
Onto the POD...
Joe loves it. He loves it for the freedom. He is currently taking a little Dexcom break to enjoy just living life with only the POD.
I am liking it as well. I like the built in glucometer that uses Freestyle test strips. The blood need is so minimal compared to the One Touch. I like seeing my son free from tubing and free from a fanny pack. I like seeing him "fit in". Of course he "fits in" in a social sort of way, but it is nice to see him look a little more like his peers. I know that probably is wrong to say, but it is truthful.
What I am not liking... first off I think I have an "over-ride" issue to add to all my issues. I don't like that I cannot just change the I:C carb ratio during a bolus. There are times that Joe may eat breakfast a little late (his breakfast ratio runs in the range of a 1:10 to a 1:12). His morning snack ratio is a 1:60. With the Ping I could just alter the I:C ratio before giving the bolus and the pump would re-calculate the bolus for me. With the POD, I have to calculate out the bolus with ... like ... using MATH.
The other issue... ADHESION...
The POD adheres remarkably well (see video), except when Joe swims. We almost went through two PODs in one day, due to swimming. The second site was saved by a very~still~Joe and IV 3000. Any suggestions for adhesion and swimming? Torbot Skin Tac? Mastisol? Hollister Medical Adhesive?
A day-in-the-life of being a POD mom.
5 comments:
We started the pod last August so only had a short time with the pod and swimming. It came off in the pool a couple times and was very frustrating. What I figured out was we had put the pod on before going swimming rather than doing the pod change after swimming. For Natalie we have to work it where the pod change is AFTER swimming. We also had issues with the tape coming up on the cannula side only when on her buns. So we have the liquid bottle of Skin Tac and I use a q tip with skin tac and go along the TOP of the tape just when on her bottom. We haven't had any issues since and it sticks very well when on her legs and she swims....without anything extra. Only difference is the timing of when we placed the pod on her...and maybe new user error!
I place a strip of Hypafix tape over my pod. With the Hypafix, it has never come off in the water.
I am wondering if some of the "fixes" as what we use for the CGM would work, lately we have to put IV300 under the CGM and then we put athletic tape around it on his arm when he goes swimming. This has actually made a sensor last longer than I'd like to admit :)
Check out website for Bands 4 Life run by an omnipod mom. These custom made band really hold pods snug and secure for sports and swimming. They are quick dry and come in great patterns. My daughter always wears this swimming and for all sports practice. We have both arm and leg bands. Really prevents those edges from lifting up.
Anxiously awaiting skin tac and gonna order a band 4 life! Thanks so much guys.
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