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Permalink Reply by Carly on July 7, 2008 at 3:13pm

Hi Jenine- I have definitely had unexplainable highs after changing pods and had to start a new one, a few times this week actually. I don't necessarily think it is due to pod malfunction though- it seems to occur for me when I place the pod in a 'risky' spot like my lower back or too far back on my shoulder. It seems like there are spots on the body that do not absorb the insulin well- or even where there amy be scar tissue from shots or pumps. This might not be the case for you, but just something to consider.

Also, my nurse educator gave me this as the golden rule for pumping (Omnipod or not): If your blood sugar is unexplainably high (over 250) for two consecutive tests, change your site. This means if it doesn't go down after the first correction, within a reasonable time frame. It sucks that pumps and pods can't be totally reliable, but I remember times with injections that insulin would seem to leak out from the injection site! So unfortunately for us, there is no perfect solution yet. I hope you figure out what is best for you and baby!

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Permalink Reply by Jenine on July 7, 2008 at 5:42pm

Carly,

Thank you so much for your response! I really have been so lucky to have had so many people helping out! I actually called insulet and they are recalling all of the pods I have left and sending me two brand new boxes. At least this way we will be able to tell if its me or the pods! I definately think its the pods though! Just yesterday I had one just die on me while it was working for 2 days. Then it made that horrible beeping noise. Anyway, I do hear what you are saying. I actually am only wearing my pod on my arms right now. My Dr. felt that this would be the best thing for me as changing location can make control a little complicated. So far, I have had the best results with my arms (when the pods work :) While its not the most ideal location since its the most visible, I don't really mind it much. I did finally hear back from the Dr. about the highs with the pregnancy and they said as long as I am controled most of the time, it should not hurt the baby. Thanks again for your help!

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Permalink Reply by BPM on July 9, 2008 at 11:35am

Hey Jenine
When I went on the pod last summer I had the same frustrations. For some reason my sugars were terrible! I also got on the pod to plan for pregnancy and found my A1C actually went up from a nice 6.4 to a 7.5! Talk about being irked. In my case, I actually think it had more to do with my educators and doctor not being "proactive" enough for my taste. They would look at my numbers which were high but really didn't adjust a lot of the basals or corrections. Now, granted I did have a time with some of the pods just not liking the sites and that for sure would run the numbers up. I had a lot that failed and a lot that didn't seem to take. I am happy to report though, that I have found a new doctor and a great CDE that are always on top of my numbers and don't play a "wait and see" what happens game. I am much more empowered to make adjustments as I see fit and I am 4 months pregnant with our first and my A1C is 6.2. I am trying to get it lower (always) but pretty safe for the baby. I swim and run/walk so I have a lot of lows so I keep my numbers slightly higher for that reason.
Are you pregnant now? My doctor says that yes, it is the overall average that they aim for but I know it is nerve racking when you see those high numbers. One or two highs are not going to hurt the baby. Good luck and I hope you start seeing the results you expect (and deserve) soon!

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