Medtronic extended wear infusion set change. @medtronicdiabetesaus
InRange news!! **watch with sound on.
Online booking is finally available! Please get on to my website to check this out and feel free to book an appointment of any type! I've got more availability coming up as September opens and keen to get some days filled up! Let me know if you have any questions or if you'd like to chat before booking in!
I'm a Nurse Practitioner and Credentialled Diabetes Educator.
I specialise in TYPE 1 diabetes, have vast experience in the technology available and can help you out with getting on any of the systems or getting your current system upgraded! I can also help you to improve your current diabetes management if you are using injections and can support you to change medications if appropriate or discuss and support you to begin a path to insulin pump therapy.
I can finally reveal some super exciting news!! I am officially and technically a Nurse Practitioner and I am so beyond thrilled!! This has been in progress over the last 4 years and I am so pleased to have completed my masters degree and then to have applied for and gotten endorsement through AHPRA and then to have finally recieved my new provider numbers and my prescriber numbers (which I think is the pivotal point where it all truly felt really real!!). I'm still waiting on my prescription pads arriving so I got some through a very kind friend that was happy to help! Thank you to all the wonderful people that have supported me in my journey to get here, you know who you are and I cannot express my appreciation to you enough! You are some of the best in the diabetes nurse practitioner field and I am so blessed that you were happy to share your experiences and amazing knowledge with me and help me to get where I am now! Also to all of the people beyond nurse practitioners including my family, my colleagues, my friends and my clients that backed me and encouraged me through all of this. I couldn't have done it without you all!
For my clients, this is just icing on the cake for you! On top of the wonderful service you already get 😊, I can now offer a higher calliber of clinical evaluation and guidance as well as diagnostics within my scope, pathology and prescriptions!! These are exciting times my friends!
Grammy speach over! Have a fantastic day!
If you haven't already, update to Glooko. It is a great platform both for phone use and use on the computer and the data is equal to diasend. Diasend will no longer be available soon so it is important to get your glooko account created. If you are linked with a clinic try to use the same login and password.
Some clinics, like me, just use your own login and password to access your account so make the password generic if you are happy to like @Diabetes123. And shoot your clinician an email or message to let them know that you have changed over to glooko and what your login and password are. With your password and login, like with diasend, your clinician will be able to have eyes on your levels and your pumps activity and give you helpful information at your appointments or in between appointments if that is how you and they roll.
If you are using ypso pump and cam aps, when you go in to glooko you have to select "your devices" but all you need to tick is "CamAPS" and it will then be able to work with that and pull the pump and dex info.
If you are working with tslim or omnipod or libre or dexcom you will select both components.
Contact your pump supplier if you have any tech issues swapping over or if you have any questions about the new platform. Or post here and I'll do my best to answer!
Have a great day!
Check out the omnipod insertion speed and cannula with me!
Note: I know this is wasteful to not actually inserting it into me or someone but my pods are expired and I needed to be sure that they would still work.
Super easy preparation. The pod can hold a max of 200 units and a minimum of 85 units (units converts to mls 1:1). The pods should be changed every three days. The pods last for an absolute total of 80 hours. After that time it will beep incessantly at you until you deactivate with the pdm. If something has gone wrong and you can't deactivate with the pdm there is a bit on the back that you can break to stop the madness! I'll do another post on this as I didn't think it was possible and couldn't find the spot but I have found it now!
This is now subsidised by the NDSS in Aus. The total cost a month is $200. If you have private health insurance and don't have a current claim on an insulin pump private health will cover $168 per month of that cost. Like other pumps, you are tied into this subscription for four years. If you are currently still using and have another pump in warranty you can try out the pods anyway but you will be paying $200 a month. There is no minimum subscription time.
Let me know if you have any questions or are in Aus and want to try out the pod system!
Such a good delivery to recieve! @stripped.supply is slowly getting all listed ndss products on their order list but there are a lot of fantastic ones on there already. They started with the most used items!
They've been asked to get the insetts for ypsopump on there if anyone else is looking for them and they have responded positively so hopefully it's not too long before you can add the insetts to your order then you'll only need to go to the pharmacy for insulin!! How cool is that!
Have a fantastic afternoon!
OK ppl! Pay attention because i have just eased my diabetes burden even more and I wanted to let you in on how to do the same if you want to!
STRIPPED SUPPLY is set up by my new best friend, Ash. I don't even know her but I secretly love her. She is already taken by Tristan who has T1d but I reckon I can still have a major crush for what she is doing!
I do not like going to the pharmacy as much as I am needing to these days. One day I realise I am running out of dexcom sensors so I go there to put in an order. 2 days later I get a call to say they are in so I head in to get them. A week later I realise that i am running low on sets and reservoirs so I go back in or call up to order and again I am in there 2 days later after recieveing a phone call saying that they had arrived, but, only one box... then I get a call 2 weeks later saying the other box has arrived so back I go and I'm smart this time because I fill my script for insulin at the same time.. but that is already 3 to 5 times I have been to the pharmacy in 1 month!!! I don't appreciate it and I don't have the time to deal with it!
I have been debating a subscription to Stripped Supply for a little while but today while telling a client about it I made the jump and it felt so good. It's like a pressure is automatically lifted off my shoulders! It is a $12 a month subscription and $6 flat rate shipping but they take your ndss details and your Medicare details and they charge you the same price that you would get charged at the pharmacy for these supplies but it gets sent to your house!!! Hallelujah!!
The dexcom transmitter automatically gets sent every 90 days at no cost and the rest get sent every 60 days so I have ordered two boxes of dexcom sensors and when they get my infusion sets in I will order those as well.
Additionally you can manage your subscriptions so you can top up on test strip's this month and then skip that order for the next delivery. Or you can add in other things when you want.
Technology doesn't always work perfectly but chances are, when it's not working well the liklihood is that there are some behavioural or environmental elements that are throwing it off.
Today I am possibly the behavioural element. But even so, I can't help but think how lucky I am to have this system doing stuff in the background. Miraculously today I am still 75% InRange. I sort of started my weekend early in a way but here is the list of things that could be the reason for my roller coaster today:
1. My set is in the skin above my chest, maybe this spot has decided to be less insulin sensitive (though, last night and this morning was fine bg levels wise so this probably isn't the case.
2. My cgm is on my lower leg just above my ankle. Though every time I have tested it has been very accurate. I have been getting a lot of double arrows today 🤔. It has been a long time since I've seen those.
3. I had ice cream for afternoon tea and McDonald's for dinner because me and the kids played at the playground until quite late (had to take advantage of the sunny afternoon when we have had a whole week of rain)
3. Todays heat exascerbating my lows?
And it could just be a combination of all three. I can't decide which aspect to change first. Though I am strongly considering trialling first in my pump. Weekend with the kid food may just be the right time to take it for a spin!!
Why do I always wait until after I get into bed to pay attention to my reservoir alerts? The ypso pump is unique because the vials are glass so can be pre filled and wait in the fridge for when you need them or one in your bag as long as it is always under 30 degrees. I keep one in my set change kit in my handbag and the remainder in the fridge but these are also super simple to pack I'd you are going on a trip!
Last night I had gotten a low reservoir alert at dinner time but it wasn't until I got into bed that I raised I needed to do something about it because otherwise I would get woken in the night to change it. This took a quick two minutes and my pump was ready to go again.
As the reservoir is only 160 units I do usually have to change my reservoir in the middle of a set but it has never really bothered me at all. A handy feature of the cam APS phone app is that it will alert when it is time to change your set after three days.
Why do I always wait until after I get into bed to pay attention to my reservoir alerts? The ypso pump is unique because the vials are glass so can be pre filled and wait in the fridge for when you need them or one in your bag as long as it is always under 30 degrees. I keep one in my set change kit in my handbag and the remainder in the fridge but these are also super simple to pack I'd you are going on a trip!
Last night I had gotten a low reservoir alert at dinner time but it wasn't until I got into bed that I raised I needed to do something about it because otherwise I would get woken in the night to change it. This took a quick two minutes and my pump was ready to go again.
As the reservoir is only 160 units I do usually have to change my reservoir in the middle of a set but it has never really bothered me at all. A handy feature of the cam APS phone app is that it will alert when it is time to change your set after three days.
Dexcom cover and tape change this evening.. mostly because I feel like my dexcom is playing up... and even though this really isn't a solution it seems like the easiest way to try and fix it and I really really don't want my dex to be finished on day 6 so maybe my bg levels are just changing with great speed regularly today.. maybe, right!?
It's not normal for me that that would be happening although today is my first day of eating normal amounts of food after a couple days of feeling a bit unwell.. so maybe it's just my body and my looping system and my dexcom re calibrating to food. Let's hope so!
My tape was lifting at the bottom a bit so I pulled it off to check if the dexcom tape was wiggly too but it turns out it was form in place and not one edge was lifting so I rescue my dexcom cover (which I love) because, despite swimming, and very hot baths and showers and working up a sweat occasionally my dexcom tape stays as good as new.
Hopefully my systems do better tomorrow but I will be packing a spare sensor in my work bag just in case!
This is shockingly not as old as I thought it might have been.. meet the 'Pelican low pain landing device for diabetics'. This was developed in 2003. I'm not really sure what the uptake was on it because I have actually never seen one before but when I did see it I totally had to give it a try!!
Have you used one of these? Was this your go to lancing device? Let me know!!
Not as brutal as I thought it might be, the poke was actually quite gentle and effective. The only major negative is the size of the thing. This is bigger than any of our insulin pumps though possibly not as heavy. Cool to try it out but I'll take my fast clicks accu chek lancet any day in preference.
What lancet device do you use and why do you love it?
This is shockingly not as old as I thought it might have been.. meet the 'Pelican low pain landing device for diabetics'. This was developed in 2003. I'm not really sure what the uptake was on it because I have actually never seen one before but when I did see it I totally had to give it a try!!
Have you used one of these? Was this your go to lancing device? Let me know!!
Not as brutal as I thought it might be, the poke was actually quite gentle and effective. The only major negative is the size of the thing. This is bigger than any of our insulin pumps though possibly not as heavy. Cool to try it out but I'll take my fast clicks accu chek lancet any day in preference.
What lancet device do you use and why do you love it?
Ypso pump reservoir change. Because the ypso reservoir only holds 1.6ml's (160 units) of insulin it means I usually have to a quick reservoir change midway through my cannula length. The reservoirs are really cool as they are glass so you can pre fill them and keep them in the fridge or keep a couple in your go bag like I do!
As you can see, I kept the same set and line, I only changed the little reservoir, takes a maximum of 2 minutes when I am doing it without doing a video, it is super quick and super easy and not really a burden at all.
Let me know if you have any questions about my ypsopump, the smallest pump available on the market in Aus. All of the pumps have their own benefits and draw backs and there is one that is more right for you than another one. Right now, this little guy is right for me!
Ypso pump reservoir change. Because the ypso reservoir only holds 1.6ml's of insulin (160 units) of insulin it means I usually have to a quick reservoir change midway through my cannula length. The reservoirs are really cool as they are glass so you can pre fill them and keep them in the fridge or keep a couple in your go bag like I do!
As you can see, I kept the same set and line, I only changed the little reservoir, takes a maximum of 2 minutes when I am doing it without doing a video, it is super quick and super easy and not really a burden at all.
Let me know if you have any questions about my ypsopump, the smallest pump available on the market in Aus. All of the pumps have their own benefits and draw backs and there is one that is more right for you than another one. Right now, this little guy is right for me!
Dexcom covers! Why and how I use them and what they are helpful for!
Hit me up if you'd like me to send you one that's made local in NSW at a low cost. Otherwise, there are lots available from overseas if you search dexcom covers on ebay or etsy or other sites like that.
Have you used these before? Do you like?
Stroll through some screens of the Omnipod with me. Some short points about the pod:
* you have to have the PDM in order to deliver or stop insulin
* the pod is waterproof and stays on you 24/7 for 72 hours (once that time is reached it has an extra Max of 8 hours and then will beep incessantly until you deactivate it).
* it only uses a Teflon cannula
* each pod holds 200 units
* your first omnipod needs to be started by a certified omnipod trainer. See the omnipod website to see some of the certified trainers
* you only use one type of insulin when pumping or podding - usually novorapid
* approved sites for using are stomach, lower back, thighs and upper arm - I'm a rebel.
** if you are not podding/pumping already you need an endo, GP or nurse practitioner to be on board with you trying a pod. They need to approve your initial settings which your DE will work out.
** if you are currently pumping you can easily switch it over and try out a pod using the afore mentioned deal (just let me know and I can give you more details)
** if you are already a podder, call up omnipod to get 4 boxes of pods for the price of 2 (can only be claimed twice - available till oct 31st)!!
Let me know if you have questions!
Where do you keep your pump? Man or woman, the best place I can reccomend is in your pocket but with a small hole in the pocket so you can thread your line through the hole and then plug it onto your body. I didn't make this leap until a couple of years ago and I don't regret it. Yes all of my pockets have holes in them but it's totally worth it!
If you wear dresses and have issues with pump placements and accessability.. and you have pockets.. make the leap!
Dexcom covers! Have you tried these? Do you have a type that is your favourite? I have been using one that a lovely man I'm Young, NSW made for me very kindly when he became aware of my plight. This has been fantastic. I also just received these covers from the man that actually made these originally in Germany covermyG6 . The timing is perfect because the rock tape covering my slightly bigger cover things is getting super itchy so there is no time like now for a change! Watch me struggle! And check out these cool dexcom covers that allow me to change the tape if I desire and save the sensor and transmitter when said tape is becoming tacky looking! Tape is easily removed when I'm wearing these as the over tape is only stuck to the dexcom cover!
