The business of insertion and removal
Now for something a bit different. I'd like to write about the whole experience of putting the sensors in and taking them out. The former is mentioned occasionally, the latter I haven't seen anyone posting about. I think both of these are important to those of you considering buying the system (which you should do, no doubt about it, failed sensors or not).
Please note that I am writing this tongue-in-cheek. It really isn't bad, especially not considering the benefits.
Insertion: first of all, let me say that insertion is, oddly enough, easier than removal. I'll explain why later on, but the insertion process is fascinating. I won't go into the details, but you're essentially using an injector to push in an insulin needle at an angle that will then reside in your body. It pricks a bit for sure, but that goes away quickly. The process is as fool-proof as they could make it, but it can be a bit freaky because removing all the attachments requires you to jostle the inserted sensor around a lot. Why? well, attaching the sensor unit is easy enough, as is removing the safety tab and pushing the injector in. Then come three steps that require manual dexterity and some effort:
(1) pulling back the injector. In the commercials you see someone grabbing the pulling lever between two fingers, and simply compressing upwards, all the while smiling heavenly to the tune of an angelic orchestra. In real life it goes like this: you put it between your two fingers, and try to compress towards your thumb. You need to remember to pull up while pushing down but pull up more than push down, because otherwise, you'll feel the needle. Of course, don't pull too hard the other direction so as not to feel the needle pulling out... ouch. I swear I'd have pulled my liver out too if it wasn't for the adhesive. Then, you will realize that the lever action is two-step; it goes up, stops, and then you have to compress it again. Trust me, this thing is not smooth.
I think the psychological impact is the most difficult; I keep worrying I'm breaking the needle in my body, or bending it, or pulling it out, or a host of other imaginary stupidities that have nothing to do with reality.
(2) now wipe the sweat of worry off your face and concentrate. You need to squeeze those two little tabs at the bottom, then roll the injector forward. Easy to do - on a hard surface. Thing is, at least my body doesn't count as one. So you're gonna be squeezin' and pinchin' and turnin' and gruntin' but the darn injector just will not... move... forward. And when it finally does, it will do it in the middle of your darndest effort, which means it will be flying, which means you'll be pulling on the back side of the sensor and consequently angling the needle straight into your abdomen. At least in your thoughts, anyway.
(3) Now you have to put the transmitter in - easy - then break off the tab. Did you think you were worried about turning the sensor around too much? you ain't seen nuttin' yet. See, this little plastic tab is good at what it does, and what it does is be part of the bigger plastic unit. It really likes its little home. It doesn't want to go away. So you'll be sweating full of worry again until you hear the thing snap, because guess what, it's not a demo on a table, it's in your friggin' abdomen that all this is taking place.
Removal: so now you've had this little buddy in you for (I am assuming) 7-10 days. You've gone through the whole getting used to it period, the constantly touching it to make sure it's there period, the (I'm assuming again) bumping into things and suddenly remembering it's there period... and now it's time to take it off.
Thing is, in order for it to stick around like that, it has to stick. Know what I mean? Now this is a nice, solid adhesive. Just like the little plastic tab, it doesn't wanna leave home. here's a tip: never, ever, ever even consider putting it anywhere with hair.
Now get ready, because this is gonna hurt a lot more than the insertion. You need to peel this little sticky sucker off. The problem? it's attached to a needle that's inside your abdomen. I don't know about you, but keeping this in mind, the "quick peel" method simply doesn't appeal to me very much.
So I wanna be careful. To me that means peeling all around the sensor/unit first, then carefully removing the rest... which is still attached with that adhesive in the bottom. In other words, you don't get to peel the adhesive then carefully lift the unit out of your abdomen. Oh no. You peel around and then pull it off - hopefully at an angle that somewhat approximates the angle of the needle in your body.
I swear, the psychological pressure of this process is a killer.
So you've removed it? good. Now breath deeply, and wipe that sweat off your face...
It's time to insert another one.
Please note that I am writing this tongue-in-cheek. It really isn't bad, especially not considering the benefits.
Insertion: first of all, let me say that insertion is, oddly enough, easier than removal. I'll explain why later on, but the insertion process is fascinating. I won't go into the details, but you're essentially using an injector to push in an insulin needle at an angle that will then reside in your body. It pricks a bit for sure, but that goes away quickly. The process is as fool-proof as they could make it, but it can be a bit freaky because removing all the attachments requires you to jostle the inserted sensor around a lot. Why? well, attaching the sensor unit is easy enough, as is removing the safety tab and pushing the injector in. Then come three steps that require manual dexterity and some effort:
(1) pulling back the injector. In the commercials you see someone grabbing the pulling lever between two fingers, and simply compressing upwards, all the while smiling heavenly to the tune of an angelic orchestra. In real life it goes like this: you put it between your two fingers, and try to compress towards your thumb. You need to remember to pull up while pushing down but pull up more than push down, because otherwise, you'll feel the needle. Of course, don't pull too hard the other direction so as not to feel the needle pulling out... ouch. I swear I'd have pulled my liver out too if it wasn't for the adhesive. Then, you will realize that the lever action is two-step; it goes up, stops, and then you have to compress it again. Trust me, this thing is not smooth.
I think the psychological impact is the most difficult; I keep worrying I'm breaking the needle in my body, or bending it, or pulling it out, or a host of other imaginary stupidities that have nothing to do with reality.
(2) now wipe the sweat of worry off your face and concentrate. You need to squeeze those two little tabs at the bottom, then roll the injector forward. Easy to do - on a hard surface. Thing is, at least my body doesn't count as one. So you're gonna be squeezin' and pinchin' and turnin' and gruntin' but the darn injector just will not... move... forward. And when it finally does, it will do it in the middle of your darndest effort, which means it will be flying, which means you'll be pulling on the back side of the sensor and consequently angling the needle straight into your abdomen. At least in your thoughts, anyway.
(3) Now you have to put the transmitter in - easy - then break off the tab. Did you think you were worried about turning the sensor around too much? you ain't seen nuttin' yet. See, this little plastic tab is good at what it does, and what it does is be part of the bigger plastic unit. It really likes its little home. It doesn't want to go away. So you'll be sweating full of worry again until you hear the thing snap, because guess what, it's not a demo on a table, it's in your friggin' abdomen that all this is taking place.
Removal: so now you've had this little buddy in you for (I am assuming) 7-10 days. You've gone through the whole getting used to it period, the constantly touching it to make sure it's there period, the (I'm assuming again) bumping into things and suddenly remembering it's there period... and now it's time to take it off.
Thing is, in order for it to stick around like that, it has to stick. Know what I mean? Now this is a nice, solid adhesive. Just like the little plastic tab, it doesn't wanna leave home. here's a tip: never, ever, ever even consider putting it anywhere with hair.
Now get ready, because this is gonna hurt a lot more than the insertion. You need to peel this little sticky sucker off. The problem? it's attached to a needle that's inside your abdomen. I don't know about you, but keeping this in mind, the "quick peel" method simply doesn't appeal to me very much.
So I wanna be careful. To me that means peeling all around the sensor/unit first, then carefully removing the rest... which is still attached with that adhesive in the bottom. In other words, you don't get to peel the adhesive then carefully lift the unit out of your abdomen. Oh no. You peel around and then pull it off - hopefully at an angle that somewhat approximates the angle of the needle in your body.
I swear, the psychological pressure of this process is a killer.
So you've removed it? good. Now breath deeply, and wipe that sweat off your face...
It's time to insert another one.
posted by Blinkered at 12:31 PM
1 Comments:
Just be glad you didn't use the STS. Because the needle on the older one was a full gauge bigger and it was a bear. I really had to prepare myself to stick that one in.
If you're interested, I did publish a set of photos for the process of inserting an STS. I didn't update these for the SEVEN, since it's essentially the same process.
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