Can a person be faulted for not wanting to stab herself in the butt with an infusion set? I think not. No, no person can be rightfully blamed for resistance to a needle in the ass. The butt is, well, sensitive in multiple ways. (Hmm, does that sentence win me a prize for Most Bizarre Blog Statement Ever? How about Most Obvious? Most Wow-Did-You-Really-Have-to-Write-That?)
So: I am faultless in my earnest wish to spare my derriere. Yet it is this very location that my CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator) has recommended for my next (that is, 1 hour from now) set change. Ack. It’s not unheard of in my very limited pumping experience. Cyberpal Jeff N. is a butt stabber (no offense, Jeff!) who fully endorses the practice. And the idea did come up when I first met with the CDE for training. Came up and was promptly dismissed by me. Very promptly.
The problem unfolds thusly: Being a skinny type, I have a little bit of discomfort with 9-mm infusion sets in the abdomen. But when I use the gentler 6-mm sets, I tend to wind up with a bent cannula (reference the gusher post below, ahem). So the CDE says that bending is more likely with the 6-mm. Hence she thinks the butt + a 9-mm set sounds ideal for me. Plenty of fat there!
There are so many things about this that suck so much that I don’t know where to begin. I am not ready for the butt stab.
Vi, I understand the, ahem, esthetics of your position, but the beauty of the butt is that there are not many nerve endings there. It's a great platform for insulin injections or infusion sites, if you stay on the high side. It'll probably be a lot more comfortable than your stomach.
ReplyDeleteHow about the side of your torso?(Where I have love handles.) This link, http://www.mysimplechoice.com/images/pic-ad-brooke.jpg, is obviously not a picture of me, but it's a good depiction of that location.
Good luck,
Jeff N. (the butt stabber)
Hi Violet,
ReplyDeleteThis is my biggest fear in considering the pump. I'm the skinny type myself, with the skin prone to infection from the slightest little scratch. Please keep us informed on how you solve this dilemma! (and thanks for the plug to my new diabetesmine.com blog)!
Cheers,
Amy