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    • 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
      ConnieT1D62 likes your comment at
      Do you store your unopened insulin in the refrigerator?
      I keep my opened insulin in the refrigerator too. When traveling I use a FRIO evaporative pouch.
    • 1 hour, 8 minutes ago
      ConnieT1D62 likes your comment at
      Do you store your unopened insulin in the refrigerator?
      Sorry. Of course I store unopened in frig. Opened in my room as I use it up in 30 days
    • 1 hour, 9 minutes ago
      ConnieT1D62 likes your comment at
      Do you store your unopened insulin in the refrigerator?
      No, I keep it in the oven! ;) Same answer as the last time they asked this ridiculous question!
    • 1 hour, 51 minutes ago
      Becky Hertz likes your comment at
      Do you store your unopened insulin in the refrigerator?
      Unopened yes, and now even opened just in case. I am getting a new health [lan (thank goodness a much better one - with better doctors and hospitals in network!) so it's worth it. But I can't get any appt - even for a PCP until September. I've been occasionally buying out of pocket insulin, pump and CGM supplies (in my mind, hoarding is a character asset for T1D people). I need to have my enough stuff to see me through, Of course, I am hoping there''s an appt cancellation.
    • 3 hours, 14 minutes ago
      Bruce Schnitzler likes your comment at
      Do you store your unopened insulin in the refrigerator?
      Unopened yes, and now even opened just in case. I am getting a new health [lan (thank goodness a much better one - with better doctors and hospitals in network!) so it's worth it. But I can't get any appt - even for a PCP until September. I've been occasionally buying out of pocket insulin, pump and CGM supplies (in my mind, hoarding is a character asset for T1D people). I need to have my enough stuff to see me through, Of course, I am hoping there''s an appt cancellation.
    • 5 hours, 11 minutes ago
      alex likes your comment at
      Here’s What You Need to Know About the Dexcom G7
      This article explains the Dexcom G7 features in a clear and easy way, especially for people new to continuous glucose monitoring. Very informative and helpful. Sportzfy TV Download
    • 20 hours, 34 minutes ago
      KarenM6 likes your comment at
      Have you ever been told you couldn’t physically do something because you live with diabetes?
      Long time ago - told there were certain occupations I would not be allowed to do because if T1D. Pilot, air traffic controller, military, etc.
    • 20 hours, 36 minutes ago
      KarenM6 likes your comment at
      Has someone ever told you that you can’t eat something because you live with diabetes?
      I have been told many times "YOU CAN'T EAT THAT!" ONLY to frustrate them and eat it anyway and then bolus accordingly.
    • 20 hours, 37 minutes ago
      KarenM6 likes your comment at
      Has someone ever told you that you can’t eat something because you live with diabetes?
      I think it is a common experience for most people with T1D. People do not understand anything about it. I do not take it personally. I try to educate when appropriate.
    • 20 hours, 38 minutes ago
      KarenM6 likes your comment at
      Has someone ever told you that you can’t eat something because you live with diabetes?
      Lol hell when haven't they. Lol
    • 20 hours, 46 minutes ago
      KarenM6 likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      Being 4 years of age, I think I can be forgiven for not knowing much of anything at all. That was 3 quarters of a century ago. ⎛⎝( ` ᢍ ´ )⎠⎞
    • 22 hours, 38 minutes ago
      lis be likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      I was only 2 when Diagnosed 70 years ago. My small town doctor admitted he didn't know much about T1D, and fortune for my parents and I he called what is now Joslin Clinic, and they told him how much insulin to give me. He taught my parents, who then traveled over 350 miles to Boston, to learn about how to manage T1D. My doctor learned more about T1D, and was able to help 2 other young men, that were later DX with T1D in our small town. I went to Joslin until I turned 18 and returned to become a Joslin Medalist and participated in the research study, 20 years ago. Still go there for some care.
    • 22 hours, 39 minutes ago
      lis be likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      I was 7 when things changed in my home. My older brother was hospitalized for 2 weeks. When he came home, we no longer ate the way we had before. This was 1956. Dessert alternated between sugarless pudding or sugarless Jello. I learned that bread and potatoes had carbohydrates and that turned to sugar. There was a jar in the bathroom. It seemed my brother was testing his urine every time he went in there. There was a burner and pot on the stove designated for boiling syringes. I watched my brother give himself shots and I remember how hard it was to find someone to manage his care if my parents had to travel. Diabetic Forecast magazine came in the mail each month and there were meetings of the local diabetes association that my mother attended religiously. My brother got a kidney and pancreas transplant at age 60 and before he died lived for 5 years as a non-diabetic. A few years later I was diagnosed. Sorry he was not able to make use of today’s technology. I often wonder what he and my late parents would think about me, at age 66, being the only one in the family with type 1.
    • 22 hours, 41 minutes ago
      lis be likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      Being 4 years of age, I think I can be forgiven for not knowing much of anything at all. That was 3 quarters of a century ago. ⎛⎝( ` ᢍ ´ )⎠⎞
    • 1 day, 2 hours ago
      kilupx likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      My brother was type 1 since an early age. I was only diagnosed in my late 40s
    • 1 day, 4 hours ago
      Phyllis Biederman likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      Absolutely nothing. Diagnosed in late December 1962 at at the age of 8 years and was told I was going for a stay in hospital because I have "sugar diabetes".
    • 1 day, 5 hours ago
      Bill Williams likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      Being 4 years of age, I think I can be forgiven for not knowing much of anything at all. That was 3 quarters of a century ago. ⎛⎝( ` ᢍ ´ )⎠⎞
    • 1 day, 5 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      I was diagnosed in 1976 at the age of 18 while in college. One weekend, I was drinking a lot of water and peeing frequently. I remembered having read a Reader's Digest article on diabetes, and I told my friends I thought I might have it. Two days later, the diagnosis was confirmed.
    • 1 day, 5 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      Absolutely nothing. Diagnosed in late December 1962 at at the age of 8 years and was told I was going for a stay in hospital because I have "sugar diabetes".
    • 1 day, 5 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      I knew I couldn’t or shouldn’t have my two fav things in the world: Pepsi cola and chocolate. I was 42, and suspected very strongly that I had it, and ate a large piece of chocolate cake before my doctor’s appointment (sounds more like I was 12). Fast forward 25 years later: I never had a real cola again, but do occasionally have chocolate. I’m way healthier than I was back then in terms of diet. I no longer have irritable bowel, and I’m lucky to be able to afford what I need to combat the ill effects of this chronic disease. I’m blessed, and grateful for insulin.
    • 1 day, 5 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      It was 35 years ago for me. I had no experience with T1d. I was starting to show symptoms and my sister-in-law quickly researched T1d and told me what she found. I went to my GP a week or two later. My BG was over 600. He sent me to the hospital right away. Blood test confirmed it.
    • 1 day, 5 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      I only knew a little . That is why I give grace to others who do not know anything or have misconceptions.
    • 1 day, 6 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      Being 4 years of age, I think I can be forgiven for not knowing much of anything at all. That was 3 quarters of a century ago. ⎛⎝( ` ᢍ ´ )⎠⎞
    • 1 day, 6 hours ago
      KCR likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      I knew I couldn’t or shouldn’t have my two fav things in the world: Pepsi cola and chocolate. I was 42, and suspected very strongly that I had it, and ate a large piece of chocolate cake before my doctor’s appointment (sounds more like I was 12). Fast forward 25 years later: I never had a real cola again, but do occasionally have chocolate. I’m way healthier than I was back then in terms of diet. I no longer have irritable bowel, and I’m lucky to be able to afford what I need to combat the ill effects of this chronic disease. I’m blessed, and grateful for insulin.
    • 1 day, 6 hours ago
      Gary R. likes your comment at
      How much did you know about type 1 diabetes before you were diagnosed?
      Being 4 years of age, I think I can be forgiven for not knowing much of anything at all. That was 3 quarters of a century ago. ⎛⎝( ` ᢍ ´ )⎠⎞
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    Do you use overlay tapes on your diabetes devices to help them stick?

    Home > LC Polls > Do you use overlay tapes on your diabetes devices to help them stick?
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    For insulin pump/CGM users who wear dresses and skirts: How often do devices get in the way of your ability to comfortably wear dresses and skirts?

    Sarah Howard

    Sarah Howard has worked in the diabetes research field ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Marketing Manager at T1D Exchange.

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    40 Comments

    1. Carol Meares

      Always my Dexcom, sometimes my infusion set

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    2. Janice B

      For my Dexcom I use a skin barrier, then skin tac. That seems to help it stay on for the full 10 days. For the pump infusion site it depends on where I place it. on my thighs I need to use opsite flexifit tape and that helps it to stay on.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    3. Bob Durstenfeld

      The only time I use a cover tape is when I wear my infusion site on my thighs, the friction from my pants works it lose, the tegaderm protects it.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    4. William Bennett

      It’s a requirement for the Med. Guardian 3 sensors, one of the things that finally put me off of that system, because it’s not just a simple process, very badly designed if you’re at all fumble-fingered. With Dexcom I usually don’t have to, but they supply their own overtape that’s easy to apply even in awkward spots. In either case, though: Skin Tac is your friend.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    5. Kristen Schell

      My endo told me that Dexcom recently improved the stickiness of the G6 (September/October time frame). Prior to this change, I had to use an overlay every time to get close to saying on for 10 days. Now with the change, I am usually able to wear it for the whole 10 days without the overlay. I am unfortunately allergic to the new stickiness material so I have to use Flonase on the spot where I will insert the G6 or else it will begin to itch and be irritated within about 5 hours. The Flonase works great!

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    6. Clare Fishman

      Pods stick to me like glue. I have to pry them off after 80 hours. Dexcom sensors stick well for at least 10 days. If I re-start them sometimes the edges pull up so I secure it with the free patches Dexcom gives out.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    7. connie ker

      I learned the hard way with the Abbott Freestyle Libre 14 day. The sensor was coming off too early or simply falling off my arm when changing clothes or bathing. The transparent patches of clear tape have solved that problem and I’m glad I asked the the companies, Abbott and US Med, about this transparent tape. It is easy to remove and so is the sensor, plus it stays on for 14 days now. YEAH

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    8. john36m

      I add extra adhesives to my Dexcom, but never to my pump/infusion set

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    9. Amanda Barras

      I have to double tape my CGM but never have the need to tape down infusion set.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    10. Grey Gray

      Ditto cgm but not infusion sets.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    11. Britni Steingard

      I answered sometimes. It’s actually always for the CGM and occasionally for the pod.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    12. Chip Brookes

      Always use over patches on both Dexcom G6 and T-slim. Use Dexcom’s patch, Make my own for the T-slim from AREZA Transparent Adhesive Film Dressing. Very inexpensive for 100.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    13. jenn velez

      I always use dexcoms overlay tape for my sensors. For Tandem sites I only use IV3000 when using trusteel. I’ve had the needle come out too many times.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    14. Wayne Schwartz

      I always use extra tape on my Dexcom and infusion site. I am a big guy and bumping into things can tear them off. Also live in very tropical Southwest Florida so perspiration is also an issue not to mention swimming and salt water. Extra tape and patches are a must.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    15. Francisco Varea

      Just the tape that comes with the Guardian sensor.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    16. Maureen Helinski

      same as others. Always for G6 sensor-their overtape. Not for infusion sets except trusteel

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    17. Tina Roberts

      Always over my sensor and transmitter.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    18. Donald Stitt

      I use tape over the CGM only. I take my pump off to shower so I don’t tape over the infusion site…

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    19. cynthia jaworski

      Now that I have a better understanding of where to place it, my libre seldom detaches. The few times it has, it was always because I had scraped my arm against a doorway.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    20. lis be

      skin tack for my libre

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    21. Kristine Warmecke

      Never on my pump sites. If by overlay tapes you mean tegaderm hypersensitive, yes I place it UNDER my G6 , so it stays on for the full 10 days.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    22. Tom Caesar

      Hardly ever. Tried them for awhile but don’t have the need for frequent use.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    23. Sondra Mangan

      Always for Dexcom. Only for decoration on Omnipods.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    24. Mig Vascos

      Using Dexcom Overlay Patch for the CGM. Dexcom provides it for free. It’s easy to apply and protects the sensor for the entire duration. Surgical paper tape for the back end of the Tandem infusion set. It keeps it firmly in place for longer and makes it deliver the insulin more efficiently.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    25. Christina Trudo

      I answered sometimes but the real answer is “frequently”. I also use a skin prep wipe (tacky sort of stuff) to help avoid skin breakdown.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    26. Adrienne Hitch

      Always for my sensors, very rarely for infusion sets.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    27. Linda Murphy

      Skin Tack does the trick, no more tape.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    28. Molly Jones

      I rarely need any help in needing my devices stick. My “other” answer would be at the most, four times a year.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    29. Glenda Schuessler

      I use overlay patches for my Dexcom CGM but I find they are not needed for my pump infusion sets.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    30. Megan L

      I have to use Mastisol and that lovely tape that comes with the Medtronic 670g sensors to get it to stick. I’m okay with just skin prep wipes for my pump sites. Those sensors though… my goodness. Holy unlucky skin.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    31. Sarah Grobe

      I have to put duoderm under my sensor to prevent a rash. Nothing but that has worked and i use expression med overpatches to keep everything on.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    32. Christina Luby

      For my Medtronic CGM sensors I use simpatch on top of the. Overlay tapes

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    33. Melinda Lipe

      No overlays, just Skin Tac on my G6.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    34. Derek West

      I use overlays on the Medtronic sensor but none on my insulin insertion.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    35. Donald Cragun

      I use Skin-Tac when applying CGM sensors; not overlays.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    36. Janis Senungetuk

      I use the Dexcom overlay tape for the G6. So far I haven’t found it necessary to use anything for my Tandem Infusion sets.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    37. Lynn Green

      I have very sensitive skin and I’m limited on which tape I can use. I use the dexcom overlay for the dexcom sensor. The tape on the dexcom sensor starts to lift after a few days without the overlay. I use tegaderm for the t-slim true steel since no tape is provided. Without tape the tubing would get caught on something and the site would be pulled out.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    38. Nicholas Argento

      I rarely need to but used to. Now I use Skin-Tac on Dexcom and it rarely peels before the end of the 10 days. I don’t need tape for my pump sites, it sticks well for me unless a lot of sweating, then I just change it and start using Skin Tac as well. Skin Tac has been a game changer for me.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    39. Jodi Greenfield

      I put “other” because I have not tried the overlay products, but a friend of my husband’s uses the FreeStyle Libre CGM and was having the same trouble I was having with the new glue they switched to. Skin Tac adhesive, put on the site before insertion keeps the disc on there for 14 days! Now I have trouble removing it – like I did before they switched glue.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply
    40. Cheryl Seibert

      Both Medtronic and Tandem infusion site adhesives work well for me. However, the Dexcom G6 tape occasionally comes loose around the edges when I’m heavily exercising/working outside or on Day 9 and 10. I sparingly use the G6 overlay tape as it often causes welts.

      5 years ago Log in to Reply

    Do you use overlay tapes on your diabetes devices to help them stick? Cancel reply

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