Sarah Howard
Sarah Howard (nee Tackett) has dedicated her career to supporting the T1D community 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.
Sarah and her husband live in NYC with their cat Gracie. In her spare time, she enjoys doing comedy, taking dance classes, visiting art museums, and exploring different neighborhoods in NYC.
I have only ever used the left side of my abdomen. The right side is reserved for my Dexcom.
I use my upper back between my shoulder blades. My pods fit there comfortably and I sleep on my back without issues.
Curious. Can you reach back there by yourself. I can’t even reach the back of my arms.
Lawrence S — me neither. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The abdomen is my preferred site. However, it is over used, so I move it around my belly and on my thighs.
I sleep on my sides so I cannot use the sides of my legs. I use the tops of my legs,/
I guess because mine has the tube, there aren’t many other places than my abdomen to put it. Wish it were possible, though!
Only abdomen. Bring a side sleeper, i find hard to use inserting it any other place.
Always wonder how it could be used on the arms if you’re connected to a tube unless you’re very sedentary and don’t lift your arms.
I tried infusing at the top of my thigh and is always cumbersome. When using the restroom it tangles with the underwear.
I don’t find it comfortable or practical anywhere else but the abdomen.
I rotate four places on each side of my body with my Omnipod – upper outside of thigh, hip, stomach and upper arms. Dexcom is normally on the upper arm so I put the pod on the under side of my arm in that situation. I am slender so finding spots with enough fat is sometimes difficult.
My preference is the back of my upper arms. However, I have to give that site a break now and then. Inside of thighs and outside of thighs both work. I have to be careful on outside, I have more than once pulled it off with my underwear. I have tried lower back a couple of times, but it is really hard to get it on there by yourself. Worked great though. I save abdomen for Dexcom. BTW, I have Omnipod.
I answered this question assuming that it is the infusion/pod site area. I use a Tandem pump and Varisoft or TruSteel infusion sets, 98% of the time on my abdomen. (Dex is very accurate for me on my upper thighs). I tried TruSteel on my thighs, it had good absorption but left bruises. I will probably be more adventurous with other locations for infusion sets as after 25 years of pumping I have some places on my abdomen that don’t seem to absorb as well as they used to. I do have to use a site where I am able to disconnect, so some areas of the body would be challenging for me.
Your experience sounds similar to mine. Trusteel left bruises everywhere I used it. Varisoft brought much improvement, but I can’t properly insert it on my arms, buttocks/lower back – there I use Autosoft. Where on your thighs did you have succes? I may try.
I use the tandem tslim. Unfortunately, my infusion sites get almost a day from arms, lower back, upper buttocks. My abdomen, upper and lower, I can usually get 1.5-2 days when I use the manual insertion (Varisoft). Never did I get 3 days on Tandem, nor Omnipod before that.
I don’t use an insulin pump
Ditto
The point for pump wearers with a cgm is finding rotation sites for both devices when previous injections (for 33+ yrs) have left scarred areas.
After developing lipodystrophy on my abdomen due to multiple daily injections there for the 1st 15-20 years I learned how important it is for rotating sites. I use both outer and inner thighs, buttocks and the area just above my waist where there is enough subcutaneous tissue, and after not using my abdomen for several years I’m grateful that I can now use a few areas of it with success.
I don’t use insulin pump
No option for so not use a pump?
I Only use abdmin
I Only use abdomin
I don’t use a pump
My favorite site for my pump infusion set is my lower back. But, I carea h it, so my wife graciously inserts it for me.
Lower abdomen mostly below the waistline. Never use my torso because I twist and turn and move my upper body in all kinds of ways that it does stay stable. Use the sides of upper thighs sometimes.
They forgot to add the choice of ‘I don’t use an insulin pump.’ That would be me.
I don’t use an insulin pump. This answer was not in one of the selections.
I would love to use my abdomen for my pump, but I got such bad lipoatrophy, I can no longer put anything there. So, I have the less effective sites now…
at least there’s somewhere to put it!! 🙂
I said abdomen, but skin is skin. Almost anywhere can work under the rigth circumstances.
I have only used the Abdomen area, however the Dex G7 will be on the market soon and that’s to be used under your arm like the Libre Free Style.
I have lots of areas that are filled with scar tissue that forces me to use other areas that I can use.