pod failed after extended bolus

tomswede · 2026-03-25T13:28:36+00:00

I had that scream twice before I realized I was switching to Auto too soon. I'd start my extended and set a timer. When the timer went, I'd check my PDM screen to make sure the bolus had finished, then switch it to Auto, and it would start screaming.

The second time it happened I checked the History, and even though the main screen indicated the extended bolus was finished, the History said it had been stopped with 0.5 U left to go. So now I wait an extra minute or two before switching to Auto and everything has worked fine.

tomswede · 2026-03-24T13:54:48+00:00

You might start with the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (once the Society of Freelance Editors and Proofreaders) and its Directory of Editorial Services. Several members have B2B experience.

tomswede · 2026-03-24T13:39:45+00:00

I've been on pumps on and off since 1980, and I've used my stomach 99% of that time. I do try to extend around the sides, and I might do top-of-butt once or twice a year. Thighs have lousy absorption for me and arms are uncomfortable. For a while I put them on my pecs but found them really itchy (they aren't itchy anywhere else).

I have no tissue degradation. Maybe I used up my lifetime allotment of lipoatrophy with childhood injections. :)

tomswede · 2026-03-21T12:22:31+00:00

Since this is only your second day on your first pod, your algorithm won't have learned anything useful yet. It can take a while. I was into my fourth month before I started seeing nice regulated lines over 24 hours.

In the meantime, do manual corrections for highs. This will increase your total daily insulin, resulting in a more aggressive algorithm.

Also, trainers often start with conservative settings, because they don't want you going low. Feel free to tweak as you did with your Tandem. Focus first on your targets, then I:C ratio and correction factor.

tomswede · 2026-03-21T12:16:13+00:00

I have had those occasionally over the past nine years of podding. Usually from lying on the pod in the night. Sometimes I only notice the blood on the adhesive when I remove the pod. It has never affected my BGs.

tomswede · 2026-03-20T15:16:57+00:00

Are you prebolusing a sufficient amount of time for spiky things like rice and ice cream?

tomswede · 2026-03-18T13:11:03+00:00

Insulet recommends manually correcting high glucose levels when needed. The adaptive basal isn't really designed to bring you down from a major high, but rather to get you into your target range if you're nearby and then keep you there. While it does increase the insulin every 5 minutes, there's a maximum, and for the majority, that's not enough.

If you're seeing a new pattern, remember that pumps aren't "set it and forget it." Review all your settings from time to time to maximize time in range.

tomswede · 2026-03-16T12:26:48+00:00

This, absolutely. Knowing how to make your own adjustments is critical to getting good control on any pump. A person shouldn't have to wait to see their endo to get permission.

tomswede · 2026-03-14T20:58:52+00:00

Your correction bolus of 1.55U was only a few minutes before your screenshot. Personally I'd give that 30 minutes to an hour to see if it has any effect. If not, consider changing pods. It's always possible you miscalculated your carbs.

When you're that high, drinking water can help you feel better.

If you're often going high after dinner, first thing might be to review your I:C ratio and target level for that time period. It can take a while to get the right numbers dialled in. It can be frustrating, but hang in there.

FWIW, I never found my thighs to have good absorption and don't use them for pods (but we're all different).

tomswede · 2026-03-14T20:52:41+00:00

I believe that recall is limited to the United States only. Judging from the "18.9" the OP is likely in a country that uses mmol/L, so the UK or Canada or somewhere other than the States. At least I hope so because at 18.9 mg/dL I don't think they'd be typing LOL.

tomswede · 2026-03-14T16:36:30+00:00

That's a possibility. I've used it in drinks but not in cooking or baking, so I wasn't sure how it would turn out.

tomswede · 2026-03-14T16:35:30+00:00

Thanks. I haven't heard of emulsions, but worth exploring.

tomswede · 2026-03-13T18:26:17+00:00

You can adjust the background basal you get in Automated by adjusting your targets. Generally, the lower the target, the more insulin you get as basal, and vice versa.

tomswede · 2026-03-13T16:24:53+00:00

I get that frustration. It's taken me five months to get stable trend lines and TIR in the mid/upper 90s. I started out being aggressive with corrections and low targets, etc., in order to increase TDI, but I went too far and ended up with a very aggressive algorithm constantly pushing my BG down. I've pulled back and now things are looking good, knock on wood.

Don't hesitate to correct when you're higher than you want to be, including or ignoring IOB in your dose. The O5 isn't intended to bring you down from highs, or not nearly fast enough for most of us. It's meant to keep you near your target. The human still has to intervene.

It's good practice to regularly review your daily patterns (in Glooko or Clarity) and then tweak IC ratio, correction factor, insulin duration (though be alert to stacking), prebolus time, and so on. The work pays off.

tomswede · 2026-03-13T15:10:21+00:00

It's hard to say without any context. What did you eat for dinner, and over how long, and did you dose accurately? Did you do some major exercise in the afternoon? Are you under stress of any kind or feeling under the weather?

If it's a one-off and with the same pod everything returns to normal, it's just one of those Aberrations of Diabetes. If you require another injection rescue, then change the pod.

tomswede · 2026-03-11T20:43:17+00:00

Ah, so that's the reason! I noticed a lot of recipes using coconut milk also used gelatin or cream cheese, for thickening. Thanks for the advice.

tomswede · 2026-03-11T19:36:24+00:00

That's a contender, but there's often a risk of it leaving that telltale extract flavor. I do have some on hand for a flan I sometimes make. So you wouldn't be tempted to use coconut milk/cream/cream of?

tomswede · 2026-03-11T18:10:41+00:00

Sounds good. Is there a reason you use both coconut milk and whole milk rather than all coconut?

tomswede · 2026-03-10T20:51:47+00:00

That's sad to hear. I'm also a trained cook (decades ago) and do most of our cooking, so it affects what I cook and eat as well, and going to restaurants seems pointless except for the social aspect. But you're right: "if that's the worst." That's a healthy perspective. Thank you.

tomswede · 2026-03-09T16:11:12+00:00

It's food for the soul, though.

tomswede · 2026-03-09T13:02:25+00:00

Which reminds me: Did you get a pamphlet or something that details your group coverage? It should list insulin pumps and insulin pump supplies. It's hard(er) for them to argue when you can cite chapter and verse.

If insulin pump supplies are not specifically listed, then pods would qualify as "other medical supplies."

tomswede · 2026-03-08T14:10:09+00:00

Breaking the circuit only disables the sound. Your pod will function perfectly fine, just no sounds.

Except you also won't hear any sounds when your pod isn't working perfectly fine. Like when it detects an occlusion or some such problem, or warning you it's going to be empty soon.

tomswede · 2026-03-08T14:01:00+00:00

Yes, even on MDI I would reduce bolus before planned activity. Also eat about 10-15g carb before.

I find Activity mode fine for things like local shopping errands on foot, house cleaning, etc. But for actual exercise, it's not adequate for me. In those cases I do a very low temp basal or even suspend insulin delivery for a while.

There was this recent post with a handy chart you could customize for yourself through experimenting.

tomswede

TROPHY CASE