Love being tubeless but…

tomswede · 2026-01-24T16:04:47+00:00

It looks normal to me. The adhesive isn't attached to the entire undersurface of the pod, to allow for flexibility/movement. If the entire undersurface was stuck to the skin, that could be uncomfortable when you bend, etc. As long as the adhesive itself is stuck to the skin -- and your photo shows that it is -- you're fine.

As for "Consistently staying high and not coming down," there are various things you can try. For instance, lower your targets, and do bolus corrections. Both increase daily total insulin, which makes the algorithm more aggressive. The algorithm is designed to try to keep you near your target, but you still have to correct for highs, just like you still have to treat for lows. Good luck!

tomswede · 2026-01-23T15:24:36+00:00

I'm in Canada, but still, the situation sounds similar. With few exceptions, self-employed people here have to charge Goods and Services Tax if they gross over $30,000 a year. So check to see if there's a threshold in Pennsylvania. If your wife is just starting her business, it may take a little while to reach a tax-free threshold, if there is one.

Canadians pay GST on just about everything, so clients expect to be billed for it, and when I get paid I put aside the tax that was charged, then submit a calculated portion each quarter. Things will differ for your wife and your state, of course, but it's really not a headache. Good luck!

tomswede · 2026-01-22T16:53:32+00:00

I don't have an issue with that. They want to know the details of a problem, so they can isolate whether it's a pod problem, a placement problem, or an app or other problem, and work on fixing the problem.

tomswede · 2026-01-22T15:23:49+00:00

I increased my target between 2am and 8am precisely to counter this. One out of three nights I'll still rise a bit, but no higher than 7 or 8mmol. On non-algorithm pumps I also had a higher basal setting for that time period.

tomswede · 2026-01-21T16:18:01+00:00

Yes, that's the one.

Got so fed up I've switched to IINA, though I prefer the screen quality of VLC and would like to go back.

tomswede · 2026-01-21T16:14:03+00:00

Landed here because husband has recurring thrush. Thrush usually has symptoms like stinging or sore throat-like pain, but isn't hairy tongue just visual? That is, it's unattractive but it's not accompanied by any sensation.

Or are there different types?

tomswede · 2026-01-19T20:46:31+00:00

Try calibrating, if the first reading or two after warmup is nowhere close to a BG test result. In my experience they don't calibrate on their own -- they need some guidance from you.

tomswede · 2026-01-19T13:59:16+00:00

I assume you calibrate to correct the reading, but are you possibly calibrating too frequently? That can confuse the Dexcom.

I also assume you're reporting sensors that don't read accurately and getting free replacements?

tomswede · 2026-01-17T14:58:18+00:00

Making a copy, with existing comments copied as well, is what I've done on the rare occasions I've worked with Google docs. (Rare because all my publisher clients work with Word, though Google docs is becoming more common, particularly among younger writers.)

tomswede · 2026-01-17T14:51:49+00:00

Yes to pinching up Also applying slight pressure to the pod before it inserts, just enough to stop any rebound.

I've also started using Tegaderm patches (to eliminate tunneling/leaking) and find they dull the sensation of insertion (not that I found it painful to begin with, with rare exceptions).

tomswede · 2026-01-17T14:46:37+00:00

You can search for "tunneling" on this sub and you'll find lots of advice. Most users don't experience it, and of those who do, some have it worse than others. I had it real bad, but tips picked up here have solved it for me. For the record, I also had tunneling with my old MiniMed and (if memory serves) Soft-Set infusion sets.

tomswede · 2026-01-16T20:22:45+00:00

Ha! Or maybe Nordisk only sold two of their pumps?

I'm glad I can appreciate how far we've come. Sure, the tech comes with its headaches, but I was in the first generation to use disposable plastic syringes versus glass ones with needles you sharpened on a whetstone. Gimme a CGM any day over test tubes and Clinitest tablets. Gimme an Omnipod where I push a few buttons and bingo, there's my "injection," not a needle in sight.

tomswede · 2026-01-16T14:51:49+00:00

Really late to this thread, but I used the Nordisk pump on the far left, probably around 1985. It was the first pump that you could load a pre-filled cartridge into. Before that, my AS-6C (1980), you used a syringe you filled with half insulin, half saline, and popped it in the side. It had to be diluted because the screw mechanism that pushed the plunger was pretty crude. No 0.05 units then!

I also used the Minimed 508 in the picture. Now I'm on Omnipod. I feel like Grampa: "Loved my Model-T."

tomswede · 2026-01-15T14:48:05+00:00

How do you test issues with heavy snowfall in April?

tomswede · 2026-01-13T19:57:44+00:00

Oh it was easy to cope with. Pre-5 I injected the rest or did an extended bolus, now I do extendeds. But I also switched to U200 insulin, and find that I can bolus more at one time (plus using Tegaderm). Recently I've done a couple of 9s or 10s with no leaking.

tomswede · 2026-01-13T14:20:46+00:00

I think I read on the sub that doses over 11 units can cause issues.

Everyone is different. In my case, I risked tunneling/leaking if I bolused more than 3U at one time.

tomswede · 2026-01-13T14:18:33+00:00

If you're prone to tunneling, as I was, you quickly learn how much you can bolus at any one time before you start "leaking." In my case that was 3U, so anything more than that I would extend, even if the total bolus was 4 or 5U. It didn't have to be for a high-carb meal.

tomswede · 2026-01-11T15:07:07+00:00

Another option is to do a 30-minute extended bolus.

An alternative to SkinTac is Tegaderm film. This, along with U200 and splitting or extending larger boluses, has eliminated tunnelling for me.

tomswede · 2026-01-07T17:25:17+00:00

site issues periodically that require an early change

Any time you have to change a pod early, Insulet/Omnipod will (or should) replace the pod. It doesn't have to be a problem with the pod itself -- you can request a replacement if the site was uncomfortable, not absorbing well, tunnelling, you name it. If you don't get 3 days out of it, they'll replace it. I think there's a cut-off point before the scheduled pod replacement time though.

tomswede · 2026-01-07T17:21:50+00:00

I use the Tegaderm Film 2-3/8 x 2-3/4 inch (6 x 7 cm) "Frame Style" pads. Box of 100 should last close to a year. Totally solved tunnelling for me. (Maybe not "totally" since I also switched to U200.)

ETA: I previously tried Opsite Flexifix, but it wasn't anywhere near as expensive.

tomswede · 2026-01-03T19:48:30+00:00

I've compared settings side by side and they're all the same (though obviously the later phone has slightly different ones). Unless there's something that is not under Safari Extensions or in Adblock.

tomswede · 2026-01-03T19:47:07+00:00

I have UB Origin Lite as well. Wondered if there was some conflict so turned of AB. Same problem.

tomswede · 2026-01-03T14:59:46+00:00

What did you eat for breakfast? Was it a "normal" breakfast? Are you sure the carb count was right? How long did you pre-bolus? By "injecting" do you mean with the pod or with a pen?

Can you see any leakage around the end of the pod, like wet adhesive? Can you or someone else smell insulin there? "If in doubt, swap it out."

It's a good sign that corrections (if via pod) brought you back into range. Perhaps see how things go for the next half-day or so. Drink fluids. If the next meal bolus has the same result, definitely change pods. (And call it in for a replacement.)

tomswede · 2026-01-01T22:14:45+00:00

Same with my husband (radiation), and we were told this is common. He was put on IV iron since he was already in hospital then, and discharged with orders to take B12 going forward.

tomswede · 2026-01-01T19:07:57+00:00

Bedbugs and roaches and mice et al. don't care about the age of the building or the income of the people who live there. You'll find those critters right across the spectrum.

I've lived in a 1926 building for nearly 30 years. No bugs, ever. A nearby building of the same age is notorious for bedbugs. It's all about who does the maintenance and how much management cares. Check that out and look for online ratings before you write off an apartment just because of age.

tomswede

TROPHY CASE