DD Hates Minilink

[swimmom]

Lauren really hates the insertion (hurts; I hate the serter too). She finds the area itchy (the tape that holds the sensor on is the worst; she changes the over tape pretty frequently). She just dreads the few days that we make her wear it.

It is a real struggle to get her to wear it. Is anyone else in the same boat?

[payam7777777]

Lauren really hates the insertion (hurts
do you use numbing cream?

[Kaylee's Mommy]

i really thought that Kaylee would have issues with wearing yet another site.. but she doesn't complain.. the ONLY time she complains is when I'm taking of the IV3000 (over the sensor part) and then we use a HUGE extra sticky bandaid over the transmitter.. both of which hurt when you take them off.. so I've started using remover and that seems to work really well.. still hurts a little bit but not to much.. she doesn't mind the insertion because we use emla, although if she gets a look at the needle she does tend to freak.. I have found changing it out while she's sleeping is definitely the easiest, by far.. she has no clue..

maybe let her have a few days off every couple of weeks, or when she's nice and steady (if that ever happens.. I know its hard for us.. ) and let her have a few days, or a week off..

[bkfkmc]

I would also suggest numbing cream as well. Also, do you use the IV 3000 that came with it? It causes irritation on a lot of people. We use Tegaderm and alot of people use Opsite Flexifix with better results. Some people also find it helpful to put some type of barrier under the transmitter. Some develop a rash underneath the transmitter. By using either a small piece of gauze, tegaderm, or paper tape, this seems to prevent skin irritation.

My son didn't like the orginal lollipop transmitter when the Real Time system was first available. Since the Minilink came out, he hasn't said much about it. The old transmitter was so bulky and cumbersome for and adult, much less a child. He thought the minilink was the coolest thing when we got it, he couldn't believe it all fit under one piece of Tegaderm. My son wears it continuously, but it did take us some time to find the combination that works for us (the right tape, etc.). Good luck.

[Mama2H]

We do the insertions while Hailey sleeps, she just freaks at the needle. Hailey used to complain about the itchy tape but that got better when we started using a barrier wipe and opsite flexifix instead of the IV3000. I am sorry she doesn't want to wear it.

I am a mean mom I guess. When we got the minilink I explained to Hailey that it is just like Insulin/shots/insertions/finger pokes we don't want to do them, they hurt but in doing them we are better able to treat her diabetes and keep her safe. Just like insulin and finger pokes are not optional, in our house the minilink is also mandatory. Now if you ask Hailey she loves the freedom that the minilink has given her, if I had not made wearing it mandatory in the begining she would not have stuck it out long enough to see the HUGE benifits it has given for her quality of life.

[Nana]

Where do you put the sensor? I really don't like the stomach, because it itches, but anywhere else i don't feel anything.

[thebestnest5]

We use numbing cream, always. Liv doesn't use numbing cream for her insulin sites, and once she told me to do that sensor site without numbing cream....never again...it was awful. She jumped, the needle bounced out, she was crying and traumatized. I felt awful for not insisting we use numbing cream. For a while after that she was so hesitant of sites, now she's OK.

[swimmom]

Thanks for all the advice. We do use numbing cream. I will try the barrier and different tape (we use IV3000). I have been trying to get her to use a different site (she uses tummy) and will show her these posts.

[Mom2Madi]

My daughter is 11, we got the Guardian last summer. She dosen't like the insertions but prefers to just do it w/out the numbing cream - just get it over with (but she does have a very high pain tolerance) so the site changes aren't the problem. She just really didn't like wearing the extra site (we've tried it in her stomach and she says it's hard to bend over and not comfortable and in her backside but her other site is there) or carrying the extra device (we don't pump with MM). We did 3 back to back rounds with CGMS summer/early fall. Then gave her a two month break. Then put it back on for 2 weeks. I plan to only use it every 3 or 4 mths to get info. She also has a lot of itching and redness with her site too. I think it's from the Opsite Flex tape. I put some IV 3000 underneath it and it was better.

So yes, we are in the same boat cuz she dosen't like it either.