Help! I did something stupid- pump question

Hi everyone,
So I'm a terrible mom and I realized that we left my son's pump inserter at a friend's house a few days ago. Of course I realized this AFTER he had taken off his catheter and showered, so when I went to go get everything ready for a new catheter it was total panic time. The friend's place is over an hour away and it's past bedtime here so I decided to try to insert it manually. The thing is, I think I did it right, but he said it didn't hurt, which is weird. It should hurt, right? This makes me think that it didn't go in correctly but of course there's no way of knowing this unless I take it out and start over. Does anyone else put catheters in without the inserter thingy? How do I know if it's in (other than waiting to see if he's at 500 in a couple of hours)???
Any help would be appreciated!
Melissa

 

Hmmm, unless he's feeling something scratching his skin, then I'd say the needle is in. We have never used an inserter. I guess you just have to test more often than usual, and not in two hours, to see if BGs are going up

Take a look at the site. Does the adhesive look like it's rounded, as if the needle is not all the way in?

Sorry, I can't be of much help.

ETA - which sets do you use, btw?

 

It's a medtronic. We've just always used the inserter that came with it. He says it feels fine, but we were both shocked that it didn't hurt going in. It looks fine to me from the outside, too. He just had pizza, garbanzo beans, a mandarin orange and a sugar-free ice cream cone, so I'm going to test now and see if it's a crazy number (he was 148 before dinner). Uggg. I just feel so bad.
Thanks for the reply.

 

What kind of set is it? Is it the quickset, 90 degrees? Or a slanted set? If it's the quickset and you just pushed it in and held it down and took out the needle, then I'm sure it's fine. It wouldn't have not gone in--I think he would have felt a poke or scratch if the needle didn't penetrate. And even with a 45 degree--and I have not used these but still--I don't see how you'd slide an angled set into the skin and not feel it yourself if it didn't go in.

BTW, isn't it funny how we worry even when things go right?

 

Exactly what you said- the quickset, so I just pushed it in then took out the needle.
Also, exactly what you said about being worried even when things go right! I just tested him and he's 178 which is an awesome post-meal number for us, so I think we're good. Now I need a medicinal glass of wine to calm my nerves.

 

lol--I know the feeling.

 

If it's a quick-set or a silhouette, I've inserted them both manually without issue. I'm guessing it's a quick-set, because you'd be able to see for sure that a sil had gone in.

Just check his BG regularly, but I'm sure it's fine. I did my first manual quick-set insertion on a day out with 500 BG and ketones from a set failure, and I was so angry with myself for forgetting the inserter, but it was fine, hurt less than normal and from then on I rarely bothered with the inserter.

 

Interesting! I've always put the inserter in the same category as the insulin and the pump, i.e., something we absolutely needed. If all goes well I may reconsider and have one less thing to worry about as a result of my screw-up. Life is funny.

 

funny thing. our CDE has T1 and is on quick sets and she mentioned this horrendous ordeal when she forgot her quick serter, had to try manual, it didn't work, had to get a lantus rx, etc. We had to do a few manual ones too and one went fine, the other didn't. We prefer to have the quick serter so ordered two back up ones. Expensive little boogers.

 

We use sils and we have never used the inserter that came with them. Inserting manually is easier and as you say, one less thing to have to keep up with. Great job on handling an unfamiliar situation like a pro!

 

Once we had to change site in the restaurant and I realized that I didn't have inserter in the car. So after 10 min arguing finally DD decided to put QuickSet without inserter. After that she never ever used inserter to insert again, always by hand. She says it hurts less.