# Beware the dodgy cannula!



## Freddie99 (Sep 10, 2010)

Some advice for those pumpers out there. If you've got a high BG out of the blue check how the adhesive of your cannula feels. 

Tonight was a bit of a wierd one, I just had a 23.8 out of nowhere so I checked again and got the same result. I felt the adhesive. It was drenched in insulin, clearly the cannual had come out several hours earlier and now contained the eight units of correction I'd put in to take down the 23. I just feel tired and wound up. 

Let that be a lesson haha. I would have ended up in DKA had I not checked my blood and felt the adhesive. 

Yours groggily,

Tom


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## Sugarbum (Sep 10, 2010)

A worthy reminder....

I rarely seem to have canula problems luckily, I think because I have a large excess of subcutaneous fat to stick them in...but this week I couldnt get home form the pub quick enough to get a really painful cannula out. AGONY. Blood then came out. I didnt have highs, but oh my god- it was a killer.

Stupid thing was, I was thinking I had to persevere, thinking of supplies and really that is not the point. I was an idiot.

Bad luck though Tom with your cannula, for the adhesive to come loose is bloody unlucky.


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## Viki (Sep 12, 2010)

I think there may be something in the air. Woke up at 6.7 this morning, didnt feel well though and getting up was an unusual struggle, even for me, set change and left over pizza for lunch (tried and tested combo bolus to go with) but im now at 29.9 with ketones 

Just done a mega correction and will see what happens in half an hour, if its not come down then ill do another change.

I know you may all be asking why wait but set changes are becoming a bit of an issue for me and there are lots of other things it could be, so set change is a last resort for me right now.

In the meantime . . . eurgh


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## Northerner (Sep 12, 2010)

Viki said:


> I think there may be something in the air. Woke up at 6.7 this morning, didnt feel well though and getting up was an unusual struggle, even for me, set change and left over pizza for lunch (tried and tested combo bolus to go with) but im now at 29.9 with ketones
> 
> Just done a mega correction and will see what happens in half an hour, if its not come down then ill do another change.
> 
> ...



Hope all works out OK Viki.


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Sep 12, 2010)

*big hugs* Viki, hope you feel better soon


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## Cate (Sep 12, 2010)

Definitely something in the air!  I got caught out today, cannula failed sometime this afternoon, didn't pick it up till pre-dinner test (good job we eat early with the kids!)  Meter reading was "HI"  not had one of those for years 

Mega correction is working, but I feel like death warmed up right now.


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Sep 12, 2010)

jeebus you guys are really frightening me. I don't want any of my cannulas to fail on me


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## Sugarbum (Sep 12, 2010)

Oh definately something in the air...

Im sorry Viki and Cate and Tom- hope all the problems resolve soon. 

Hope too, the whopping correctional boluses having gone into a dip....seemingly I never learn and do the same ever time


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## Viki (Sep 13, 2010)

Mine was a bent cannula after all that, tried everything and only started to come down after a third mega bolus with a pen!

Spent hours testing and drinking waiting for the ketones to go. Didn't get to bed till about 3am. Needless to say I haven't been able to drag my bum out of bed today and I'm feeling extremely sorry myself.

Me and diabetes are officially not friends anymore.


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## bigpurpleduck (Sep 13, 2010)

SilentAssassin1642 said:


> jeebus you guys are really frightening me. I don't want any of my cannulas to fail on me



Don't panic! Everyone is different. I've been pumping for 14 months and in that time have only had cannula problems twice. If you check your BG often it's easy to spot before it gets too high. If in doubt, change the set. Also, there are loads of types of sets you can try if you find you're having regular problems.


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## Cate (Sep 13, 2010)

Sam I've been pumping for 6 years and that's only the 2nd cannula failure I've ever had!  Admittedly it was a doozy, but they're really not that frequent


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## Viki (Sep 13, 2010)

Cate said:


> Sam I've been pumping for 6 years and that's only the 2nd cannula failure I've ever had!  Admittedly it was a doozy, but they're really not that frequent



This is my first one too in 18 months of pumping. Its all experience, Ill trust my instinct next time and not wait so long before doubting the cannula!


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