Inventory Issues
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 10:20AM Recently my insulin intake has shot up, considerably. I know most of the need comes from my weight. Being overweight can make you more insulin resistant which I can tell is happening to me right now. So with that, my reservoirs need to changed about every 2 days. Sometimes 2 and a half but typically 2 days is all I can get out of them.
Since I am not a fan of sticking needles in me, I don’t change my infusion set every time I refill my reservoir. I actually change it after two refills.
So doing the math, in 5 days I have gone through 1 set and 2 reservoirs. 30 days in a month, 6 - 10 sets, 15 reservoirs!
As you may have guessed this practice is catching up to me. I now am down to my last box of reservoirs and I have several infusion set boxes still unopened. Way too many to be honest.
I called Minimed yesterday to order some more reservoirs that I figure I will just pay out of pocket for and I was told that my automatic order already shipped! So today I am going to get more reservoirs (awesome) and more sets (not so awesome).
Should I send them back? Do I just hoard them? Insurance pays for my sets so it’s not coming out of my pocket. Should I have them change the ratio of sets to reservoirs or is that something my doctor has to change?
I would love your advice on this or if you have experienced anything like this. (And if not, maybe I can help out a PWD who is in need of Quik sets, lemme know.)
Reader Comments (8)
It's funny- I've got an imbalance, too. I tend to just hoard since they last forever (and heaven forbid you drop a needle on the floor or whatever and need a backup you don't have). Insulin's another story, though. I have too many bottles of backup Lantus on hand, and feel guilty every time I see them in the crisper. I'd love to help out NYC PWDs in need, too...
To be honest, I would keep them. Reason being is because you're going to need them sooner or later. It's not like you're switching pumps and won't ever need them or be able to use them. You could just call and see if the doc will re-write your script so that MM will send you more reservoirs.
You aren't switching pumps like me (OmniPod to Animas PIng), so will eventually need those sets.
I'd change the ratio of sets/reservoirs. Once upon a time, one pump company (could have been my first pump, so maybe it was disetronic?) sold a reservoir/set pack with the opposite ratio (for people like me who didn't change their site often enough).
At the end of 5 years on a minimed pump, I had a closet full of extra supplies which were a pain, but came in handy for a friend who had the same pump, but no insurance. Also, don't blame yourself for low supplies and punish yourself by paying out of pocket, silly! I've done this a lot, but am trying to remind myself - You need what you need, insurance should cover that.
Send them back and get some Sure-Ts to take their place. Sorry, I am like a dog with a bone on this one! :P
Hi George, I am new T1 PWD (well... 6 years isn't that new I guess...) But you use a lot of lingo I am not familiar with. I assume you use a Pump?? Can you help educate me :-) I am not sure if the methods of treatment are so different in Canada or if I really do have horrible medical practicioners... But on Twitter you guys are all speaking Greek to me :p as are most blogs I read. K
Funnily enough I have the opposite problem. A reservoir usually lasts me 8-9 days, so I usually get through more sets (notice I say usually - that is given my 5-6-7 day infusion set marathons of late... oooops!). The thing that really gets me is that I don't change the tubing unless I change the reservoir, so I throw an awful lot of tubing away! Only silhouettes come with tubing free sets in the box, but I digress.
I'd probably keep the ones you have, as long as they have reasonable expiration dates. It's good to have back up in case of problems. But it may be worth trying to change the ratio for future. Being the naughty diabetic that I am, my other suggestion is to re-use some reservoirs. But you probably shouldn't do that... and neither should I. Oooops, again!
I tend to be a hoarder and a helper.
Okay, here's the deal. You hoard those suckers, because what if there was a zombie apocolypse???? You can't just break into the Minimed Dome and into their warehouses! O.O Imagine, the horrible zombies are after you and you're stuck in a random warehouse that happens to be supplied with food! There won't be any infusion sets handy there, and if you make a run for it from your house to the warehouse, you can have boxes and boxes of extra infusion sets. :) So, you'll be prepared for anything.
http://artaban7.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/zombies.jpg
Just look at those zombies.... I don't think I would make it, despite my well stocked cabinet..but... you're a ninja, so you probably don't have to worry about the zombies as much. :P