You stick, Omnipod!

For some people, the only thing they need to do to prep their pod site is an alcohol wipe.

I think of these people as the lucky ones.

Perhaps Ella has more oil glands than others, but we've always had issues with making the pod stick.

So we've come up with a method.

It's evolved over time...and right now the current method is working well for the winter months.

I'm sure we'll have to switch it up when summer rolls around & she's swimming for 6 hours a day.

But until then, this works for us.

And since several of you have asked, here it is:

 

Cast of Characters

 

 

1. Omnipod & Insulin - for obvious reasons.

2. Goo Gone or De-Solv-It - for the removal of the old pod & sticky stuff. Smells better than Uni-solve & won't remove your furniture finish or nail polish. Plus you can pick it up at your local hardware store for less than $5.00. LOVE IT. Also has a million & one uses around the house.

3. Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream - the newest member of our cast. We love her. Ella used to develop nasty, itchy rashes under her pod and we tried EVERYTHING. Bard's Barrier Wipes, hydrocortisone cream, cortaid spray, hibacleanse... Nothing worked. As soon as we took the pod off, she would itch until she bled. No more with this little lady around. And for some reason it's helped the pod stick. So she gets bonus points. Ask your doctor if you want more information on it.

4. Buzzy - for pain distraction. Does it really work? Who knows. But we use it & she likes it.

5. Alcohol Wipes - to clean/prep site

6. A variety of sticky barriers - We use Skin-prep, Skin-Tac or Cavilon. Whatever works for you.

7. Hypafix tape - for reinforcement. Also useful when you run out of scotch tape & have to wrap a gift in a jiffy.

 

Steps

1. Alcohol wipe new site

2. Rub a small amount of triamcinolone acetonide cream to new site

3. Let cream soak in for 15 minutes. During this time, I usually deactive & remove (using Goo Gone or De-Solv-It) the old pod and prime the new pod.

4. Blot sticky barrier wipe on new site & let dry

5. Stick pod on new site, apply Buzzy and let 'er rip

6. Put a piece o Hypafix across entire pod to reinforce

 

The final product ends up looking likes this:

 

 

We're also big fans of arm or leg bands. You can order them through Bands4Life or Tallygear. We usually throw these on if she's not wearing something tight around her pod like leggings or a tight long-sleeve shirt. Ella says it makes it feel more secure. They come in all types of colors & patterns and are custom-made to fit. Here's a photo of Ella rocking a pink arm band to match her pink dress. Check out Livie's awesome pose.

 

 

 

In the summer months when she's in the water a lot, we use Flexible Sports Tape around the pod. It comes in all sorts of nifty colors so we can match it to her bathing suit. She doesn't like wearing this all the time because it's not as soft as the leg/arm bands. So we only use these when we need to. Here she is at a water park rockin' the purple Sports Tape.

 

 

Hope this helps. Happy sticking!