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Thigh High

I’ve always been squeamish about trying alternate sites for my insulin pump. When Tiffany wrote about using her breasts back in 2005, I kind of shut down on the whole notion. Eeeeww! Just give me the belly and arms, thank you very much.

But now that I’m having issues with both skin irritation and lipodystrophy (overused infusion sites), I’m starting to eye the rest of my body for acceptable places to poke.

Insulet, the makers of my OmniPod pump, have been insisting for some time that the thigh is a nice option. My thoughts were: “Yeah, if you’re a guy, with no hair on your legs… or if you’re the type of person who never takes off their pants.” I don’t happen to fall into either category. So I can’t say what made me try it. Other than the combined facts that it’s been so hot, the skin on my belly is sore, and I want to wear sleeveless tops without a plastic chunk hanging off my arm. In short, desperation.

Well, after years of resistance, I now feel a bit like the big guy in Green Eggs and Ham:

Say!
I like the thigh (no glam)!
I do! I like it, Sam-I-am!

And these look just like my legs… NOT

The pod on my upper thigh is surprisingly comfortable. Of course it’s a little awkward in bathing suit season, but I’ve actually realized that this particular part of my body is almost always hidden — either by my swim cover-up, the pool water, or whatever outfit I’m wearing when not swimming. In cool weather, my husband and a few ladies in the gym locker room are the only people who’ll ever see it.

And changes in insulin absorption? I’m still experimenting to determine whether a few recent highs were just my usual mistakes, or some trouble with dosing through the legs. A leg-induced glucose high? In other words, a thigh high? Maybe…

Explore posts in the same categories: OmniPod-ing

Thursday, July 17th, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (15)

Comments

I’d be curious to know where you’re wearing it…I’ve tried putting my pod on my inner thigh, but I cross my legs a lot, and it gets in the way…Outer leg, I’d be scared of absorption problems because of muscle.

Okay, I’ve mentioned this another group…My CDE told me she has a patient who uses her labia. Yes, that’s right. I assume outer, rather than inner, and that she…uh…shaves first. (I personally wouldn’t try it unless the rest of my skin had fallen off.)
Posted by: elizabeth joy | July 17th, 2008 at 6:33 am
Wow, the more you and others blog about the OmniPod, the happier I am I don’t have one!
Posted by: meg | July 17th, 2008 at 7:15 am
I have been wearing my infusion sets almost exclusively on my thighs for the last few years and have enjoyed their “out of the way” placement.

(And funny - I had a “thigh highs” post, too!

http://sixuntilme.com/blog2/2007/11/thigh_highs_1.html)

Best of luck with the new site!
Posted by: Kerri. | July 17th, 2008 at 7:30 am
Funny, Kerri! I never saw yours. I like your photo better, too
Posted by: AmyT | July 17th, 2008 at 7:51 am
Can’t beat the leg lamp from A Christmas Story. Classic.
Posted by: Kerri. | July 17th, 2008 at 8:20 am
And she’s needling us with puns. Huzzah!
Posted by: Brian | July 17th, 2008 at 9:25 am
I’ve started using my thighs (upper) too (cozmo pump) and I am having good success. My hips needed a break! Only difficulty is sometimes snagging the site/tubing on my underwear in the bathroom…but then using care is always necessary!
Posted by: barbara | July 17th, 2008 at 10:42 am
I recall trying my thigh with alot of angst but after many posts by Kerri and a couple emails then some photos (still so sorry I sent those to you Kerri, lol) I gave it a shot.

It ROCKED! I LOVED IT!
Only reason I considered it, my stomach and upper buttocks had had enough. Enough.

The absorption was Amazing but I was not prepared for it. Duh me. I used to inject in my thigh ALL the time when I was a kid. Then stupidly would run around all day and play kick ball, not a good combo. I learned quick, “If you inject in the thigh, you will get low.” This was one of the angst reasons. But I went for it anyways.

I adjusted to the placement quickly but not the lower blood sugars. I went back to my stomach for the next site. Soon enough I experienced some hypo unawareness for the first time in over 23 years. Scared the crap out of me.

Saw my Endo after almost a month long stint of way too many lows and he questioned my decision with the thigh placement. I told him, I got low even AFTER I went back to my stomach.

Then I discovered I finally have something on my hips and I LOVE IT THERE! It makes me feel safe from serious lows but it SO gets in the way when I roll around trying to sleep. Or wear jeans.

I have an Animas 1250 and I am in love with the inset infusion set from unomedical.

I have “thigh sited” a couple more times and even with shorts. I really love not having the darn thing anywhere near my waistline. And thank goodness most of my jeans are stretch or maybe I stretched them, no wore them out? Any who…have not “thigh sited” in awhile. Those darn lows make me nervous. Oh, I did just above the inner thigh and outer once. About midway between hip and knee.

Hope all continues to go well for you Amy! Good luck and enjoy it! Sometimes the little things, the “new” things we try can be exciting. Hey, we gotta find the positive amongst the daily crap we endure, right?

Whoa long comment, sorry.
Posted by: CALpumper | July 17th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
I’ve had to use the upper thigh (anterior aspect) for a little over a year now (after using my abdomen for a lot of years, with fatty bumps developing) but have to be cautious of abnormal absorption because of less fat on my thighs (went from a 10mm to a 8mm infusion set) and ALWAYS cautious of the underwear thing (I’ve ripped more sites out than I would like to remember.)

I’ve noticed that the thigh sites seem to go bad quicker than the abdomen sites, as noted by unexplained highs towards the end of its useful life, and seen cannulas coming out bent (possibly from lying on the site?)

Aside from that, the thighs are a little more sensitive (i.e. painful) than the abdomen, but you do what must be done.
Posted by: Doug MacLeod | July 17th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I’m with Kerri, I LOOOOVE the upper outer thigh! I wish I had started using it sooner…. I’ve had an apendectomy and two c sections, so I have lots of scar tissue on my little belly and have had absorbtion problems in certain spots. The thighs are awesome… but I did notice I have to change the site a little more often on my legs. It gets that little red bump faster.

Thanks to diabetes I have pretty much given up on ever wearing a bikini without a tank and board shorts on over it, but hey…. could be worse! =)
Posted by: Windy | July 17th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
I was diagnosed 36 years ago this month. Back in the 1970’s and 1980’s, we injected primitive insulins (pork based, I believe) in our thighs. As a result of that, I have dents on the outside of BOTH thighs. I also have very muscular legs that (except for the dents) look very much like the ones in the photo - EXCEPT that I have very fair skin. I can’t tan - shucks!

When I wore the “Pods,” I tried using my thighs, but ended up with sky-high BG’s most of the time. Now that I’m using the MiniMed Paradigm 522, I have been told by both my endo. AND my pump trainer that I shouldn’t even attempt the thighs for insertion because of dents AND lots of muscle AND too little fat.
Posted by: June S | July 18th, 2008 at 5:55 am
Isn’t amazing how what we think other people think of ourselves limits our lives?
Posted by: fer | July 18th, 2008 at 6:33 am
Amy, I use my hips for my site and I love it. I get good absorption there, it’s comfortable and out of the way, and I don’t have to worry about any marks on my stomach! The only thing is, you have to be careful if you’re female and going to the bathroom in a hurry– you run the risk of pulling the site out if you take your pants down too quickly! LOL I don’t know if the hips would work for the Omnipod, but I like using them for my Minimed.
Posted by: Katie I. | July 18th, 2008 at 8:55 am
Love your site. My friend Miriam recommended it to me. 23 year old, 18 year diabetic here, going strong and long…

I have been using the Omnipod for a year in August, and I only wear it on my thighs. I tried my stomach at first, but seeing as I don’t have giant breast or a flat tummy, it was always protruding out and typically got riped off whenever I’d stand up from a seated position near a tables edge or anything like that…

Love wearing it on my thighs because:
I have a lot of room to move around the site.
No one sees it under my pants/skirts/dresses.
Skin is tighter on my legs than on my stomach or arms and therefore stays on better.
I can easily see if the canula was inserted properly or not.
ETC!!!
Posted by: Emily Bertman | July 18th, 2008 at 9:28 am
I use my tush without any problems at all. Maybe it’s because I’m male, but I have no problems with my underwear or my bikini. I use a Medtronic and have been injecting in one form or another for 40 years. As long as I alternated sites or body parts I have not had any problems with absorption or dents.
Posted by: Phil | July 18th, 2008 at 10:58 pm