The 3 Day Dilemma

With wearing the pump I have found that sometimes I have a dilemma when it comes to infusion set changes.  I was taught to change the infusion set every 3 days and if it is sometime after a full three days that is alright.  Well in the process of taking longer for site changes to not waste insulin and to not go too long to avoid an infection I have come across my dilemma, what to do when the full three days is up at 8 pm.

What do I do? I go to bed generally around 10 pm so a site change at 8 pm is not bad because I test before bed anyways.  The issue comes in it is exactly three days form the last change which probably was about 3 days and 8 hours from the previous change.  As of 8 pm last night I had 39 units of insulin left in my pump, enough for another full day.  I inquired to the Facebook group of diabetics I am a part of and received a whole range of answers.  Granted everyone is different and their bodies react differently, but being only about a month into being on the pump I needed some guidance.

The advice that I received was basically the same from most.  3 Days and no more!  Although there was agreement it is OK to occasionally go over the three days but the risk of infection and scar tissue builds up.  Some have gone over three days but never four so at least from my small sample of pumpers I have a better idea what some of them do.

I decided to go overnight without changing the site as it was too much insulin to waste and for my cost of insulin of over $500 per three months I wasn't going to throw that much away.  When I woke up and tested I was 155 so all worked out this time.  I did my breakfast bolus, ate and then changed my site.  If I stay vigilant and get my amount used a little better under control I will be able to more precisely fill the reservoir to not waste or be in that predicament too often.

All of the Facebook group suggested filling the reservoir more to the average used for three days, which I am working on but being new and with the illness I had a little over a week ago it has been tough to calculate.  When you don't want to eat due to the illness and blood sugar readings are fine it makes it tough to find a true average as I was down around 20-25 units when some regular days I have ranged from 33-40 units a day.  This reservoir fill I went to my most recent 7 day average to see how I do and have lowered my fill from 160 down to 140 units.  Hopefully this way I won't have as much unused insulin after three days.