THE STICKING PLACE
Stick it on, keep it on: how to keep
on-body diabetes tech stuck in place.
Summer means that the heat is on and
all the usual troubles with keeping your
kit in place can be exacerbated as the
temperatures rise. These bits of kit -
sensors, transmitters, infusion sets, pump
pods or pumps - are stuck to our skin
and skin is a living thing. It has natural
oils, hairs and needs to breathe, so it's no
surprise that keeping your kit on can be a
challenge at any point, but summertime
really can be a beach, as it were.
Sun, sea, sand, sweat. No wonder
you might need some plans in place to
keep you kit on. You are likely to need to
get totally plastered! Have spares always
about your person so when the edge of
your sensor or infusion set or pumps stars
to peel off, you can stick it back down.
Get it right from the start: put on more
plasters than advised in the hope that you
can make it through the week that your
sensor is due to stay in place.
You can also prep the area you are
placing your sensor or pump on by using
Skin Tac, very sticky stuff that comes
packaged as wipes. £20 for 50 wipes.
Available from funkypumpers.com
There are lots of things out there that
can assist with sticking bits in place and
keeping them there. IV3000 Transparent
Dressing is an adhesive film that could
be used to cover and protect sensors.
Made by Smith&Nephew. Micropore is
also handy, this well-known surgical tape
comes various sizes. Both are widely
available.
Then there are items adapted from the
sports arena. Step up Rock Tape, which
does what is says on the tin, as they say.
Stuck between a rock and a hard tape,
your on-body techie lumps and bumps will
certainly stay the course if you choose to
use this stuff.
A widely used brand (so sticky it can
even be used on horses, but not to stick
monitors on them), it comes in various
colours, as well as some decorated tapes
in designs. Choose from tattoo, tiger and
biohazard. For 5m of the tape it's £13.50
for 5cm wide, and £24.20 for 10cm wide.
The brand also does a specific pre-cut
diabetes monitor patches, currently only in
beige. £20 for 15 patches.
rocktape.co.uk