Tips from the Pros

* From George Lampitsi: Hi. I'm a 43 yo male from Sydney, Australia and have been using the pump subcutaneously for the past 22 yrs. It is good to read all the positive comments and tips on this page. My only tip, apart from an enthusiastic attitude in using the pump, is to bend the needle on the butterfly at about 90 degrees so that the wing can be taped flat on the body. I have been doing this since I started using Desferal (22 yrs) and have not had any problems with it. I am able to wear tight clothes over the needle site with out fear of it being bumped or dislodged. Unfortunately the 'thumbset' needles are not supplied to us because of the extra cost involved. I would be interested in any comments or questions. george_lampitsi@yahoo.com

* From Joanna Choy: I would like to congratulate all Desferal users out there on their hard work! A special thank you to all of our chelation experts who've submitted tips over the years - your advice is a great boon to the thalassemia and other transfused communities. Thanks for making this a useful and interactive website!

* From Grace Macri: I'm a Thalassemia Major patient from Australia and my tip would be to lie on top of a pillow when you are asleep making sure it is directly under the needle site. This helps with the discomfort, especially the pain of having the 24 hour balloon. Also, use an extention tube so you can put the pump on the floor and move around freely. Any other suggestions or querries email me. gracemacri@hotmail.com

* From Ann Dodson: To all you Australians out there, persuade your hospitals to switch to Thalaset needles. If New Zealand can afford them Australia certainly can. I have only been on chelation therapy for 2 months but I find these needles incredibly easy to use. Has anyone got detailed info. about the "microjet crono" syringe driver? They're very expensive and I am about to buy one but would like to be able to question someone who already uses it. annfrank@xtra.co.nz

Submit a tip!