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Ow! Renewed Respect For Diabetics!

penguin

By penguin
in Related Issues & Disorders

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penguin Community Regular
penguin
Posted

I'm not diabetic, just rective hypoglycemic. I finally broke down and bought a glucose monitor....

AND OUCH!!!

It took four friggin' tries to get enough flippin blood to test! And I bought the teeny tiny amount monitor too...

I guess I was too cold to bleed, but two tries were after rubbing my hands together, washing with hot water, and clapping.

I don't know how y'all can handle testing several times a day...

I commend you :)

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jenvan Collaborator
jenvan
Posted
I'm not diabetic, just rective hypoglycemic. I finally broke down and bought a glucose monitor....

AND OUCH!!!

It took four friggin' tries to get enough flippin blood to test! And I bought the teeny tiny amount monitor too...

I guess I was too cold to bleed, but two tries were after rubbing my hands together, washing with hot water, and clapping.

I don't know how y'all can handle testing several times a day...

I commend you :)

It does hurt and the fingers get sore! However, the monitor I have works great -- easier and with less pain. I have a Freestyle.

VydorScope Proficient
VydorScope
Posted
I'm not diabetic, just rective hypoglycemic. I finally broke down and bought a glucose monitor....

AND OUCH!!!

It took four friggin' tries to get enough flippin blood to test! And I bought the teeny tiny amount monitor too...

I guess I was too cold to bleed, but two tries were after rubbing my hands together, washing with hot water, and clapping.

I don't know how y'all can handle testing several times a day...

I commend you :)

I dunno what you got there but I had a hard time with mine till I realize you were to press the needle gun against your finger frimly before shooting it. Was much easier to get the blood out then.

And yes it hurts. :)

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

Yeah, I'm glad I've been easily able to control it with diet, because I *hate* the finger stick test part of donating blood. Almost worse than all the rest of it, and I'm not a big fan of the rest of it either.

VydorScope Proficient
VydorScope
Posted
Yeah, I'm glad I've been easily able to control it with diet, because I *hate* the finger stick test part of donating blood. Almost worse than all the rest of it, and I'm not a big fan of the rest of it either.

No kidding!

But the worst is when I have to go in for my heart screening, andhte take some blood out, put a radioactive dye in and and PUT IT BACK IN. OMG that is the weirdest feeling having cold blood getting put in your viens. :huh:

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted
No kidding!

But the worst is when I have to go in for my heart screening, andhte take some blood out, put a radioactive dye in and and PUT IT BACK IN. OMG that is the weirdest feeling having cold blood getting put in your viens. :huh:

Valium in an IV was certainly unpleasant. (That was for a closed MRI of my lower back - I'm claustrophobic, and needed the valium and a blindfold, and still had to work at not freaking out.) That stuff burns like HECK all up your arm and shoulder. OOOOooo, it was UNpleasant having that put in a vein. Having IV's taken out kinda sucks a lot anyway, when the vein shudders (it did that for the IV that had been put in the back of my hand when I had a (suspected) kidney or gall stone).

Let's all just keep our veins intact and our blood where it belongs from here on out, eh? :-) Think our doctors will listen?

VydorScope Proficient
VydorScope
Posted
Let's all just keep our veins intact and our blood where it belongs from here on out, eh? :-) Think our doctors will listen?

LOL, I dont think I have gone to the doctor once in the past few years with our comming back with a littel less blood. I tell work now that I have "an appointment with hte vampires" now. Scary thing is they understand LOL.

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TCA Contributor
TCA
Posted

The freestyle rocks!!!! You don't have to do fingers with it either.

ehrin Explorer
ehrin
Posted
The freestyle rocks!!!! You don't have to do fingers with it either.

Please note that by using your forearms you WILL get different readings from the finger tests, often higher readings. The fingers really are the best way to get the most realistic reading. I know that, as a diabetic, the forearm tests really aren't good for us - not sure about hypoglycemics though (all meters are +/- 20 I believe, but this increases even more when not using the fingertips). Also another trick is to not prick your fingertip - that hurts the most - use the sides of your fingers. And I'm not sure which meter you got - since you note a small blood amount I'm thinking it's the BD meter?? If that's the case the penlet it comes with has adjustable settings, find the one that is right for you.

I've been a diabetic nearly my whole life and I test about 15 times a day (I micromanage) my fingers are completely calloused at this point. I do not have that gentle, female touch - James often compliments my "man hands" :P

Guest Educator
Guest Educator
Posted
:blink: I am Type 1 Diabetic for 33 years now and have Celiac, renal failure, liver abnormalities, heart disease, terrible acid reflux, pelvic floor dysfunction, gastroparesis and horrible constipation, and neuropathy, and perifial neuropathy, along with mood disorder. (Imagine that?) I am having trouble with finding a gluten-free diet that does not contain, sugar, gluten, potassium, phosphorus, fiber, sodium and low in protein. Can anyone help direct me to some recipes? Does anyone out there have some or most of these same problems. The celiac diet needs some readjustments for people like me. Would love any advise!! And the Freestyle Flash is the answer to all blood checks. No pain at all.
elye Community Regular
elye
Posted

Sorry, I'll just go back to the original thread subject, then let everyone try to help poor Educator...my heart goes out to you...I've been a diabetic for thirty-three years, too, but so far, no complications, thank god.

Anyways, the machines that allow for forearm readings do have a discrepency btwn finger and arm readings, but a spot that coincides very closely if not exactly to finger tests is your toe pads. Fingers and toes involve capillary blood, and they are extremities, so the similarities keep them the same. I test six or more times a day (and night) and I find that pricking my toes gives my calloused fingers a break, and for whatever the reason it doesn't hurt as much.

ehrin Explorer
ehrin
Posted
Sorry, I'll just go back to the original thread subject, then let everyone try to help poor Educator...my heart goes out to you...I've been a diabetic for thirty-three years, too, but so far, no complications, thank god.

Anyways, the machines that allow for forearm readings do have a discrepency btwn finger and arm readings, but a spot that coincides very closely if not exactly to finger tests is your toe pads. Fingers and toes involve capillary blood, and they are extremities, so the similarities keep them the same. I test six or more times a day (and night) and I find that pricking my toes gives my calloused fingers a break, and for whatever the reason it doesn't hurt as much.

This is very interesting!!! I'm going to give my toes a shot...my poor fingers are so calloused that it's very hard for me to get a drop out of them.

Thanks for the advice!

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