Diabetes Tip

[Fat Freddy]

I realize that for many of you, I might be teaching my granny to suck eggs here but, just in case it helps even one of you, here's the solution to painful finger pricking when testing....

I was only diagnosed with diabetes last week but I was already noticing that my fingers were getting pretty sore after pricking my fingers with a traditional lancing device and playing bass...

I was whining about this to a friend of my wife and she recommended using one of these.... Genteel Lancing Device .....

You can take samples from almost anywhere on your body (I'm using the palms of my hands) and when you get it set up properly it works every time and is completely pain free....

A bit pricey at just under a hundred bucks but in my most humble opinion it's the way forward for anyone who is suffering from sore fingers due to testing....

 

[wesonbass]

Been seeing those on commercials .I was diagnosed with type two around 16 yrs ago. Took awhile but by managing weight, I've gone from checking 3 times a day to about once a week. Everytime I go to the doctor, they grab my fretting hand to prick. I offer my ring finger or pinky on my picking hand. Glad to hear that it works for you. I've been curious. You probably know this but keep glucose tablets in your case or gig bag and show a band mate how to check your sugar. I learned that the hard way. Passing out on stage from a sudden sugar drop. Fortunately, there was a nurse at the gig who knew how to help. Keep it monitored,watch diet and alcohol if you drink. Good luck.

 

[StereoPlayer]

Use the sides of your finger tip.

 

[Fat Freddy]

Use the sides of your finger tip.

Yep!....That's what I was told and is what I was doing.....

Fingers were still getting very sore though.....

I guess that if you're happy with using a traditional lancing device, then you should save your money and stick with it....

 

[StereoPlayer]

I don’t even use a device, I just use nether lancet needle alone.

You get used to it.

StereoPlayer 8/12/18

 

[Stumbo]

The spring action of the old school lancet can be adjusted along with how much pressure is applied when in use. Kinda like your bass playing technique!

But hey, what ever works for you. Keep reading and learning!

Also, Keep up the testing because whatever the result is, it tells you how much you need to adjust your meds, diet or exercise or all three.

Note that Exercise can easily drop your glucose level 50 points in 15 minutes.

A1c lab results tell you your average glucose level over 3 months. Your glucose machine can also calculate your ongoing average based on testing. The more tests, the closer it will be to your A1c.

Your off to a good start! Diabetes is a life time project to keep under control. A low carb meals can be helpful.

Persistence and consistency are key because the damage done by too much glucose in your system over a long period of time is insidious. You won't notice it until it's too late if it's not under control.

Even if you're not perfect one day, the next time you eat, test or exercise gives you the chance to get back on track!

 

[dwm74]

The spring action of the old school lancet can be adjusted along with how much pressure is applied when in use. Kinda like your bass playing technique!

But hey, what ever works for you. Keep reading and learning!

Also, Keep up the testing because whatever the result is, it tells you how much you need to adjust your meds, diet or exercise or all three.

Note that Exercise can easily drop your glucose level 50 points in 15 minutes.

A1c lab results tell you your average glucose level over 3 months. Your glucose machine can also calculate your ongoing average based on testing. The more tests, the closer it will be to your A1c.

Your off to a good start! Diabetes is a life time project to keep under control. A low carb meals can be helpful.

Persistence and consistency are key because the damage done by too much glucose in your system over a long period of time is insidious. You won't notice it until it's too late if it's not under control.

Even if you're not perfect one day, the next time you eat, test or exercise gives you the chance to get back on track!

Definitely agree about adjusting the spring action. At first, mine were hurting too, but then realized I didn't need that much tension to barely pierce the skin. Now, some days I don't even feel the pinprick, but there are those times when I hit a nerve ending. Oddly enough, the ones I DON'T feel are the ones that bleed more freely. The ones I DO feel barely let out a tiny spot of blood, and usually have to redo the pricking elsewhere.

The rest of your post makes a lot of good points. Diabetes is not a death sentence, and with surprisingly little work and maintenance, it can be controlled.

Your last statement is spot on. Can't tell you how many times I'd have a high reading one day but getting in a good workout and/or eating better will drop it down the next day.

 

[Funky Ghost]

That and go down the line like an assembly plant.

RH: Pointer left side --> Middle left side --> Ring left side pinky ( some skip it because it's more sensitive ) left side then work the right hand the same way. Tips next, then right side. Doing that keeps callous' from forming which makes taking blood a royal pain. I've not tried the palm but being a worker with tougher hands I imagine that route would requite a drill bit to net results.

 

[pcake]

I realize that for many of you, I might be teaching my granny to suck eggs here but, just in case it helps even one of you, here's the solution to painful finger pricking when testing....

I was only diagnosed with diabetes last week but I was already noticing that my fingers were getting pretty sore after pricking my fingers with a traditional lancing device and playing bass...

I was whining about this to a friend of my wife and she recommended using one of these.... Genteel Lancing Device .....

You can take samples from almost anywhere on your body (I'm using the palms of my hands) and when you get it set up properly it works every time and is completely pain free....

A bit pricey at just under a hundred bucks but in my most humble opinion it's the way forward for anyone who is suffering from sore fingers due to testing....

some - although not all - lancing devices can be used on the sides of your thigh, which i found to be the least painful spot, plus there's plenty of real estate to work with. if you need up-to-the-minute results, finger is the way to go, but otherwise, i recommend the outside of the thigh. i also recommend you get a meter that requires the smallest possible sample size (i believe 2 freestyle freedom meters require a sample a third to a ninth of the size of some other meters). it made a big difference to me when i went to a smaller sample size because i was able to use a very thin needle. in fact, i use the sticker than comes with the freestyle kits. for thigh, i dial it up to 4 and it does just fine.

btw, experiment with various kits if you can afford to - i found the freestyle freedom and freedom lite strips much easier to get a sample onto compared with all the other brands i tried. that saves on money and frustration, as well as allowing for those smaller sample sizes.

 

[Fat Freddy]

some - although not all - lancing devices can be used on the sides of your thigh, which i found to be the least painful spot, plus there's plenty of real estate to work with. if you need up-to-the-minute results, finger is the way to go, but otherwise, i recommend the outside of the thigh. i also recommend you get a meter that requires the smallest possible sample size (i believe 2 freestyle freedom meters require a sample a third to a ninth of the size of some other meters). it made a big difference to me when i went to a smaller sample size because i was able to use a very thin needle. in fact, i use the sticker than comes with the freestyle kits. for thigh, i dial it up to 4 and it does just fine.

btw, experiment with various kits if you can afford to - i found the freestyle freedom and freedom lite strips much easier to get a sample onto compared with all the other brands i tried. that saves on money and frustration, as well as allowing for those smaller sample sizes.

Yep, I'm using the Freestyle Lite meter with the Freestyle lite strips and, as you say, I really don't need very much blood at all to get a reading....I'll be staying with those for sure.......

Thanks....

 

[dwm74]

A while back I mentioned to my doctor that my meter readings averaging about 25 pts less than the lab results on a consistent basis. So she gave me another brand of meter (been using OneTouch Ultra...I forgot what the new meter was).

So for the next three months I did a side-by-side comparison double test on the days when I'd test. The two meters were off by as much as ten points in either direction...one day the old one was high, the next day the new one read higher. (I recorded this data on a spreadsheet).

Funny thing was, at the end of three months (when I ran out of strips for the new one) the net difference was a measly two points. Since the test strips for the new meter were more than twice as expensive as the others, I stayed with the old one.

 

[Fat Freddy]

I don’t even use a device, I just use nether lancet needle alone.

You get used to it.

StereoPlayer 8/12/18

Think you're tough eh?....

My neighbor uses a live rattlesnake to get his samples....

 

[comatosedragon]

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last week as well. The whole thing seems very convoluted and confusing to me. It's like, how do you know when (and how?) to check the blood sugar with that meter? (after surgery, they told me I had to buy the meter at Wal*Mart, it would be the only one that works. But I refuse to shop at Wal*Mart, and the pharmacist said any machine would work, so I bought his, but now I'm not so sure. LOL.) And isn't there an easier way than sticking the sides of the fingers, and having to buy a new one of those needles every couple days? And I think you are supposed to subtract whatever reading you get from the meter, (like if mine came back 340 for example) subtract 200 and inject that amount of insulin? (140mL in this case?) They were not very clear on that point.

 

[Fat Freddy]

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last week as well. The whole thing seems very convoluted and confusing to me. It's like, how do you know when (and how?) to check the blood sugar with that meter? (after surgery, they told me I had to buy the meter at Wal*Mart, it would be the only one that works. But I refuse to shop at Wal*Mart, and the pharmacist said any machine would work, so I bought his, but now I'm not so sure. LOL.) And isn't there an easier way than sticking the sides of the fingers, and having to buy a new one of those needles every couple days? And I think you are supposed to subtract whatever reading you get from the meter, (like if mine came back 340 for example) subtract 200 and inject that amount of insulin? (140mL in this case?) They were not very clear on that point.

If you take my advice, You'd get back to the docs asap and listen, very carefully, to the instructions that they give you.........

If you have a memory as poor as mine, get 'em to write everything down for you....
(In fact, get 'em to write every thing down anyway!)......

Don't just take a wild guess at what you're putting into yourself.....That's how people die...

 

[comatosedragon]

Don't just take a wild guess at what you're putting into yourself.....

Thanks, I guess I'll just wait -- It's why I have not taken anything yet.

I am not 100% certain the whole thing is not a scheme cooked up by Wal *Mart, I mean, it's kind of interesting that they (and only they) can sell insulin over the counter without a prescription, and doctors are apparently push patients to go to them .....

 

[Bassball Fever]

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last week as well. The whole thing seems very convoluted and confusing to me. It's like, how do you know when (and how?) to check the blood sugar with that meter? (after surgery, they told me I had to buy the meter at Wal*Mart, it would be the only one that works. But I refuse to shop at Wal*Mart, and the pharmacist said any machine would work, so I bought his, but now I'm not so sure. LOL.) And isn't there an easier way than sticking the sides of the fingers, and having to buy a new one of those needles every couple days? And I think you are supposed to subtract whatever reading you get from the meter, (like if mine came back 340 for example) subtract 200 and inject that amount of insulin? (140mL in this case?) They were not very clear on that point.

I agree with Fat Freddy. Go back and ask for the instructions again. Now that you've tried, some of what the doctor says will make more sense.

I was diagnosed with Type 2 in 2001. I typically check four times a day: when I wake up, before lunch, before dinner, and before I go to bed. You may need to check more often at first. You need to find out what affects you and how much it affects you.

I know that it is overwhelming. You are getting all kinds of information and it is hard to process it all. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.