Thursday, February 26, 2009
Sharp Stuff
Thinking about what to blog about, I've decided a few of these things should be about being diabetic, and not just an active, athletic diabetic. I mean I write about running and sometimes you wouldn't even know you were reading the blog of a diabetic.
Well, sometimes I'm going to write something that will make it obvious this blog belongs to a diabetic, but there may not be any running/biking/swimming/triathlon content.
I hate needles.
I've been a diabetic for 35 years, and I'm lousy at giving myself shots.
When I was first diagnosed, in the hospital I practiced that quick jab insertion of the syringe into an orange, over and over. I've done injections into my own skin that way maybe five times. The rest of the time I've pressed the point of the needles against the skin and pushed it in. Maybe it's more painful, but it seems somehow less violent.
And I look away when a needle is put into one of my veins to draw blood.
I hate it all.
I love/hate the sensors for my CGMS. While they are in and reporting what's going on inside of me, taking some of that burden off me, saving my life, I love them. I hate looking at them. I hate putting them in.
I mean seriously. LOOK at those things! Are you kidding me? Just stick that thing into my own skin? It's like a nail!
I love/hate Silhouette infusion sets. They stay in much better than any others I've tried. I've seen a QuickSet fall out two miles into a 5 mile run. I've run dozens of marathons using Silhouettes with no problem.
But don't you think they could put it in with just a little shorter needle? Does it really have to be that long? LOOK at that thing!
It goes in at an angle, but if I were to stab it straight in, I could hit any vital organ.
Glad I could get that off my chest... if not out from under my skin.
If you like this post, or even if you don't, you may want to visit the Diabetic Running Mama, who blogged on almost the same topic today, and inspired me to post this.
Well, sometimes I'm going to write something that will make it obvious this blog belongs to a diabetic, but there may not be any running/biking/swimming/triathlon content.
I hate needles.
I've been a diabetic for 35 years, and I'm lousy at giving myself shots.
When I was first diagnosed, in the hospital I practiced that quick jab insertion of the syringe into an orange, over and over. I've done injections into my own skin that way maybe five times. The rest of the time I've pressed the point of the needles against the skin and pushed it in. Maybe it's more painful, but it seems somehow less violent.
And I look away when a needle is put into one of my veins to draw blood.
I hate it all.
I love/hate the sensors for my CGMS. While they are in and reporting what's going on inside of me, taking some of that burden off me, saving my life, I love them. I hate looking at them. I hate putting them in.I mean seriously. LOOK at those things! Are you kidding me? Just stick that thing into my own skin? It's like a nail!
I love/hate Silhouette infusion sets. They stay in much better than any others I've tried. I've seen a QuickSet fall out two miles into a 5 mile run. I've run dozens of marathons using Silhouettes with no problem.
But don't you think they could put it in with just a little shorter needle? Does it really have to be that long? LOOK at that thing!
It goes in at an angle, but if I were to stab it straight in, I could hit any vital organ.
Glad I could get that off my chest... if not out from under my skin.
If you like this post, or even if you don't, you may want to visit the Diabetic Running Mama, who blogged on almost the same topic today, and inspired me to post this.
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5 comments:
I am the EXACT same way about my needles! The "slow poke" method, even though I know logically that the quick jab should hurt less. I just can't do it.
Thanks for introducing me to Diabetic Running Mama - I'm going to check her blog out.
Take care!
Thank you for the shout out, and thanks for letting me know that I'm not all alone, that we all struggle, and that even though we have to face needles every day of our lives, we don't have to like it...
Jerry, I'm there with ya man. That CG needle is about a 22 guage. I work in the medical field and stick people everyday. Most of the time I use a 22 or 24 guage needle. It's one thing for the needle to go in a vein. Someone else is the one putting a hole in you. The CG sensor though is a bit more masochistic as you are voluntarily putting the hole in yourself and it's not as soft an insertion as a vein is. I shiver sometimes when I'm about to inject an abdominal one. I've had some hurt like hell.
Hey! I see you are giving my Triabetes blog a shout out- thanks! As you probably read, I was having a bad "d" day myself....even those of us around you type 1'ers want to yank our hair out and scream "make it go away!" My son was diagnosed at 3 and is now 12 and stick thin - AND uses the same silhouette method as you dudes, so imagine that little pin cushion! But we like it best...quick sets sucked.
Rock on in AZ!
oh AND my son uses the cgm too...pin cushion indeed!
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