Saturday, February 25, 2012

Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice


I gave myself needles for half the amount of time I have had diabetes (1.5 years.)  Every day I would give myself approximately 4 needles a day to cover breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a long lasting insulin to last me for the entire day.  When I decided to switch to the insulin pump diabetes and needles wasn't as correlated as it once was before.  I began seeing less needles and that 'one every three days needle' was a quick reminder, but easily forgotten once it settled in.

I used silhouettes from Medtronic as soon as I started using the insulin pump.  It is a manual site that you insert on an angle.   I soon began hating these sites just as much as the multiple daily injections.  I hated having to put the sites in myself because it hurt and I only felt comfortable putting them in my belly.   I switched to a site that allowed me to just press two buttons and the site would go in by itself - relief!

So, now I have been using these and it has been great.  Just a quick shock in the stomach and then it is over, god forbid I have to go back to silhouettes - oh wait, I do. 

I accidentally ordered a box of dang' silhouettes! I never thought it hurt as bad as it did.  The other day I got it prepared and tried my hardest to put the needle, on an angle, into my stomach and all I could do was cry. It hurt so incredibly bad, that I kept pulling the needle back out as it protruded through my skin. It hurt so badly, that I wanted to give up. I instantly hated diabetes. 

I stood there in front of the mirror (so I can get a better idea of where I am putting the site) balling my eyes out, holding the needle against my skin and I just didn't want to do it anymore. I instantly thought about all the other people doing this and closed my eyes, and said a few 'nice' words and shoved the needle into my skin.      

It seems that for me, diabetes is usually sugar and spice and everything nice, but the odd time it just isn't any of those things at all.  Sometimes diabetes is the biggest pain in the butt. It takes time out of my day, it makes me rethink wardrobe choices and it makes me a tad bit different from everyone else around me. 

Kayla 


3 comments:

  1. You should have called Medtronic. They would have exchanged them for you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've been using the syringe since 1965, first once a day, then twice, then three times now it's four. You won't get me switching to the pen or a pump. I use NPH and Reg insulin, a long lasting and fast acting insulin. I like those. I don't want to have a needle in my for any length of time, thus my not having the pump. I admire those who want the pump. But I'll stay with the syringe since it's been working for me. Having no complications and being a type 1 for 46 years is GREAT.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Medtronic sells an inserter for the silhouette. I was not able to use the quick set when I was on my minimed pump and I had an inserter for it.

    ReplyDelete