Can't prick my own finger

[anna29]

Lowest setting to begin with on your lancet gun .
Be a good place to start , do a count into doing it ?
Like 1-2-3 then its done !

Honestly it does get easier and the more you do
the easier it will get and become .

Anyone know ? How many we end up doing over say
5 years of time?
Same with insulin injections - I would love to know how many
get done !!! Over time ...
It must be many 1,000's

 

[Fallgal]

Yup, still a wimp. Just wanted to let everyone know I've read each and every post and I appreciate all your tips and encouragement. I was distressed when I read one poster say that the SD Codefree lancets are "barbaric" as that is what I have!

I have to go to see the nurse tomorrow so I am going to bring my meter and ask if she'll do it for me. Then I'll know how bad it's going to be.

I also just read another thread that says some companies may be coming out with prick-free testers soon. OH BOY. That actually made my day. I surely hope so, and that they are not cost prohibitive, although if I don't have to prick my finger I think it will be well worth the money.

Thank you again, everyone. I will read them all again tonight, and try to get that courage up!

 

[Gettingon]

I don't know if you have ever been a blood donor, but I have been in the past and I know I used to find the finger prick they did there very painful. The lancet that came with my Freestyle Lite (set at number 1) is NOWHERE NEAR as bad! I was dreading using it, but it's actually OK. Hope this helps - even a little bit!

 

[Thommothebear]

I don't know if you have ever been a blood donor, but I have been in the past and I know I used to find the finger prick they did there very painful. The lancet that came with my Freestyle Lite (set at number 1) is NOWHERE NEAR as bad! I was dreading using it, but it's actually OK. Hope this helps - even a little bit!

Of the three lancet devices I have, thats the one I prefer to use also,


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[Aguila]

I've Raynauds and skin like buffalo hide. My FastClix on no.4 works very well though!

 

[douglas99]

Yup, still a wimp. Just wanted to let everyone know I've read each and every post and I appreciate all your tips and encouragement. I was distressed when I read one poster say that the SD Codefree lancets are "barbaric" as that is what I have!

I have to go to see the nurse tomorrow so I am going to bring my meter and ask if she'll do it for me. Then I'll know how bad it's going to be.

I also just read another thread that says some companies may be coming out with prick-free testers soon. OH BOY. That actually made my day. I surely hope so, and that they are not cost prohibitive, although if I don't have to prick my finger I think it will be well worth the money.

Thank you again, everyone. I will read them all again tonight, and try to get that courage up!

I've used about 6 different meters, and lancets.
I can honestly say I haven't found any great difference.
They're all very much the same, use a new lancet each time, and you won't feel it.

 

[carty]

Sorry if I upset you Fallgal I was being ultra dramatic I was just trying to make the point that the multiclix is so much gentler in my opinion Maybe the fact that you dont actually see the point in the multiclix helps Sorry again
CAROL

 

[FatGenes999]

I'm still doing OK with the lancing, but I sometimes have to redo it as the first time isn't good enough to get enough blood to test. I'm keeping the depth level at #1 so maybe its too shallow for certain finger sites, but not for other finger sites. I would rather redo at Level #1 than use deeper depth levels as like mostly everyone else here I don't happily anticipate the feeling of pain from a needle.

 

[Ambersilva]

Stamping my foot at the same time as I press the trigger takes my mind off my finger.

 

[Robbity]

Fallgal, I've just got my first meter this week and I felt exactly like you... My biggest worry when I was told I had diabetes was that I'd have to learn to inject myself which really gave me the horrors. (DONT READ THIS NEXT SENTENCE IF YOU ARE REALLY SQUEAMISH: I've always hated injections, but had to have one in my eye several years ago, and I thought I'd die of fright! SO I decided nothing could ever be as bad as that again.)

I've found too the older I get the more I get anxious about needles (and knives) but I really wanted to find out about my glucose levels so I bit the bullet - and to be honest the fear and apprehension is much worse than the actuality.

I did a lot of research to find a meter I liked and a pricker I felt I could trust, and ended up with a Fastclix pricker, partly because It appears that a lot of people found it less painful than others they'd tried and also because you load a little cassette with 6 lancets into it, and you don't ever see a needle, you just touch the Fastclix "pen" to your finger and press a button and it's done. You can buy the Fastclix separately from the meter pack in a couple of places online, but to be honest I found it was a lot cheaper (try ebay or Amazon) to buy the whole pack. I've also tried a Bayer Contour pricker and that was a right palaver to use and you have to load the lancet thingy each time so you see see the needle so it's also much more scary, and I think this would have seriously put me off.

After three days I can happily prick without any more fear, so I hope you'll soon be able to manage to do the same.

Robbity

 

[Mud Island Dweller]

Injecting a horse you thump on the area then inject you could try just squeeze your finger a few times then prick it sort of fools the nerves, if you having someone do it to you ask them to squeeze then do it while you are not looking and to squeeze after l bet you wont guess when it is done.
Or to tap your finger in the prick area several times with the blunt end of the pricker then to prick you and keep thumping again bet you wont know.

I use a 4 to get blood or l may as well use a pickaxe.

Do it towards the top and on the side of the finger nail sort of half way between the side of the finger nail and the front of the finger not right on the tip as there are a lot of nerves in the tip.

Please update us as soon as it is done and how it went

MID

 

[judy.suirane]

Hi there! Can relate to your problem! I'm type two and just been put on insulin!! Try this trick! The body can only process one pain at a time... Use your finger nail on your palm and press just when you release the lancet. You won't feel the lancet but you will just feel the pressure from your nail.


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[chris9996]

What about you trying it on your husband a few times, that might work.

Good luck and yes it does get easier
Chris

 

[poohbear7260]

If you are as terrified as i am ask your gp for some emla cream. It's an anaesthetic and 100% effective. It totally freezes the area and is the only thing that gets me injecting. Good luck

 

[eddiekinghorn]

It took me about 3 days to man up enough to prick my finger. I only did it for the first time after I accidentally pricked my finger after priming the finger pricking torture device. It didn't hurt!!

I usually use the inside middle bit if my middle fingers as that area is generally painless and can be done with the lowest setting and a little squeeze.

 

[Sugar free Stu]

Maybe try using your ear lobe? Set to minimum depth setting, all the best.

 

[smartybones]

I don't want to sound harsh, but since you have diabetes you need to get used to needles and finger pricks are the least to worry about....that said, get yourself an accu chek test kit. they don't cost a lot, but what you do get is an exelent kit and the multi clix finger pricker is very gentle. .. the other good thing about getting an accu chek test kit is that every 2 years or so they send you a brand new top of the range kit. they send you batteries and control solution free of charge.... and they are much better than the **** that most doctors push on you.... tips for pricking your fingers..... look at what you are doing... give your finger a shake .. pinch it then go for it....click.. its done... I say look at what you are doing because you need to de sesnsify yourself from the fear....

 

[H.Simons]

The best thing I did to get over the fear of finger pricking was setting my lancet to a really low power around 2 or 3 and using my baby fingers at the sides only (this is the least painful finger and place) it's easier to press the button on this setting because I knew it would be too weak for it to pierce my skin too much and after that it worked it up to a 3 and a half setting which works perfectly for me

 

[mikethepike1965]

I just can't. I don't know why. I certainly have had my share of pain over the years. I couldn't even let my husband do it. I followed all the hints for a less-painful test, but still couldn't press that button. I got myself all worked up and nervous, wasted a test strip and have no reading.

I am NOT good with pain, at all. Any other tips to make this easier? Do you ever really get used to it?

Thanks. Feeling like a major loser at the moment.

Use the top of your forearm. It is a recognized site for pricking for glucose checking. Make sure the skin area is clean and the results are accurate every time. I have not pricked a finger or thumb for over ten years now. At first, I tested from both thumb and forearm and results were the same EVERY time. And it NEVER hurts. Try it, you will never go back to thumbs or fingers. Ask your doctor/ diabetes nurse, whoever, they will tell you the use of the forearm( between elbow and wrist, but in the fleshy bit nearer the elbow)...sorry if that sound patronising...is a perfectly reliable place to prick and never hurts. Just make sure arm is clean, i.e not sweaty etc.

 

[mandyt12]

I find it doesn't hurt at all if my fingers are warm......which is a good job as I now have to test my BG every 2 hours due to progressing to insulin after only being diagnosed 10 months ago