My needle phobic hubby

Mal37

Well-Known Member
Messages
282
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Social situations
Hi
I just wanted to say that I was afraid to test myself for the first couple of months. I would put the lancet on my finger but not have the courage to press it/click it, and would cry because I hadn't enough courage. The way I got around it was to get a good friend to do it for me the first time. I looked away as he did it, and expected it to hurt, but it really didn't!!! Now I can do it myself ... but I sympathise with your hubby as I know exactly how he must feel. Wishing him luck ... oh and ALWAYS prick the side of the finger ... not the fatty pad. It is so simple ... truly :)
 
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chalup

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,745
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
I know your hubby is feeling rough and that is going to be the case until his sugars come down. Giving tea with sugar is not ideal but if you must maybe only one sugar. Giving him sugar, however, is only going to drag things out. Maybe try tea with heavy cream if he likes it. A couple pieces of cheese or a handful of nuts is better. Also olives or avocado or a few berries with cream. I also agree not to prick the pad of the finger but go off to the side, just not right at the edge of the nail.
 

Beattie

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi all

I finally got my hubby to the doctors yesterday after much nagging as he had been feeling rough for ages. I have been suspecting for ages that he might be diabetic but we have a major problem as in my hubby is needle phobic . I don't understand it myself as I'm not like that and I do find it frustrating but after listening to him yesterday at the doctors I am beginning to understand .
Anyway the doctor tested his urine and he said it was full of sugar and without testing his blood which he can't do at the moment he is as convinced as he can be that my hubby is diabetic. Well he actually said something about being a high blood pressure diabetic ? . And needs to lose five stone.
The doctor is concerned that he won't have a blood test so he had arranged councilling for him , CBT I think but in the mean time I'm really concerned and worried . I don't know what to do regarding food, I can't test his blood sugar levels so I don't know where I am with that either . The doctor had referred us to the hospital to see the nurses in the diabetic clinic but we have to wait for that as well . I guess I'm just frightened and worried and could do with any help that's out there regarding what to give him to eat , what to look out for , warning signs etc

Please help me

Dawn x
You sound so worried Dawn and that's understandable; it is quite scary but there are loads of us living with and managing this condition and he's got strong support from you. The wait for those essential appointments doesn't help either. For the moment, I would concentrate on helping him to really cut down on his sugar intake and also reduce high carbs (white bread, potatoes etc). You may find that, if he's able to stick to a healthy eating regime, he'll start feeling better. There's a lot of information around to help you - especially on this site - and you'll get plenty of useful feedback when you post any concerns. I hope that you get the formal support you need soon and wish you both well with managing his condition.
 
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Beattie

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Just one more thing. How do I know if he's experiencing a hypo or the other one ( sorry I don't know the terminology )
People get varying symptoms Dawn; mine starts with lips tingling, feeling spaced out and weak. That's the hypo & quick fix can be to get a small can of sugary drink down me, or glucose tabs or my favourite - jelly babies. I keep my emergency hypo kits in the car, desk, handbag, next to the bed etc. At the moment, with what sounds like high blood glucose, this isn't as likely to happen - I had readings constantly in the mid 20s until I got things under better control.
He'll learn what his own symptoms are & I'm sure that other members can add more information.
 

Debzz_

Well-Known Member
Messages
230
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Diabetes ha ha
Hi ! I've just been diagnosed only yesterday and I hate blood tests - had 3 within days however I have to say blood tests are much improved from a few years ago - I think it's to do with the vacuum they now use . I hardly felt a thing - I think it helps having it done by a trained phlebotomist too - I never look though
 
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Prem51

Expert
Messages
7,393
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
*
Is It the right thing to do if his face is bright red and he's feeling rough to give him the tea with two sugars in or should I be giving him something else ?
Sugar is the worst thing if he is diabetic. You can get various sweeteners to use instead. I can't drink unsweetened tea or coffee and I use Splenda sweetener. It doesn't have any aftertaste, and tastes like sugar to me. It's available in most supermarkets at about £3.15 for a 175 gm pack. There are lots of other sweeteners, like Hermesetas, Truvia, and Canderel also widely available.
 

hurf0rd

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Parent
Treatment type
Other
Oh Dawn, it must be very difficult having to cope with this. I had a stroke about a year ago, it makes you very self-centred (as I'm sure anything so serious would), and it's only really recently that I've appreciated what my wife must have gone through / be going through during this process. Big hugs.

For your husband, I'm afraid I have less sympathy. You see, possibly the reason that I had my stroke was by neglecting my sugar. Whilst the consultant was not 100% sure, one thing that was more clear-cut was the decrease in the quality of my vision in the last couple of years, which was undoubtedly caused by diabetes. My vision seems to have improved a little now, but the treatment that I had to have was a course of injections directly into my eye. So, you know, if we're talking about a sliding scale, which would your husband prefer less? A prick of his finger, a needle in his arm every now and again, or the treatment I went through? It is not as if anybody likes needles, but (especially if he's peeing sugar) he has to recognise the greater good.

The stroke, btw, has left me with a left-sided weakness, including not being able to use my arm at all (and I used to be left-handed). If it was caused by diabetes.....well, all I can say is that I wish I'd taken it seriously a bit sooner. I am 49 years old. It's really up to your husband to form his own opinion, but a lot of people have told me that I'm too young to be going through all of this nonsense.
 
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Bs0lth

Well-Known Member
Messages
118
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi all

I finally got my hubby to the doctors yesterday after much nagging as he had been feeling rough for ages. I have been suspecting for ages that he might be diabetic but we have a major problem as in my hubby is needle phobic . I don't understand it myself as I'm not like that and I do find it frustrating but after listening to him yesterday at the doctors I am beginning to understand .
Anyway the doctor tested his urine and he said it was full of sugar and without testing his blood which he can't do at the moment he is as convinced as he can be that my hubby is diabetic. Well he actually said something about being a high blood pressure diabetic ? . And needs to lose five stone.
The doctor is concerned that he won't have a blood test so he had arranged councilling for him , CBT I think but in the mean time I'm really concerned and worried . I don't know what to do regarding food, I can't test his blood sugar levels so I don't know where I am with that either . The doctor had referred us to the hospital to see the nurses in the diabetic clinic but we have to wait for that as well . I guess I'm just frightened and worried and could do with any help that's out there regarding what to give him to eat , what to look out for , warning signs etc

Please help me

Dawn x
Hi,

I don't know if I'm going to be any help here, but I will try. Your hubys doctor sounds a big like mine, he's started to give you alternatives to start you off. I was diagnosed three weeks ago. God it feels like a life time, but I'm living through what I can only describe as a personal nightmare with the blood testing.

I've been a needle phobe for as long as I can remember, its so bad it's been a talking point between the doctors in my surgery. They all know about it and it would be funny if it was somebody else. I refuse to get bloods done, I refuse any kind of injections like the flu jab and you can watch my blood pressure go up if the doctors talk about bloods. I've said no to serious operations and I can't stand it.

However, I've had a years worth of CBT based therapy, not for my hate of needles but because my mental Heath was misdiagnose several years ago, and after changing doctors, they were alarmed about things I was doing, so referred me to a psychiatrist and they started the CBT based treatment. For the first time in years I said yes to a blood test, took control of my situation and told the person taking it that I needed to lie down flat, and have something in my hands to pkay with.

About three years ago, a doctor in A&E really needed to take blood, I had been taken in with a suspected Stoke and they needed to test my blood, at this point I was trying to discharge myself and get out of the building. For one of the first times my needle phobia was taken seriously and it's been a great help since. What that A & E doctor did was went and brought me a teddy, they give them to kids to comfort them I was told. It is the silliest thing ever, but it gave me something in my hands and something to concentrate on while they take blood. I'm not going to say it was easy, it wasn't, but it did help.

The CBT therapy also helps, I really wouldn't be here now writing this if I had not had it, because it would have been game over for me the second they said you have diabetes, because there is actually no way I could inject and to be honest my doctor knows that. The therapy has started to change how I look at things, my little voice in my head keeps asking what can I change? What can do? How can I do this? What's the best out come? What's the worst outcome? Who can help me change and cope with this? And lots of other things, but the major one is that I have to deal with what's going on because if I don't things will get worse.

My doctor gave me both the urine testing strips and a blood sugar meter. He said that he didn't think in a million years that I would use it but if I could then he would like me to have one to try. The strips were as a back up. He showed me how to use it on himself and then asked if he could possibly try mine...

Having watched him test his own blood I said ok, so he sat me down, let me gather myself and click... Swine did it before I was ready. But you know what, it wasn't any worse than pricking my finger when sewing. So I took the kits and went thinking I'm never going to be able to do that.

Three weeks on, I'm still struggling to take my blood, but, I sit down in a quiet room, I load my lancet, then the test strip and I sit for about a minute deep breathing, and trying to relax my body. I still can't look at the finger pricker, I can't see the needle unt I have to look away but I do do it. I only do it when I can cope with it so not as much as some but I can.

What it's done is given me a certain amount of control and peace of mind. I hope that this us going to be easier in time but I doubt it, but without doing it I would have no control on what's going on in my body.

My blood tests results came back as some of the highest my doctors ever seen, and he explained thAt I really had to get this under control fast. (I've now got problems with my eyes as well)

He recommended that I cut out all sugar, and carbs until he saw me 6 days later, explained that fruit and juice were out as well as sweets and chocolate. And prescribed glimepiride. And off I went on my journey.

My diet is both the hardest thing and easiest thing I have to do, as I can control the amount of sugar going into my body. It's easy to say I'm eating low carb diet now, but that's been an information overload as I've trawled through the web looking for diets. So I've tried to keep it simple. No bread, pasta rice or potatoes. No prepackaged food, Google is my friend as I keep typing in how much sugar in..... And it's working. But you have to keep going with it, and become slightly obsessive with it. The thing that's keeping me there is if I don't get this under control I'm looking at insulin injection three time as day... It's not happening.

Even without testing your blood the duet changes have got to help. Get your hubby eating right and hopefully things will get better.

If offered though do the CBT, it's made a massive difference to my life, and I really believe that if it hadn't been for it I would not be able to cope with what's going on at the moment.

I'm eating, lots of eggs and protein like chicken, some Veg such as broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, carrots. Cheese, I've just oats and porridge, sounds boring I know but I've tried to use spices to spice things up. I'm avoiding tomatoes as they don't like my blood sugar... But breakfast has been bacon, eggs and mushrooms. Lunch chicken or eggs and salad evening meal is some kind of protein and veg... If your hubby has a very sweet tooth, I discovered a carb/sugar free syrup by Waldren farms that I'm mixing with quark (soft cheese) to create a desert of add yo my coffee so that's sweet. It really hard to say eat this this and this because only you know what you like.

I would also look for apps for your phone, I found one that I log all of my food into and it breaks it down into carbs etc..

I wish your hubby good luck, I really understand what he's going through and know it's so hard to change.
 
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spaceman

Well-Known Member
Messages
266
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all

I finally got my hubby to the doctors yesterday after much nagging as he had been feeling rough for ages. I have been suspecting for ages that he might be diabetic but we have a major problem as in my hubby is needle phobic . I don't understand it myself as I'm not like that and I do find it frustrating but after listening to him yesterday at the doctors I am beginning to understand .
Anyway the doctor tested his urine and he said it was full of sugar and without testing his blood which he can't do at the moment he is as convinced as he can be that my hubby is diabetic. Well he actually said something about being a high blood pressure diabetic ? . And needs to lose five stone.
The doctor is concerned that he won't have a blood test so he had arranged councilling for him , CBT I think but in the mean time I'm really concerned and worried . I don't know what to do regarding food, I can't test his blood sugar levels so I don't know where I am with that either . The doctor had referred us to the hospital to see the nurses in the diabetic clinic but we have to wait for that as well . I guess I'm just frightened and worried and could do with any help that's out there regarding what to give him to eat , what to look out for , warning signs etc

Please help me

Dawn x
well hell soon get rid of that 5 stone because the weight was flying off me when I first got confirmation that I had type 1 diabetes. and he needant worry about is trip to the diabetic clinic. the nurse will show him everything he needs to know.
 
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Dawny47

Member
Messages
16
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi everyone

Well week one done of the low carb no sugar high fat diet and he did really well ! He lost 7lbs in five days but put on a pound over the weekend . He was so depressed and fed up and not feeling so good on Sunday that I let him have a bit of chocolate trifle I know that's bad but that was the only bit of sugar he had had all week . Would that bit of trifle have made him put a pound on ?
Anyway I finally got him to let me do the finger prick gloucose test , ( I have to say my nerves are wracked going it , the pressure I'm under to get it right is crazy !!!-) anyway his blood sugar was 5.1!!!
I'm really pleased but a litttle confused . Could that be the result of us being on the diet for a week ? Could it be wrong ? Could he not be diabetic after all ? Any ideas anyone ?
 
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Dawny47

Member
Messages
16
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Just tested his sugar round his mums and it was 13.1. I bought my monitor two years ago so I think my strips might be out of date . I'm going to try and get some more strips if I can't I'll get a new monitor .
 
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Dawny47

Member
Messages
16
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Ok , i think my monitors broken because i did it again when i got home and it was 2.3 amd he looked fine lol so I think it's broken . I did the unrobe test and he was in the middle of the chart so I'm guessing that's ok? And just popped round his mums again and it's 10.2. He's just eaten cheese and his face is a bit red but he feels ok . God i just wish he'd have a bloody blood test !!!!!
 

Dairygrade

Well-Known Member
Messages
314
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Having diabetes
Hi dawnny47 yes it could me the monitor but if strips are out of date that would influence it as well have you checked the date on the pot of strips but if your still not sure get another meter and strips can you get one off doctor or have you got to buy one hope all goes well and he soon feels better
By the way we watched a programme over the weekend and there was a rugby player 6ft tall about 17/19 stone built like a tank he was in hos don't know what for nurse came round to give him a blood test he looked at the needle said something and promptly passed out lol must be horrible being needle phobic .
 
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