• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Abdomen Alternative Testing Site

wordangel

wordangel

Member
Messages
22
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi, I am a klutz... how do you get an abdominal sample? My meter will do it because I have done it, but i have trouble getting a sufficient sample. Location, etc... so i dont hit a fatty spot... am new here and have never talked to another diabetic about anything. Was taught to test by my pharmacist. Can anybody help me out with this?

Thanks
 
HI, urbanracer, like your couplet! and thanks for your answer...

Okay I got all that from the video. I tried testing right at the waist level. Needed either a 30 or 28 gauge lancet, whereas i use a 33 for my finger. It seems the skin needs to be very taut. And it's easier to hit the button accidentally. But my forearms bruise terribly and i read an nih study saying this is virtually the same for results. So can you or anybody give me a how-to? Having tried i can atttest it's harder to get the sample but it seems painless... ?
 
wordangel said:
HI, urbanracer, like your couplet! and thanks for your answer...

Okay I got all that from the video. I tried testing right at the waist level. Needed either a 30 or 28 gauge lancet, whereas i use a 33 for my finger. It seems the skin needs to be very taut. And it's easier to hit the button accidentally. But my forearms bruise terribly and i read an nih study saying this is virtually the same for results. So can you or anybody give me a how-to? Having tried i can atttest it's harder to get the sample but it seems painless... ?
Click to expand...

I have never used an alternative site for testing, so until right now, I have zero personal experience.

I have read of some people using ear lobes as an alternative site, and I think there's likely to be a decent blood supply there.

In the interests of science, you understand, I've just tried various places on my abdomen and upper forearm and I'm a resounding failure. Whilst I could prick the skin I couldn't harvest enough blood to test. Of courrse, I could have tried increasing the lancet height, but I'll reserve that experimentation for any time I might need it.

Thank goodness my fingers perform nicely. Do you prefer not to use your finger tips, or are they unsuitable for some reason? I'm not asking you to disclose why they might be unsuitable, I'm just a curious old girl. :)
 
Dear AndBReathe,

Two little professors with curiosity on here? I did the same thing. Didn't hurt but what a mess. I'm serious it didn't hurt but i compared with finger results... i found a video on YouTube and it was a demo and this woman was sticking herself and her meter was able to be fired in rapid succession without apparent resetting... and i think she was leaving the barrel in place and doing 4 sticks with the same lancet. i even tried that althoug i had to set them by hand. i learned from her that it isn't good to have the test strip ready ahead of time. At the end I tried my thigh... also new but shirts and waistbands and lancets falling out and shooting into the air... oh, my. the thigh was a good clean stick after two tries and was very close to my fingertip reading.

Fingertip sticks bother me very much. I am a little out of control and need to test more and my fingers are bruised and hurting. That's why. They are very tender and don't enjoy doing art and the computer... i thought it would give me a break. It is a new area in science. My test strips are too small and hard to handle. I almost learned how but gvae up a little discouraged tonight.

And in the interest of science or curiosity, you did it too! Glad you didn't find those video instructions. Not very clear and not totally right....
 
wordangel said:
AndBreathe I corrected something i wrote to you here but didn't know i was on another thread...i had a link and here it is... http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.c...-glucose-management/alternate-site-testing-2/.

That post is on http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-new-emotional-issue-with-diabetes.105896/#post-1226092

I didn't want to leave my misinformation uncorrected.
Click to expand...

No problem wordangel.

To be honest, I just tried the alternative sites out of pure curiosity and my finger prick tests don't fuss me too much.

I test well to the side of my fingers, so the pads don't become sore from repeated puncturing over days. Maybe try the sides of your fingers? Alternatively you could consider using the Libre system from time to time. I love it, but can't justify the cost for full time usage, but it certainly gives the finger tips a rest for the 2-week duration of the sensor.
 
AndBreathe said:
No problem wordangel.

To be honest, I just tried the alternative sites out of pure curiosity and my finger prick tests don't fuss me too much.

I test well to the side of my fingers, so the pads don't become sore from repeated puncturing over days. Maybe try the sides of your fingers? Alternatively you could consider using the Libre system from time to time. I love it, but can't justify the cost for full time usage, but it certainly gives the finger tips a rest for the 2-week duration of the sensor.
Click to expand...
i looked at that the libre... couldnt pay it even once . but it's interesting. one reveiew said skin problem which i would have. but am in us. my test supplies covered but only one choice. don't like that. test strips too narrow. :( i need to find out how much a pound is. i learned it as a kid and thought it would always be true. at least not that misguided anymore...
 
Back
Top