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blood testing

M

mind_doctor

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hi,
i have recently been diagnosed and as such decided to join the club lol.
i dont know if anyone else experiences this, when i check my blood with the funky little machine, i have trouble donating enough blood. i have even put the needle on the deepest setting and it takes me several attempts to draw enough for the test.
i have tried to use my forearm but i just look like a chronic junkie with all the pin marks up my arm.
call me a wimp maybe, but i hate stabbing my fingers. it hurts terribly after stabbing several times on different fingers and on my palm and not being too forthcoming with the hemo'.
are there any other sites on my body that are not so sensitive that i can draw from to give a proper reading?
regards the mind doctor...
 
Welcome to the forum,MD .Are your hands warm when you try and get blood? Run them under the hot tap for a minute,I usually find that the best finger to go for are the sides of the ring fingers.Don't stab at the ends ,that hurts!!Massage the finger then press thumb against the pad and stab at the side of the finger.Gently press not squeeze so that you get a good drop of blood.Most of the meters do not need too much.Hope that helps a bit.
 
hi sue,
thanks for such a quick response!!
i only jab the sides of my fingers, i have never gone for the tips. the d nurse said i would lose sensation in my finger tips if i did that.
i am blessed with warm hands anyway so i have no problem with them being cold.
on average it takes me around 10-15 stabs.
i gave up on the forearms as there was so little coming out anyway (pinhead size) but after a day it would show up as little red needle marks (no tracking though lol ).
i have even put my fingers on the table and pushed down firmly with no real benefit.
if it was just one stab a few times per day i would be ok, its the continuous stabbing that is the problem.
i will try the warm water on my hands though as any way i can reduce the pin holes in my skin will be a blessing.
thank you
mind_doctor
 
Hi!
My machine has 2 "caps" one for alternative site testing. That's what I use. On the inside of the forearm, there are few sensors and usually I don't even feel it.
I don't wash the skin first, just give it a rub to bring blood to the surface capillaries. Try it! It's painless. The manual with your meter will tell you how your specific one works. Mine is a Freestyle Mini.
Hana
 
You could try your ear lobe. It was a spot my nurse told me to use, when I was a kid and hated doing tests. Made it easy for mum to reach.
 
You can't carry on like this or your fingers will be like raw hamburgers, if they aren't already.

I have found the accucheck soft click the least painful of the prickers. They cost £21.
 
mind_doctor said:
hi,
i have recently been diagnosed and as such decided to join the club lol.
i dont know if anyone else experiences this, when i check my blood with the funky little machine, i have trouble donating enough blood. i have even put the needle on the deepest setting and it takes me several attempts to draw enough for the test.
i have tried to use my forearm but i just look like a chronic junkie with all the pin marks up my arm.
call me a wimp maybe, but i hate stabbing my fingers. it hurts terribly after stabbing several times on different fingers and on my palm and not being too forthcoming with the hemo'.
are there any other sites on my body that are not so sensitive that i can draw from to give a proper reading?
regards the mind doctor...
Click to expand...
Hi, And welcome to our world, you did the right thing joining.
Right to do a blood test,
First wash your hands, this not only gets your hands clean it sofens the skin and warms them, this will help with any pain with cold hands.
You can also see how to blood tests on U-tube , just put in diabetes under video.
Second use the lowest setting on your pricker, press the pricker hard against your skin, then press on the lower part of the finger you have pricked and slowly push to wards the tip,
Third you will find you may have to do this several times but it will make a nice drop at the test site. :D :D :D :D
You can now blood test and with almost no pain when using the pricker.
 
The warmth and massage of a jolly good hand wash will not only help you stay free of skin infections but it will encourage the flow of blood to the surface ... one thing I've only just found out that makes it easier: is to pinch your finger (not so hard it hurts, but hard enough to make your skin tense) and then prick it ... seems to bring a nice little well of blood pretty quickly ... my blood also prefers staying inside my body if possible :) ... make sure you change the lancet (that's the replaceable sharp tip of your finger pricker device) some people use one lancet per finger prick, some make them last longer (I use mine 4-6 times and then replace) ... if all else fails, just prior to your test, jump up and down flapping your arms wildly (avoiding china) ... this might not work but it will make me smile to think of!!!!!

all the best, Jem xox
 
Hi all,
thank you all for such a positive response, i went to see the d' nurse today ( GOT TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE LOL). they tried with the standard stabby bits i had and ended up giving me a huge box of the single shot ones they use in hospitals ( UNISTIK 3 ). they have written to my gp to request them on script, bless them. these ones do work exceptionally well, i give enough to transfuse a cat lol. it was suggested that i have no need to push so hard now so perhaps the bruising and hamburger fingers will return to normal. i have another question but will post it seperately as it dosn't directly relate to this. thank you all again

mind_doctor. :D
 
Katharine said:
You can't carry on like this or your fingers will be like raw hamburgers, if they aren't already.

I have found the accucheck soft click the least painful of the prickers. They cost £21.
Click to expand...

Agreed, many people who prefer One Touch meters use the Accuchek stabber. But what a ludicrous price, you could buy an entire Accuchek meter with some test strips for less and get the stabber thrown in for free.
 
Ah, I didn't realise the stabber came with the meter!

Steven's broke down and my husband fixed the spring. I had looked online meanwhile to see how much they were. The blurb showing the meters didn't show the stabber as well.

I will keep my eyes peeled for a bargain.

Accucheck are bringing out a new stabber that has six lancets embedded in it. It is the same sort of idea and they say that it is similarly less hamburger finger inducing/relatively pain free.


Accucheck give a lifetime guarantee with the meters/stabber. Inthe event of another failure, would they replace the stabber even if we have stopped using the meter?
 
Katharine said:
Ah, I didn't realise the stabber came with the meter!

Steven's broke down and my husband fixed the spring. I had looked online meanwhile to see how much they were. The blurb showing the meters didn't show the stabber as well.

I will keep my eyes peeled for a bargain.
Click to expand...

http://www.diabeticshop.co.uk/accuchek.html

not exactly bargain prices for the meters, you'd probably do better looking in local pharmacies, but they're one of the only sources I know who sell the stabber separately

Accucheck give a lifetime guarantee with the meters/stabber. Inthe event of another failure, would they replace the stabber even if we have stopped using the meter?
Click to expand...

Probably, if you didn't tell them <G>
 
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