Self Injection Tips

Hi,

My 10 year old son was diagnosed 3 weeks ago and on Saturday he plucked up the courage to do his own Novorapid, now he does it himself before every meal. He was so keen to do it like yourself but just couldn’t.
I pinched his skin for him the first couple of times while he injected the needle but now he does both himself. Try asking your mum to pinch the skin so you only have to concentrate on putting the needle in correctly, you’ll have so much more independence once you do it
Good luck

 

Hi @GlitterSparkles,
At age 13 I had a struggle with this. This was in 1966 and the needles then were not as fine and sharp as they are now.
Your DSN is your best teacher in this but imagine the syringe/needle/pen is a dart but a dart you keep hold of !!
Rather than pressing the needle on the skin it is best (according to all the children I have seen on diabetes camps, too)) to 'throw' it through the skin quickly with the (usually) the hand you write and draw with.. The sting (if there is one) is over really quickly that way. You will need your other hand/fingers to help push the plunger in !!
Good luck, Best Wishes and lots of Gold Stars !!! Having a super heroine as an imaginary helper is a good idea too !!

 

Hi, welcome to the forum.

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes two years ago. Last week I had my first appointment with the hospital specialists. They have put me onto insulin.

I thought I’d never be able to inject myself. Slowly but surely I have been though.

The nurse at the hospital had a brilliant technique for us newbies regarding injecting.
She had a rubber bath duck, that I practiced on.
The practice involved loading needle onto pen, then setting it to 2 and releasing the insulin beforehand.
Then finally injecting it into the duck.

Might be worth you considering doing this to practice, then you’ll find it actually isn’t that bad.
The first one will be the worst, but it will get easier. I will be at the week milestone tomorrow for self injecting.

Good luck, and please keep us posted xxx

 

Rubber Duckie, you're the one .........

 

Unfortunately for the duck I think the plasticky exterior probably simulates the 'feel' in the injector's hand of the needle going through skin better than the orange or sponge does.
And I suppose the duck IS a better bath toy !!
We are all big kids after all !!!
What about a competition to see which is the best article/surface etc to practice injections with (apart from one's own skin !!)
And two others:
Best bath toy and best super hero/heroine??

 

Please can I make a poll in this group using you’re idea for a competition?

 

Please do. Does a moderator need to do this or can anyone do it ?

 

I’m not sure, I’ll have a try though and see how we get on x

 

just be careful to hold the needle 90 degrees from the skin - nice and straight, pinch the skin a little, go slowly and i sometimes find it easier to look away or close my eyes just while I'm pushing the needle all the way in (not while finding somewhere to put it!) Be sure to wait 10 seconds after fully injecting before pulling the needle out and pull out at 90 degrees as well nice and slowly. Good luck over the next couple of weeks - those are definitely the hardest and it'll get easier after that x

 

Woohoo Big up to you hun
Its easy isn't it?

 

I worked out how many jabs I have done in nearly 49 years of T1D from the JDRF website. Just over 58 thousand injections