Due to the advice by those who don’t inject daily, we have been advised over time you use various mm fine point or other insulin pen needles.
So I find going through one of my medicine filled drawers, which I suspect we all have, a mix of 4mm, 8mm, 12mm insulin pen needles that I will never use, since I prefer using 6mm (after a long battle with my diabetic nurse).
Being diagnosed in August 1973 with type one diabetes, I have no diabetes related issues, apart from lumps and bumps where injections have been done over time, though 51 years of 4 injections a day (and the occasional SAM issue like covid), equates to (excluding flu jabs and vaccines) roughly 74,256 injections - so when someone says to me I’m afraid of needles I go slightly emotional and apply swear words.
I had been told (laughingly) that because this year is my 50th year surviving diabetes, I might receive a gold Freestyle Libre 2 or a watch saying “50 years diabetic handle with care”.
So going back to the needles topic, how do I dispose of these, some are unopened, some are due to need to obviously inject because I ran out, then realised they weren’t comfortable or suitable (a 12mm means if your travelling you need to take 4 to use daily, because you cannot use them again, because your NovoPen lid can’t be closed, some might argue that’s a good thing because your changing them for each injection, but you try going through US customs with over 80 needles in you hand luggage, without questions - irrespective if you say your diabetic).
Do I dispose of the needles by :
a) taking them to my local pharmacy (I live in a village so local is 8 miles away).
b) dispose of them by throwing away the box and putting all the unused insulin pen needles into a sharps box for incineration - though a normal sharps box would become full with just one box of insulin pen needles, I would need at least a 4 litre to hold two or three boxes worth.
c) isn’t there a charity or something that can utilise these unused - still sterile single use with the paper tabs on, needles - I mean Ukraine or other countries must have diabetics, we aren’t that unique.
So I find going through one of my medicine filled drawers, which I suspect we all have, a mix of 4mm, 8mm, 12mm insulin pen needles that I will never use, since I prefer using 6mm (after a long battle with my diabetic nurse).
Being diagnosed in August 1973 with type one diabetes, I have no diabetes related issues, apart from lumps and bumps where injections have been done over time, though 51 years of 4 injections a day (and the occasional SAM issue like covid), equates to (excluding flu jabs and vaccines) roughly 74,256 injections - so when someone says to me I’m afraid of needles I go slightly emotional and apply swear words.
I had been told (laughingly) that because this year is my 50th year surviving diabetes, I might receive a gold Freestyle Libre 2 or a watch saying “50 years diabetic handle with care”.
So going back to the needles topic, how do I dispose of these, some are unopened, some are due to need to obviously inject because I ran out, then realised they weren’t comfortable or suitable (a 12mm means if your travelling you need to take 4 to use daily, because you cannot use them again, because your NovoPen lid can’t be closed, some might argue that’s a good thing because your changing them for each injection, but you try going through US customs with over 80 needles in you hand luggage, without questions - irrespective if you say your diabetic).
Do I dispose of the needles by :
a) taking them to my local pharmacy (I live in a village so local is 8 miles away).
b) dispose of them by throwing away the box and putting all the unused insulin pen needles into a sharps box for incineration - though a normal sharps box would become full with just one box of insulin pen needles, I would need at least a 4 litre to hold two or three boxes worth.
c) isn’t there a charity or something that can utilise these unused - still sterile single use with the paper tabs on, needles - I mean Ukraine or other countries must have diabetics, we aren’t that unique.
