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

what advice were you given on how to take a blood sample?

Madge 2 said:
Help please! I bought a home blood testing machine complete with everything you need because Type 2 diabetes is so totally in your face out there at the moment and my diet is not the best, so I thought I'd do a test but didn't want to bother my GP practice and the NHS. I have tried 25 times to obtain a blood sample from my fingers and only once was I successful. I feel the prick and quite often I see the blood released under the skin, but nothing comes to the surface (even if I squeeze, which the instructions tell you not to do).
I watched the video and am doing everything right, warming fingers, slapping, shaking etc. to get the blood up there, but no joy.
Is there anywhere else I can obtain a sample from?
Click to expand...
Hi Madge this thread is 9 years old so you may not get any replies from the original posters. Can you tell me which meter and lancing device you have as each one is a bit different. A lot have "depth" settings on them so yours may not be deep enough to get blood to the surface?
 
bulkbiker said:
Hi Madge this thread is 9 years old so you may not get any replies from the original posters. Can you tell me which meter and lancing device you have as each one is a bit different. A lot have "depth" settings on them so yours may not be deep enough to get blood to the surface?
Click to expand...
Oh dear, I'm sorry, I'm not very clever with the internet.
I'm using a Sanitas machine, sold by Lidl, German make, all looks very professional.
I understand about the depth settings and have it set on the highest (deepest) setting. Once I was successful, and having got a reading of 5.9, thought I had better keep monitoring it. I see people talking about a separate lancet and doing it by hand, but I'm not sure I have the guts for that!
I have small thin veins all over the surface of the backs of my hands, should I use one of them?
Thank you so much for noticing my post and replying.
 
Madge 2 said:
Oh dear, I'm sorry, I'm not very clever with the internet.
I'm using a Sanitas machine, sold by Lidl, German make, all looks very professional.
I understand about the depth settings and have it set on the highest (deepest) setting. Once I was successful, and having got a reading of 5.9, thought I had better keep monitoring it. I see people talking about a separate lancet and doing it by hand, but I'm not sure I have the guts for that!
I have small thin veins all over the surface of the backs of my hands, should I use one of them?
Thank you so much for noticing my post and replying.
Click to expand...
OK where are you trying to get the blood from? Most of us use the sides of our fingers above the last joint. The sides are usually less sensitive than the tips. Have you tried there? You don't want to go for veins or anything just a small prick on the side of your finger kind of a mid nail level but obviously not through the nail.
 
bulkbiker said:
OK where are you trying to get the blood from? Most of us use the sides of our fingers above the last joint. The sides are usually less sensitive than the tips. Have you tried there? You don't want to go for veins or anything just a small prick on the side of your finger kind of a mid nail level but obviously not through the nail.
Click to expand...
Yes, tried pretty well everywhere but will give it another go. Thanks so much for your time.
 
Madge 2 said:
Yes, tried pretty well everywhere but will give it another go. Thanks so much for your time.
Click to expand...

Hi. Although I was given a metre by my doc I wasn't told how to use it. I remember being very baffled until I found a YouTube link. Well worth a watch if you are still worried. It takes a few goes then it all makes sense .... ( sorry I don't have the link)
 
As a type 2 I was told not to test so got no advice on how to test. I bought a meter and followed the instructions in the user manual that came with it.

 
phoenix said:
Not advised to wash hands, and neither did they swab them in hospital before testing. I was told to avoid thumb and forefingers. More recently read to avoid alcohol wipes.
I test anywhere, in the middle of a long run or bicycle ride its not possible to wash. My biggest problem then is that because the blood is pumping quite fast it doesn't always want to stop bleeding and I end up with blood streaming down my finger.

I do find that the ends of my fingers are now less sensitive, I have problems in the supermarket opening the plastic bags, OH does it for me else I'm standing there for ages getting more and more frustrated.
Click to expand...
During my recent internment in hospital due to cardiac insufficiency ( which resulted in complications of liver and kidneys over time) my finger tips were massacred with jabs for testing glicemia. After leaving hospital I had only my left hand fingers still able to accept pricks. I wish to share an advice I got from a friend to apply “propolis extract” (bee-product) to my wounded finger tips. They recovered fully within a week!
I wish this could be useful to any of this forum members in need of it.
 
Madge 2 said:
Help please! I bought a home blood testing machine complete with everything you need because Type 2 diabetes is so totally in your face out there at the moment and my diet is not the best, so I thought I'd do a test but didn't want to bother my GP practice and the NHS. I have tried 25 times to obtain a blood sample from my fingers and only once was I successful. I feel the prick and quite often I see the blood released under the skin, but nothing comes to the surface (even if I squeeze, which the instructions tell you not to do).
I watched the video and am doing everything right, warming fingers, slapping, shaking etc. to get the blood up there, but no joy.
Is there anywhere else I can obtain a sample from?
Click to expand...

Hi @Madge 2 ,

A very warm welcome to the forum!

I was never realy shown how to do a meter test when I got my meter back in the 1980s. I just observed what the HCPs were doing to me at the time... Incidentally. My recent dealings with a nurse two weeks ago. She failed to draw blood for a test. I pulled my own meter out & used my lancing device to give her the sample.
Her whole technique was off. She also tried scooping the blood with a strip as opposed to allowing the blood to be drawn into the end by touching the drop..

However, one cannot self diagnose diabetes with random home blood tests.
For your own peace of mind. See your doctor & get some blood works done, sent off to a lab..

Please by all means stay in touch & let us know how you got on.

Kind regards,

J>
 
bulkbiker said:
OK where are you trying to get the blood from? Most of us use the sides of our fingers above the last joint. The sides are usually less sensitive than the tips. Have you tried there? You don't want to go for veins or anything just a small prick on the side of your finger kind of a mid nail level but obviously not through the nail.
Click to expand...
Eureka! After another 4 tries I finally managed a tiny drop which I thought would be insufficient but turned out to give a reading.
Thank you again for your help. Also I was interested in the Keto diet you mentioned, and am going to follow it on your recommendation. I feel a lot less worried now! Thanks again.
 
Back
Top