Slipping through my fingers
By Becky from Instructions Not Included
March 30, 2010
701
16
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Come Thursday it will have been eleven months. Eleven months of all of this. And the thing that is bothering me the most right now? My fingers. They feel absolutely shot. I'm starting to form callouses on certain ones. Yes I rotate. But what I've found lately is that I can't get half my fingers to bleed. The ones that will are so UNBELIEVABLY sore. I picked up Cassie (my beautiful guitar) last night, to practice, and had to put her down after five minutes. I tried playing Lucy, one of Andrew's guitars, who has a lighter action, but couldn't even handle that. Very upsetting.What else I have come to notice, however, is that whichever fingers won't bleed when I'm lancing them for testing, will then insist on bleeding on close to everything that's in the vicinity. Now, this seems familiar, I'm sure. It's not the first time I've mentioned it. But when you look and there's now blood on your mouse, keyboard, the telephone, the light switch…the list goes on. I'm finding that my lancing device is not my best friend at the moment. Normally, I'll do nothing but sing Bayer's praises, but this thing is really trying my patience. Even set to the deepest level, it's a real swing and a miss as to whether it will get any blood out at all. Which is why I'm alternating with using the supposedly 'comfort' single use lancets that I bought a box of online last year. I don't trust alternate site testing, since every time I've tried it, it has ended up only hurting me more. So much for 'giving your fingers a break' as it's marketed in the pamphlets I've picked up from clinic in the past.Testing hurts. I don't like doing it. But I do it because, one, it needs to be done. And two, if I don't, I just sit and worry and end up doing it anyway. I don't think I'm the least bit obsessed, but there's no way I could cut down to testing less times than I do. Which, in case anyone is interested, is usually 7-10 times a day. I remember a particularly interesting exchange with my endo where he told me I could just get away with testing twice a day. Needless to say, I told him I wouldn't be comfortable with that, and it wouldn't be happening. But please fingers…get it together? Before it's not just my ability to bleed that slips away, but the last vestiges of my sanity as well?
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Comments (16 comments)
Add your commentI thnk that there is a way now that you can use your arm. Ask your doctor about it. Don't try doing with your current lancets. Good luck.
Use the SIDE of your finger, near the nail. My endo had a fit when she saw me testing "the wrong place". I challenged her to test in the right place and continue working. She now teaches people to test on the side of the finger. You can also test on both sides of the finger. Playing the piano does not cause any discomfort so maybe it will work for guitar.
Since your doctor thinks you should test less and test strips are expensive pick a week to start a new program. For that entire week test one time less than you have been. If you have been testing 7 times, test 6. After a week or two, do it again. I test 4 times a day so I have a tiny bit of room to talk. It will take time.
I also think the new testing place will work better. Try letting your hand "dangle" for about 30 seconds. That should help (I hope).
Also, I don't think it's your lancets but your lancing device. I went thru several before I found one that didn't "stab the core of the earth". Talk to your pharmacist. They probably have other devices pretty cheap. You do NOT need name brand lancets. A lancet is a lancet is a lancet. BD, One Touch, and Reli-on all work in the same device. Experiment.
I don't like alternate site testing, it always leaves bruises and I get so sore. Good luck and be patient.
Wow, i guess everyone really is different. I couldn't test on the tips or pad. OUCH!!! I do the sides of my fingers about a cm from the nail and I never feel it. My doctor told me lotion, lotion, lotion & if need be the old vasoline with gloves at night. (Haven't gotten that far.) I try not to poke the EXACT same spot. i have researched alternative areas as well, but since meters do not give us our EXACT reading anyway, other sites tend to be further off. Hopefully, they will come up with something so we don't have to poke at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I totally feel for you. I have been a type one for 38 years. In the last 5 I have upped my testing to 10+ times a day. My doc said it was too much, but I am totally on the same page as you! The more I know my numbers the better control I have. My A1C for the last five has been 4.2 - 4.5. The doctors cant touch me and blame it on the diabetes. I bleed sometimes after I have checked. I now take a few more seconds to check the site and see if it is still bleeding. I keep a stack of napkins on hand to blot too. I am working on calluses and gently use a pumice stone on them a couple of times of week. I try to lotion before bedtime too. Keep up the fantastic work!!!!
I was diagnosed about a month ago and i know i am already getting sick of it. i can only imagine how i'm gonna handle doing this for the rest of my life. the alternate site testing hurts just as much as the fingers do to me and i think are a waste of time and money. i get soooo mad when i "stab" myself and not blood comes out or it bleeds but its not "enough" for the strip..then i wasted another strip (again, ugh!). I guess you can find comfort in the fact that your not the only one. I never heard of anyone testing 7-10 times a day but like i said im new to all this and if my endo said i could test less i would!!
Hang in there…hopefully you will find a way to alternate site test and give those fingers a much needed rest. Good luck!!
there is now a lot of new meters on the market that require very little blood and come with 2 different ends, one you use to stick your finger and the other one allows you to test on your forearm,palm, etc..some of the meters you can get is the freestyle, accuchek compact plus, which is what i have and i love it
I take my blood from the area just below my elbow. It is just about as accurate as finger sticking.
Over the last 50 years we have seen some remarkable advances in medicine and I believe the best are yet to come. I know it is hard to be patient, but if trying different areas at first seems futile, remember that there are researchers and inventors that are out there working on the problem. I believe that we all need to stay current on the technology, and continue to care for ourselves the best that we can. That watch one of you was talking about is probably already being developed somewhere.
Rotation seems to work for me - I've got ten fingers and there are 30 days in most months so each finger gets three days a month. Though, I must admit, I don't like using my mouse finger. The other thing that occurs to me is that I have to drink lots of water before blood tests to improve blood flow and I think the asprin I take every day might make that drop of blood flow a bit more freely.
What a great lament…I'm sure we can all identify. I'm looking forward to the day that I can look at a "watch" which will tell me my blood glucose. Whoever comes up with that invention will become the next billionaire. As a Type 1 diabetic since 1965, the technology really hasn't changed that much. The major change has been in testing. Early on the only test was a urine test with clinitest tablets. The insulin changed a little, but NPH was available early on and now we have lantus. Yes, we have the pump, but until it reads your BG in real time and dispenses appropriately, I'm not that really interested. The next giant leap would be instant/continuous BG readings on a watch. Until then, we all have to suffer with sore fingers…ouch! I play the piano, so maybe they don't hurt me as much…:>) But I can identify with you.
OK I have read all the comments, so now my question is do you get the same results as the finger or are they off totally? I know how you feel Becky and I am the same way wven tho I dont test as much. I hate this disease!!!
Have you tried some of the devices that you can test on your for arms, they work just the same
i know most dr's (and nurses) test on the side of our fingers, but i have found (after 17 years of testing) that the tip of my fingers actually hurts less. In fact, when I was last inthe hospital, and they were checking my sugar every hour, on the hour, i asked them to pleeease not wake me up everytime they had to test. I told them "Just stick me,…i wont even feel it!" and so they did. And i was able to sleep through the night. Just a thought. However, depending on your meter, you can also test on your palm (on the thicker part, by your thumb area), and your forearm.
You do know that you can test on your thighs and arms…Usually the parts of your body that has the most meat (fatty areas) on you. Get a new blood glucose monitor…
If I played the guitar I would not finger test. Try forearm testing. I just googled it and found a lot of stuff on it. Good luck!!