When I inject my insulin, I always get the same result—I'm not hungry! It's easy to keep track of how much my blood sugar has fluctuated over time because it takes just an hour or so for it to be reflected in my doctor's office chart. That means if I want a little extra help or a glass of water while I wait five minutes, I can do it before my injection. Or if I need two pumps, maybe my doctor will give me one after I'd finished my shot of insulin. It's not hard to stay motivated when I know my doctors are watching and my health isn't dependent on their work.
There's usually no real difference between injecting your insulin in a clinic and injecting it at home. My favourite thing is going to a local centre because most facilities offer free parking and the chance that they'll bring something from their kitchen. Plus, there are lots of staff that can walk you through how to use a pump if you're new to it. But in terms of being healthy, I prefer to go to some place you can take public transportation to. This gives me more time to spend outside, without worrying about anything else. (Some private clinics also have this option.) When I need something specific, like my type 2 diabetes medication, I prefer to stay away from any places where there are too many people. I also prefer to go somewhere else with a smaller number of patients, since there's not as much competition, even though there's usually a lot of waiting. And sometimes I like to have a lunch meeting with different nurses who inject insulin at the same time, so we can discuss our routines together. There are several reasons to go back for these types of visits, but the biggest reason is that they let us build up rapport.
If you're not sure what type of facility you're using, ask. Even if you're not looking at all of them, there's probably someone there who can help you out if you're not familiar with the way an injection works. Be prepared to share your story to your nurse, as well as your provider. You might recognize someone with whom you're connected who injects insulin and wants to share some experience with you. The easiest way to find those folks is by calling "Nurse" on the phone. Another method is asking around at your nearby medical schools' outpatient programs, which may have nurses that inject insulin every day. Or check the website of your school if it has an online directory where people can look for providers who have specific training in managing adult patients with endocrine issues like diabetes. The list of centers around the country should have options for you to choose from. Remember to talk to your provider about any questions you might have, as well as any other concerns you have about doing this type of treatment.
Keep monitoring
It might take a couple of hours before your blood sugars start rising again. If you're really struggling to make it into bed, try getting to the bathroom and taking care of yourself a little bit. As soon as you feel better, you can come back to the couch and watch TV or play games instead of reading. Don't worry about leaving until the following morning or even if you're tired. Have time to rest and relax as much as possible so that you can prepare for the next day with enough energy to get through the day and do whatever you need to do at the right moment. Make sure to monitor your glucose levels even before your injection time so that you'll know when it's time to start counting the little changes your body might be making after a long sleep or a stressful day. Keep repeating the steps that your doctor has given you each time you inject insulin until it becomes easier. Then go back and repeat the whole process once again as soon as the needle leaves your skin. Don't miss the opportunity to get to know your body. Get ready for your insulin injection. Give your body a break!
Self-monitoring
To give yourself more freedom, your healthcare provider allows you to use a self-monitoring device called an e-changer to track your blood glucose level every few minutes to see how high it is. You can even set some alerts to inform you if your levels are moving too quickly, which can be scary. Once you use the device properly, it is very easy to set up, especially if you want some extra motivation to get into bed earlier so you don't miss your deadline.
You might prefer to use a pulse oximeter, such as this Pulse Oximeter Health Monitor, which will make a tiny noise every ten seconds to tell you when you fall under dangerous levels of high blood sugar and give you a little bit extra motivation before you take your insulin shot. Just make sure you check out the features of this mini pulse oximeter to understand how it works. Any other available devices are good as long as you follow your provider's instructions correctly so you don't hurt yourself.
Rotate your site
After you inject your insulin by yourself, be careful to rotate your needle so it doesn't slip off as easily as it did when you were injecting it at a hospital. Also, remember not to insert or remove the needle during rotation, otherwise your blood will be drawn into your veins and there's a chance it could block your arteries. Rotating the site helps avoid any infection and takes even less time to complete your injection as compared to having a single needle. To avoid complications, the last thing you can do before turning the clock back to normal is to insert the tip of the needle into your muscle tissue. This makes it difficult for your vein to get enough blood to start draining. It also minimizes any risk of bleeding. Use your e-changer to confirm that the needle went in, and then place the needle inside your inner thigh where the muscles are. Place the top of the needle underneath your thigh, and pull the sharpened tip onto your left heel as tight as you can. Continue to pull on the needle as close to your calf as possible, and slowly pull the needle out of the tissue. Gently push down against the side of your foot until the needle moves into your inner thigh. Do this until the needle goes past or touches the outer edge of your thigh. Do not stop pulling on the needle; it cannot move further without causing serious damage to the surrounding nerve. Look for the location of your major nerve, and gently push your hand down into your stomach. Again, move along to push into your abdomen as far as possible.
Then return to the original spot on your calf. Repeat this 10 to 15 times, moving it as far as you can. See if it works better here or in another location. If it does, you're halfway through your injection. Start slowly injecting the remaining insulin, slowly sucking the liquid out of your mouth, and if needed, take a deep breath and continue until the fluid runs slowly out of the body. Do this until the needle reaches your ankle. Then slowly insert the needle into your ankle, and press firmly on the point of your foot. Let go of your foot and slowly insert the needle into your other ankle. Keep going as far as you can. Hold onto your needle while injecting, then slowly insert it back into the body. Take care not to push it too forcefully onto the surface of your limb or cut it in any way when injecting it. At the end of the injection, look around. Check for bruising. Make sure not to leave an inch of space between your skin and your needle. If blood comes out of the wound area, start with a small area of the skin around the wound as a safety net. Pour all of the blood and pus that falls out of the wound onto the surface of your upper arm. Continue cleaning the wound area with sterile gauze. Cover it with dressing for 24 hours, then cover the wound with clean paper towels and apply a bandage once a day for three days. Apply a second bandage once a day for three days after your injection. Wear gloves to protect your hands during the final stage of the injection. Wash your hands with cool, wet, running water or soap. A person that needs help might need assistance to administer the injection by themselves. This is called remote administration, and the nurse will call back with directions and information about what type of medication they need and how many doses to drop from the vial. Find out if remote administration is available or if it isn't and find out what kinds of equipment and supplies will allow you to do it. Most hospitals provide automated equipment that can control temperature and dosage amounts without the need for human supervision.
My tip:
I need to keep two things in mind while administering my injections. First, if I need to use an epinephrine pen, be prepared for potential reactions. They can include swelling of the area, redness or swelling, itching, and even skin sores. If you're giving insulin injections by yourself, I'd definitely recommend having some epinephrine so I can treat minor side effects as fast as possible. Second, watch your dose so that you don't exceed your maximum that your body can hold. Try not to lie on your heels all night—that'll lead to increased blood pressure, which can increase the rate of heart attack and stroke. Lastly, if you have trouble breathing, consider changing your position to ensure more oxygen gets to your muscles. All of these tips won't prevent you from overdosing, but making sure you're alert so you can react to any symptoms you might encounter can save you from negative outcomes in the future.
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