I went to meter and insulin "training" yesterday. I didn't even learn about diet and calculating the insulin I'll need before eating, and it was still so much information.
The educator was great though, and she spoke from personal experience as a Type 1 Diabetic.
After going through lots of information on each, she had me test my blood sugar while I was there (about 350). I used a super fine lancet that Mom had gotten for me, and it didn't hurt at all. She then had me, Chad, and Mom practice using an insulin pen on little cushions. Since I hadn't injected any insulin yet, but she couldn't have me inject the kind I had at the time, she also made sure that I could manage to stick myself with a needle before leaving. She sat next to me and stuck herself first, and I followed her example... with no pain at all. Really. It felt like a tap and then I could tell it was there, but that's it.
That was a relief.
She was a little displeased with three things my doctor had done (or not done): First, that she had told me not to start the insulin right away. Second, that she had given me such a conservative starting point, with no rapid-acting insulin (the kind you take when you eat), when my blood sugar was so high. Third, the doctor could have referred me to the dietitian in the same appointment, but hadn't. She ended up calling the doctor and having her prescribe rapid-acting insulin and referring me for "Intensive Insulin Class," where I'll really learn how to calculate it properly and learn about proper diet.
MAN, I'm telling you, this is eating up my personal/sick leave...
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How lucky that you have someone that knows what the doctor should be doing. It feels sometimes like doctors just don't go the extra mile that they should. Maybe they just forget because they see so many patients and don't have the time to be as thorough as they should. I've noticed, too, that with the prevalence of people using the internet to do their own research about what's happening to their bodies, doctors give their patients less information. I think they just assume that everyone goes out and finds all the extra info on their own. And the sad thing is that the internet really is full of all kinds of conflicting information, so it's not always a valid resource unless you're searching on medical websites with answers all given by doctors and nurses rather than John Smith Know-it-All. You're so lucky to have your mom there to answer lots of your questions.
ReplyDeleteSo, the pricking doesn't hurt, but does it leave your finger sore? I've always wondered that.
I've discovered that my ring finger can get sore, but my middle finger is no problem at all. So I use it the most.
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