Doing it without a pricker



A

Alan Mackenzie

Guest
Last Friday evening I was round at a friend's place, trying to get a modem to work on his computer
which runs a proprietary operating system. (It kept telling us "There is a problem with the modem -
either the modem is not working properly, or there is a problem with the driver or ...." I can't
remember the last bit. CURSE those Arschlöcher at MS! But that's a different story.) The upshot was,
I forgot my bag when I set off for home, and my survival kit was in it.

Plenty of backup supplies of insulin and syringes at home. But no pricker to get blood out of my arm
for a BS test. So I decided to improvise with a bare lancet.

Technique question: is it better to place the lancet against the skin pressing gently until it
penetrates, or to hit the skin in imitation of the pricker's action? I decided on the latter.
Gripping the lancet between left thumb and forefinger, both of them protruding slightly beyond the
end of the lancet, I hit my right forarm, expecting T and F to cushion the blow so that the lancet
between them would pierce. Nothing. Coarser adjustment of T and F. Still nothing. Then a tiny
inadequate drop. Three of four tries later, a tiny, barely adequate drop, with which I did the
measurement.

Same procedure the following morning, this time on my left forearm. Not pleasant (even less so than
doing it with a pricker). Saturday afternoon I noticed a mildly painful lump on my left arm - a
massive bruise. The bruise is still there four days later, but seems to be gradually dissipating.

Somehow I think plan A would have been better: gently pressing the lancet through the skin. Of
course, the above difficulty will _never_ occur again, but just in case it does, I'll be
trying plan A.

--
Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany) Email: [email protected]; to decode, wherever there is a repeated
letter (like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
 
Alan Mackenzie wrote in message ...
>Last Friday evening I was round at a friend's place, trying to get a modem to work on his . .
>.(snip). . . there is a problem with the driver or
...." I
>can't remember the last bit. CURSE those Arschlöcher at MS! But that's a different story. . .
>.(snip). . .
>--
>Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)

Yes, Bill Gates and Microsoft are curse words in our house too. My sweet gentle wife; a mother; a
grandmother, but also a Fury when Bill Gates' arschlocher-iness surfaces.

(Yes, I did buy her a Mac last year)

Regards
Old Al
 
On Wed, 4 Feb 2004 08:59:57 +0000, Alan
Mackenzie<[email protected]> wrote:

>Last Friday evening I was round at a friend's place, trying to get a modem to work on his computer
>which runs a proprietary operating system. (It kept telling us "There is a problem with the modem -
>either the modem is not working properly, or there is a problem with the driver or ...." I can't
>remember the last bit. CURSE those Arschlöcher at MS!

if the OS isn't an MS product then you will need to contact either the modem manufacturer or the OS
manufacturer and ask them if they have the correct drivers for that modem for that OS. It's not
MS's fault.

But that's
>a different story.) The upshot was, I forgot my bag when I set off for home, and my survival kit
>was in it.
>
>Plenty of backup supplies of insulin and syringes at home. But no pricker to get blood out of my
>arm for a BS test. So I decided to improvise with a bare lancet.
>
>Technique question: is it better to place the lancet against the skin pressing gently until it
>penetrates, or to hit the skin in imitation of the pricker's action? I decided on the latter.
>Gripping the lancet between left thumb and forefinger, both of them protruding slightly beyond the
>end of the lancet, I hit my right forarm, expecting T and F to cushion the blow so that the lancet
>between them would pierce. Nothing. Coarser adjustment of T and F. Still nothing. Then a tiny
>inadequate drop. Three of four tries later, a tiny, barely adequate drop, with which I did the
>measurement.
>
>Same procedure the following morning, this time on my left forearm. Not pleasant (even less so than
>doing it with a pricker). Saturday afternoon I noticed a mildly painful lump on my left arm - a
>massive bruise. The bruise is still there four days later, but seems to be gradually dissipating.
>
>Somehow I think plan A would have been better: gently pressing the lancet through the skin. Of
>course, the above difficulty will _never_ occur again, but just in case it does, I'll be
>trying plan A.

it would be better to use your fingers when not using a lancing device.

Mack Type 1 since 1975 http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org http://www.insulin-pumpers.org

In tribute to the United States of America and the State of Israel, two bastions of strength in a
world filled with strife and terrorism.
 
"Alan Mackenzie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]... .
>
> Same procedure the following morning, this time on my left forearm. Not pleasant (even less so
> than doing it with a pricker). Saturday afternoon I noticed a mildly painful lump on my left arm -
> a massive bruise.

Now there`s a surprise!

> Somehow I think plan A would have been better: gently pressing the lancet through the skin. Of
> course, the above difficulty will _never_ occur again, but just in case it does, I'll be
> trying plan A.

Is this a serious post/question??? Were you THAT! desperate to test??? have you never been in this
situation before?? have you never started a meal and then remembered you hadn`t tested??would it
have been the end of the world to have tested later?? I some times wonder what on earth is going on
when i read posts like these,and their relevance to our world :-( (imho)

I posted this comment many moons ago,it still is apt for many on this Board

"Diabetes around your life,NOT! your life around Diabetes"

David... T1since forvever,Humalog and Lantus and metformin(keeps you regular) ;-) missing shots and
tests on a regular basis,but some how surviving LOL, Nah! living it and loving it :)))))))

--
"That Damn Butterfly"
 
Alan Mackenzie wrote:

> Technique question: is it better to place the lancet against the skin pressing gently until it
> penetrates, or to hit the skin in imitation of the pricker's action?

Dear Dude,

Get your camping pocket knife and some styrofoam out. Then fashion a custom styrofoam spacer for the
pricker to keep the fingerstick depth tolerable. Place spacer on needle and use either technique A
or B. Then patent the device.

Et voila,
--
Jim Dumas T1 4/86, background retinopathy, rarely hypoglycemic: <1/mo. lispro+R+U+NPH daily,
moderate exercise, typically <6% HbA1c
 
Jim Dumas wrote:

> Get your camping pocket knife and some styrofoam out. Then fashion a custom styrofoam spacer for
> the pricker to keep the fingerstick depth tolerable.

Come to think of it, the Lilly insulin vial stopper can be removed and used as a rubber spacer. Use
your pocket knife to pry off the lid and remove the stopper. Then trim it to required size.

I did this in about 1990 to limit injection depth for faster absorption,
--
Jim Dumas T1 4/86, background retinopathy, rarely hypoglycemic: <1/mo. lispro+R+U+NPH daily,
moderate exercise, typically <6% HbA1c
 
I never use a lancet device since I dont like the one that came with my reli-on meter .

I just hold the lance between my left thumb and forefinger and " drop " my right finger on it , then
squeeze from several angles to get a drop of blood .

I very rarely have to do it twice .

--
....( remove the " 6 " to email reply )

"Alan Mackenzie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Last Friday evening I was round at a friend's place, trying to get a modem to work on his computer
> which runs a proprietary operating system. (It kept telling us "There is a problem with the modem
> - either the modem is not working properly, or there is a problem with the driver or ...." I can't
> remember the last bit. CURSE those Arschlöcher at MS! But that's a different story.) The upshot
> was, I forgot my bag when I set off for home, and my survival kit was in it.
>
> Plenty of backup supplies of insulin and syringes at home. But no pricker to get blood out of my
> arm for a BS test. So I decided to improvise with a bare lancet.
>
> Technique question: is it better to place the lancet against the skin pressing gently until it
> penetrates, or to hit the skin in imitation of the pricker's action? I decided on the latter.
> Gripping the lancet between left thumb and forefinger, both of them protruding slightly beyond the
> end of the lancet, I hit my right forarm, expecting T and F to cushion the blow so that the lancet
> between them would pierce. Nothing. Coarser adjustment of T and F. Still nothing. Then a tiny
> inadequate drop. Three of four tries later, a tiny, barely adequate drop, with which I did the
> measurement.
>
> Same procedure the following morning, this time on my left forearm. Not pleasant (even less so
> than doing it with a pricker). Saturday afternoon I noticed a mildly painful lump on my left arm -
> a massive bruise. The bruise is still there four days later, but seems to be gradually
> dissipating.
>
> Somehow I think plan A would have been better: gently pressing the lancet through the skin. Of
> course, the above difficulty will _never_ occur again, but just in case it does, I'll be
> trying plan A.
>
> --
> Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany) Email: [email protected]; to decode, wherever there is a repeated
> letter (like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
 
Okay, I've been trying to resist this all day, but with that header I thought this was going to be
some kind of dirty joke.

<I'll get my mind out of the gutter now. I've gotten spam that tells you how to increase size...oh
wait...different spelling.> c

"Alan Mackenzie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Last Friday evening I was round at a friend's place, trying to get a modem to work on his computer
> which runs a proprietary operating system. (It kept telling us "There is a problem with the modem
> - either the modem is not working properly, or there is a problem with the driver or ...." I can't
> remember the last bit. CURSE those Arschlöcher at MS! But that's a different story.) The upshot
> was, I forgot my bag when I set off for home, and my survival kit was in it.
>
> Plenty of backup supplies of insulin and syringes at home. But no pricker to get blood out of my
> arm for a BS test. So I decided to improvise with a bare lancet.
>
> Technique question: is it better to place the lancet against the skin pressing gently until it
> penetrates, or to hit the skin in imitation of the pricker's action? I decided on the latter.
> Gripping the lancet between left thumb and forefinger, both of them protruding slightly beyond the
> end of the lancet, I hit my right forarm, expecting T and F to cushion the blow so that the lancet
> between them would pierce. Nothing. Coarser adjustment of T and F. Still nothing. Then a tiny
> inadequate drop. Three of four tries later, a tiny, barely adequate drop, with which I did the
> measurement.
>
> Same procedure the following morning, this time on my left forearm. Not pleasant (even less so
> than doing it with a pricker). Saturday afternoon I noticed a mildly painful lump on my left arm -
> a massive bruise. The bruise is still there four days later, but seems to be gradually
> dissipating.
>
> Somehow I think plan A would have been better: gently pressing the lancet through the skin. Of
> course, the above difficulty will _never_ occur again, but just in case it does, I'll be
> trying plan A.
>
> --
> Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany) Email: [email protected]; to decode, wherever there is a repeated
> letter (like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
 
Mack <[email protected]> wrote on Wed, 04 Feb 2004 11:53:02 -0500:
> On Wed, 4 Feb 2004 08:59:57 +0000, Alan Mackenzie<[email protected]> wrote:

>>Last Friday evening I was round at a friend's place, trying to get a modem to work on his computer
>>which runs a proprietary operating system. (It kept telling us "There is a problem with the modem
>>- either the modem is not working properly, or there is a problem with the driver or ...." I can't
>>remember the last bit. CURSE those Arschlöcher at MS!

> if the OS isn't an MS product then you will need to contact either the modem manufacturer or the
> OS manufacturer and ask them if they have the correct drivers for that modem for that OS. It's not
> MS's fault.

It was an MS product, Windows 98. It takes the attitude, never give the user any real information,
it'll only confuse the poor thing. Patronising bastards. So we had no information to go on. It
_might_ have been the modem physically broken, but who could tell? Modern modems seem to be cheap
bits of plastic without Blinkenlichten. Cheap to buy, but ties up an expensive specialist for
several hours when it's whacked.

>>But that's a different story.) The upshot was, I forgot my bag when I set off for home, and my
>>survival kit was in it.

>>Plenty of backup supplies of insulin and syringes at home. But no pricker to get blood out of my
>>arm for a BS test. So I decided to improvise with a bare lancet.

>>Technique question: is it better to place the lancet against the skin pressing gently until it
>>penetrates, or to hit the skin in imitation of the pricker's action? I decided on the latter.
>>Gripping the lancet between left thumb and forefinger, both of them protruding slightly beyond the
>>end of the lancet, I hit my right forarm, expecting T and F to cushion the blow so that the lancet
>>between them would pierce. Nothing. Coarser adjustment of T and F. Still nothing. Then a tiny
>>inadequate drop. Three of four tries later, a tiny, barely adequate drop, with which I did the
>>measurement.

>>Same procedure the following morning, this time on my left forearm. Not pleasant (even less so
>>than doing it with a pricker). Saturday afternoon I noticed a mildly painful lump on my left arm -
>>a massive bruise. The bruise is still there four days later, but seems to be gradually
>>dissipating.

>>Somehow I think plan A would have been better: gently pressing the lancet through the skin. Of
>>course, the above difficulty will _never_ occur again, but just in case it does, I'll be
>>trying plan A.

> it would be better to use your fingers when not using a lancing device.

Never. Not for me, at any rate. But if you'd been in my position, what technique would you have used
to injure a finger?

> Mack

--
Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany) Email: [email protected]; to decode, wherever there is a repeated
letter (like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
 
On Wed, 4 Feb 2004 17:11:06 -0600, "Colleen" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Okay, I've been trying to resist this all day, but with that header I thought this was going to be
>some kind of dirty joke.
>
><I'll get my mind out of the gutter now. I've gotten spam that tells you how to increase size...oh
>wait...different spelling.> c

You're not alone. Hi Alan - was it deliberately titled, or have you been too long in Germany and
missed the ambiguity?

I was having visions of horror stories I had read on the effect of neuropathy on certain
extremities.

Cheers Alan, T2, Oz dx May 2002 , A1C 5.8, no meds, diet and not enough exercise.

--
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.
 
Batezee <[email protected]> wrote on Wed, 4 Feb 2004 17:31:01 -0000:
> "Alan Mackenzie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

>> Same procedure the following morning, this time on my left forearm. Not pleasant (even less so
>> than doing it with a pricker). Saturday afternoon I noticed a mildly painful lump on my left arm
>> - a massive bruise.

> Now there`s a surprise!

>> Somehow I think plan A would have been better: gently pressing the lancet through the skin. Of
>> course, the above difficulty will _never_ occur again, but just in case it does, I'll be trying
>> plan A.

> Is this a serious post/question???

Yes.

> Were you THAT! desperate to test??? have you never been in this situation before?? have you never
> started a meal and then remembered you hadn`t tested??would it have been the end of the world to
> have tested later??

All important points, and they certainly went through my mind last Friday night.

> I some times wonder what on earth is going on when i read posts like these,and their relevance to
> our world :-( (imho)

> I posted this comment many moons ago,it still is apt for many on this Board

> "Diabetes around your life,NOT! your life around Diabetes"

Yes. I personally suspect that the emphasis one hears everywhere (from doctors, on websites, here in
this group) about maintaining an absolutely even blood sugar level has developed from a sensible
idea to an unhealthy obsession. A bit like the way the humanly meaningful ways of Jesus Christ were
perverted into the repression of the Church. Does it really matter if one's BS swings between 50 and
200 rather than 80 and 160, or if one's hba1c is 7½ rather than 5½? If that increases the risk of
complications by, perhaps 20%, is the benefit not worth that extra risk?

There seems to me to be something unhealthy about the craving to do a BS test whenever one feels
slightly off colour. The human body is a self regulating system, and relying on BS tests too much
must damage this regulation. When I started doing BS tests about 3 years ago, I promised myself I
would never become dependent on them. 3 years later, I find myself a BS test junkie, doing myself
significant injury to satisfy my irrational cravings. Why did I not simply inject 10 units Semilente
like I do every other night? Then inject 10 units Actrapid the following morning before going back
to my friend's to retrieve my pricker?

Maintaining a tight BS balance will indisputably lessen the chances of diabetic complications, but
it is also a millstone round one's neck - one becomes a full time obsessive diabetic who sometimes
finds time for other things rather than a normal person with an irritating disease. Maintaining
tight control carries a high psychological cost, and this cost might be higher than the benefit it
brings. Ten years ago, I wouldn't have hesitated to accept an impromtu invitation to join some
friends down the local, drinking two or even three pints in an entirely carefree fashion. Now, I
think "perhaps, better not", or leave early after one pint, or sit there as the wet blanket drinking
mineral water.

Trouble is, internists are concerned solely with the best diabetic control irrespective of the cost,
rather than an optimal control, one that balances the diabetic risks with quality of life.
Internists are not trained in psychology, and they don't have psychologists (or even
psycotherapists) on their staff. It is sometimes remarked diabetics suffer frequently from
depression. Is obsessive control one of the prime causes?

Of course, if one tries to talk these things through with an internist, one gets some variety of the
patronising "well, it's Entirely-Up-To-You if you don't want to look after yourself 'properly'" or
"well, if you don't do 7 BS tests a day, you'll have kidney failure, go blind, impotent and have
bits of your body amputated, 5 years from now" as a discussion-stopping reply.

> David... T1since forvever,Humalog and Lantus and metformin(keeps you regular) ;-) missing shots
> and tests on a regular basis,but some how surviving LOL, Nah! living it and loving it :)))))))

Question: What on earth are you doing taking metformin as a T1?

--
Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany) Email: [email protected]; to decode, wherever there is a repeated
letter (like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
 
Alan <[email protected]> wrote on Thu, 05 Feb 2004 10:42:49 +1100:
> On Wed, 4 Feb 2004 17:11:06 -0600, "Colleen" <[email protected]> wrote:

>>Okay, I've been trying to resist this all day, but with that header I thought this was going to be
>>some kind of dirty joke.

>><I'll get my mind out of the gutter now. I've gotten spam that tells you how to increase size...oh
>>wait...different spelling.> c

> You're not alone. Hi Alan - was it deliberately titled, or have you been too long in Germany and
> missed the ambiguity?

No, I've got as filthy a mind as anybody here (apart from beav, of course
:), and I felt like grabbing attention.

> Cheers Alan, T2, Oz

--
Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany) Email: [email protected]; to decode, wherever there is a repeated
letter (like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
 
--
"That Damn Butterfly" "Alan Mackenzie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Batezee <[email protected]> wrote on Wed, 4 Feb 2004 17:31:01 -0000:
> > "Alan Mackenzie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> > David... T1since forvever,Humalog and Lantus and metformin(keeps you regular) ;-) missing shots
> > and tests on a regular basis,but some how surviving LOL, Nah! living it and loving it :)))))))
>
> Question: What on earth are you doing taking metformin as a T1?

Docs idea at clinic ? must admit to having better Nos,maybe the extra exercise with Met is
helping LOL

David

> Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany) Email: [email protected]; to decode, wherever there is a repeated
> letter (like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
 
Alan Mackenzie wrote:

And here I thought this was a story about how Bevis and Mackenzie live their lives without their
pricker. You can always find these pricks in any crowd.
 
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