Diabetes is Wrong!
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 9:19AM One of the pains of living with type 1 diabetes is the injections. Literal pains of course. Now when I was on multiple daily injections to manage it I would take anywhere from 4-6 shots a day. Rarely did the shots hurt and when they did it was just a little pinch nothing major.
Now, and for the last 4 years, I have been using an insulin pump instead which makes it nice because I only have to have an injection every few days. Much less than before which is nice.
Typically the inserter I use to put the infusing set in doesn’t hurt at all. I squeeze the device and it shoots the needle and cannula into me. Then I pull the needle out, the cannula stays in, and all is good.
Not this morning.
This morning I had to change my site, fill my reservoir, and go through the whole ritual. I usually wait to do it at work because I am always late so adding this to my morning means I am going to be extra late which is never good.
I typically rotate my sites like this. I start at one side of my abdomen, move across my stomach, then down and across my thigh, then over to the other thigh, and up back to my abdomen. It means for a long time before I end up in the same place again. My brain tells me it makes sense for scar tissue and healing but I have never had a doctor tell me that. I am methodical so it works for me.
This site was the second on my stomach so very close to my side. When I squeezed the inserter and the needle went in, I swear it was like someone stabbed me with an ice pick. It hurt like hell. My second thought was to yank this thing out of me. My first thought of course was “OUCH!”
When I walked back to desk I could feel my side burning. In fact, whenever I move it hurts. I have left the site in hoping that it will provide for good insulin absorption. But it makes me wonder if the pain is worth it.
We stick and stab ourselves all the time and sometimes, like now, we are in constant pain and all this we do just so we can live. Pain is our body’s way of telling us something is wrong. If that’s the case, than diabetes is just wrong. Plain and simple.
Typing this post while feeling my side burn makes me feel so very sorry for myself. Still I am going to keep it on until the numbers on my Dexcom warn me otherwise. I am just going to deal with the pain.
And that is just wrong!
Reader Comments (10)
Ouch! Just reading this post makes me hurt. Hope the pain is gone by now!
I hear you man. I'd say about 75% of the time I don't feel that much pain when inserting the MM infusion sets. The other 25% make up for it because it can hurt like a bitch. I do similar rotation, but use my hips instead of thighs.
George, I hope the pain subsides. For me, they generally do within 24 hours. I use my abdomen, sides and back for sets. I generally start close to the belly button and insert one close to my waist band, the next one directly above that and one last one above that again. Then move an inch or so away from the bb and start again. Generally it's several months before I get to the same spot again.
I guess it's fortunate that you're a ninja and used to enduring immense pain! ;-)
I've got a pretty high tolerance for pain (drug-free childbirth!), but if a site hurts me like what you've described, I can only tolerate it for a few hours at most. It becomes the only thing that I can think about and everything around me suffers for my inability to focus. My thoughts get pared down to "ow, set hurts, ow, can't bend that way, ow." It doesn't much matter if my numbers are great if I can't enjoy them.
Life is too short to spend so much time in preventable pain, and excruciatingly painful sites now get yanked as quickly as I can get the stuff together to switch it out.
Katie - So far, nope.
Tony - Most of the time it is all good. Oh well, so far the numbers look good so it's staying.
Bernard - I like the way you really utilize your real estate. I probably move site further away from the last than I should. It would save on scar tissue. I may try that.
Amber - You make a very good and valid point. My brain agrees 100% but I just can't help not wanting to waste a site or something. It's silliness I think.
Yes, it is just plain wrong to expect anyone to live like this for the rest of their lives. Anyone who believes it is manageable hasn't done it for themselves.
Yup! Diabetes is a pain on so many levels, including the "Sensory " level. I changed to the silouette and find if I stick it in and I get the "Ouch factor" I gradually pull back and stick it elsewhere, it save time, pain, and money.
Cheers!
I HATE to waste a good infusion set. Plus you take the chance that the next one will hurt just as much. I dunno why, but I like to get my 3 days of insertion-freeness at almost all costs. If it's that bad, redo. If the numbers stay good, then try to power through and have some Jack Daniels to take the edge off. ;-)
I usually go ahead and pull the sites if (a) it hurts like that and (b) my numbers are resistant to the insulin. It's just not worth the pain my friend.
:-)
I hate how that happens sometimes. And the thing is, even though so few of them hurt, I still flinch big time when I click those release buttons.
And why is it that when they DO hurt, they can never hurt just a little. Always has to be some major drama inducing pain. Haters. :-)