Blood testing in public, lancet changes?

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Patricia

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As a side thread to the injecting in public one, I'm curious to know if blood testing in public is different for people? It's the one thing that has to be done everywhere and in any situation, all the time.... My son seems to front it all out in school and activities, also in public, but we've had some looks.

And, a risky questions maybe: how often do you change lancets? Part of the hassle of bg testing in public is all the fiddly stuff. We of course still change a lancet for every test, but I'm aware that in practice others may not.
 
Out of the two things: testing in public and injecting in public... I have to say i'm more worried about testing in public because it involves drawing blood, so more people are likely to be 'grossed out' about it. In fact thinking about it, I rarely test my BG level when out in a restaurant, I just jab myself.


About the lancets. Let's just say that now you have reminded me i'm going to change my lancet 😱😱
 
I don't change my lancet very often at all, although I know that I probably should.... I think the one in there at the moment has probably been in there about three weeks.

I do find that blood testing descretly is more difficult than injecting subtly but I'll still just do it openly, people do sometimes stare but I think it's more intrigue over what this little gadget is, I probably feel less self conscious about blood tests in public as the meter is obviously something 'official' rather than needle with it's other associations.

Right, off to change that lancet......
 
i always test when i eat and eating out is no different unless im working in a muslim country where it would be illegal to do so.

i also change my lancets everytime i test :D
 
Patricia said:
As a side thread to the injecting in public one, I'm curious to know if blood testing in public is different for people? It's the one thing that has to be done everywhere and in any situation, all the time.... My son seems to front it all out in school and activities, also in public, but we've had some looks.

And, a risky questions maybe: how often do you change lancets? Part of the hassle of bg testing in public is all the fiddly stuff. We of course still change a lancet for every test, but I'm aware that in practice others may not.
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Ummm i hoping that your not the diabetic police because i dont change lancets everytime i test 😱 I used to but i find if i use the same one a couple of times it does'nt hurt as much. I sometimes use Unistik one use lancets which are painfree but they take up quite alot of room in my bag so i only use them now and again.
 
aymes said:
I don't change my lancet very often at all, although I know that I probably should.... I think the one in there at the moment has probably been in there about three weeks.

Right, off to change that lancet......
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thank god im not alone
 
I test and inject any where. I don't really give a shit what other people think about it. I change my lancets and needles every day :D
 
I test if I feel I need to. If people have an irrational phobia then they should deal with it and not expect everyone else to accommodate them - these people are strangers to me, I can't avoid necessary medical procedures just to accommodate them. I know some people are button-phobic but I don't go out of my way to avoid buttoned clothes in case I distress some stranger - and buttons are far less important than blood tests and would be easier to avoid.

I change my lancet when I notice it is blunt.
 
I test at my desk at work. I try to be discreet, but if anyone wanders round, I get mixed reactions.

If I am any where else, i try to do it as qyuietly as I can and not draw attnetion to it. I only test if I feel I really need to, although it is quite useful for getting good service in resterants.
 
I used to change lancets every time but no more , and i am yet to test outdoors yet i dont care what other people do look at me or raise an eyebrow, they can go and get knotted
 
You're meant to change your lancet???? I dont meant to bring shame to the group but the box of 100 lancets I got when I was diagnosed 3 years ago is still over half full. Shameless.

I too agree with Tom and everyone. There is so much to worry about with diabetes, if I worried about everyones reactions to me I would spontaneously combust. I test and inject almost everywhere (even on a moving snowboard once, I profess I was rather chuffed with my ability!).

The only thing I would say about my indiscretion for other people is that I injected in the chippy once while I was waiting with my mate, I am always keen to get going on the insulin asap when it comes to chips as they muck me up! I was nattering away and suddenly realised I was talking to no-one as my mate had hit the deck! I completely forgot her needle phobia, and we have been bezzie mates for years....
 
I only change lancets when I remember to. I did donate some to the first aider at work when she had to get some splinters out of someones thumb and didn't have anything else to do it with.
 
i find if i dont change mine everytime i use it that it hurts more. so i like to be in less pain so i change it lol
 
I can recall doing one injection and it hurt so bloody much because the needle was blunt, I hadn't changed it for about a week. I learned to change them most days. Even when I was doing my Duke of Edingburgh's Award I was changing needles nearly every day somehow...
 
yeah i find if i dont change the needle it hurts. i used the ultra fine 5mm ones which are superb, but you should also change the needle due to air getting into the insulin and also it can breed germs and cause infections.
 
I'll test anywhere. I find it much easier to do discretely that injecting, even with lancet changing. I do it at my desk at work three times a day, in restaurants, occasionally on the train to work (though only if it's quiet!) and wherever I am if I'm feeling ill. And I change lancet every time too, just cos it's what I'm comfortable with. Injecting however I'm still doing in private, probably cos I have to strip off to find a leg or arm to do it because I'm pregnant, so it's really hard to be discrete about!
 
katie said:
Mike, you are in the forces yet find finger pricking painful? 😉
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lol i have to have mine set to 9 katie due to the thickness of the skin on my fingers lol so it kinda hurts a little if the lancet is even the slightest bit blunt 😛
 
Once again, being an individual is at the top of the list... So many different ways of doing things. Encouraged though to hear that everyone has just got on with all this from the start -- that seems the only way. E's natural attitude has been that -- like it or lump it, in a quiet way! -- but I'm glad to read that with you all, the attitude is the same and has lasted. Relieved.

As for lancet-changing: no diabetes police here. No vested interest. Only thing I will say is that on the odd occasions when we have had to re-use them, at the third time he says it hurts like hell....Though I found the ONE time he did it to me, it hurt like hell...!
 
I find that the new lancet doesn't hurt, but it also often doesn't produce enough blood, so I re-use them about a dozen times as they work better when they are a bit blunter. I always use a new needle each time though. It doesn't bother me testing my blood sugar in public, but I do seek out some privacy if possible.
 
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