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Can we have some advice please?

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M

Meg490

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Hello everyone my husband had a pancreatectomy earlier this year and is now obviously insulin dependent, we are both in our 70's (I know that's not supposed to be old these days) but we are finding it quite hard getting into new routines. My husband has also had a lifelong fear of injections so not the best start! He has been very good with his insulin jabs but detests the finger pricking. He has just got permission to drive again and I think we would be better with an extra meter for the car but I wondered which "finger pricker" people found the least painful, if there is one!
We really have been very well cared for by nurses and GP but it's all a bit of a maze isn't it. I've never posted on line before so hope this is ok. Thank you for listening
 
Welcome Meg, sorry to hear about your husband but it sounds like your healthcare team are pretty good.
I use an Accuchek Fastclix - I like it because it takes a 'casette' of stabs-6 per cartridge, so you dont have to carry spare lancets, and it is adjustable in depth. Others will have other ideas!
 
Meg490 said:
Hello everyone my husband had a pancreatectomy earlier this year and is now obviously insulin dependent, we are both in our 70's (I know that's not supposed to be old these days) but we are finding it quite hard getting into new routines. My husband has also had a lifelong fear of injections so not the best start! He has been very good with his insulin jabs but detests the finger pricking. He has just got permission to drive again and I think we would be better with an extra meter for the car but I wondered which "finger pricker" people found the least painful, if there is one!
We really have been very well cared for by nurses and GP but it's all a bit of a maze isn't it. I've never posted on line before so hope this is ok. Thank you for listening
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum Meg 🙂 Sorry to hear about your husband's operation and consequent diabetes :( I would also add a vote for the Accu Chek fingerpricker (the company name is Roche). Information from their website here:

https://www.accu-chek.co.uk/gb/products/fingerprickers/index.html

Also, what size needles is he using for his injections? Some people find the very small 4mm needles the best, worth asking his nurse if he can try a variety 🙂

Please let us know if you have any more questions, we are always happy to help 🙂
 
Hi. I can really recommend the 4mm needles for injecting insulin.
They are so tiny. I bought one box myself from the chemist just to try and after only using three or four I asked the GP to put them on my repeat prescription.
Sorry I can't help with lancets .
Personally I've found it helps to change fingers each time I also use both sides of my fingers rather than just one side of the pad.
 
Hi, You should read the post that @trophywench mentioned an article regarding the best way to finger prick I found it helped me as I was pricking to deep. Hopefully she will re post it as I cant remember it.
 
Thank you so much everyone I will look into everything mentioned. Since I posted I have been feeling very bad about posting sounding sorry for ourselves. I can't imagine what it is like to be diagnosed at a young age and to watch your child having to inject or injecting them, I feel very thoughtless and feel for everyone of you. We are really fortunate to have got to our 70s reasonably healthy and I really feel guilty about my post but I have been reading the forum since the op and you all seem so helpful, I think it's me who is overwhelmed with it all with insulin and Creon to remember about but as I say that is nothing compared to younger and more complicated cases. Thanks so much for replying I hope it's alright me posting
 
You didn't sound sorry for yourselves at all, you sound like you're sorting it and getting on with your lives. It is a major upheaval at any age, and completely throws your normal routine. Getting to grips with it is no mean achievement.
 
Meg490 said:
Thank you so much everyone I will look into everything mentioned. Since I posted I have been feeling very bad about posting sounding sorry for ourselves. I can't imagine what it is like to be diagnosed at a young age and to watch your child having to inject or injecting them, I feel very thoughtless and feel for everyone of you. We are really fortunate to have got to our 70s reasonably healthy and I really feel guilty about my post but I have been reading the forum since the op and you all seem so helpful, I think it's me who is overwhelmed with it all with insulin and Creon to remember about but as I say that is nothing compared to younger and more complicated cases. Thanks so much for replying I hope it's alright me posting
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What a lovely lady u are xxx
 
Hi Meg. Don't feel bad. I have posted once when feeling extremely sorry for myself, and it took six goes to send the post, but the responses were so nice. Take care
 
Meg490 said:
Thank you so much everyone I will look into everything mentioned. Since I posted I have been feeling very bad about posting sounding sorry for ourselves. I can't imagine what it is like to be diagnosed at a young age and to watch your child having to inject or injecting them, I feel very thoughtless and feel for everyone of you. We are really fortunate to have got to our 70s reasonably healthy and I really feel guilty about my post but I have been reading the forum since the op and you all seem so helpful, I think it's me who is overwhelmed with it all with insulin and Creon to remember about but as I say that is nothing compared to younger and more complicated cases. Thanks so much for replying I hope it's alright me posting
Click to expand...
Really, don't feel bad Meg! We are happy to help 🙂 The pair of you must have been through quite a traumatic time lately, so it is our pleasure if we can make life a little easier for you 🙂 Please feel free to post any questions, any time 🙂
 
Hi Meg
Lovely to have you on this forum and you sounded very together and just wanting to find out information. There is a lot to take on at the start and we are here to help, so just keep asking.
 
Annette Anderson said:
Welcome Meg, sorry to hear about your husband but it sounds like your healthcare team are pretty good.
I use an Accuchek Fastclix - I like it because it takes a 'casette' of stabs-6 per cartridge, so you dont have to carry spare lancets, and it is adjustable in depth. Others will have other ideas!
Click to expand...
Thank you Annette we have a freestyle optimum meter but think we will try something else
 
Annette Anderson said:
Welcome Meg, sorry to hear about your husband but it sounds like your healthcare team are pretty good.
I use an Accuchek Fastclix - I like it because it takes a 'casette' of stabs-6 per cartridge, so you dont have to carry spare lancets, and it is adjustable in depth. Others will have other ideas!
Click to expand...
Thank you Annette we have a freestyle optimum meter but think we will try something else
Northerner said:
Really, don't feel bad Meg! We are happy to help 🙂 The pair of you must have been through quite a traumatic time lately, so it is our pleasure if we can make life a little easier for you 🙂 Please feel free to post any questions, any time 🙂
Click to expand...
thank you so much.

I'm afraid I'm not very good with this I was trying to reply to everyone individually and seemed to get in a mess sorry. I just want to thank you all for your help and saying you don't mind me posting, I'm still not sure I should but will look into getting a new meter thanks. My heart goes out to you all and hope all goes well for you. I just seem to be overwhelmed just now so won't say any more thanks again everyone Meg
 
Just a word of warning re getting a new meter not all GP will prescribe all types of test strips. So it is worth discussing options with your surgery. Some of the strips can cost £20- 30 for 50 to buy.
 
Meg490 said:
Thank you Annette we have a freestyle optimum meter but think we will try something else

thank you so much.

I'm afraid I'm not very good with this I was trying to reply to everyone individually and seemed to get in a mess sorry. I just want to thank you all for your help and saying you don't mind me posting, I'm still not sure I should but will look into getting a new meter thanks. My heart goes out to you all and hope all goes well for you. I just seem to be overwhelmed just now so won't say any more thanks again everyone Meg
Click to expand...
Remember that you don't need to use a different meter just to get an new finger pricker - you don't need to use the one that goes with the meter 🙂 I still use my Accuchek finger pricker, although I haven't used their meter or strips for about 3 years! 🙂
 
Hi it's definitely worth discussing change of meter with your surgery. I started insulin end of Jan and consequently asked if they could provide me with lancets and test strips as I had been self funding since 2009 and it was costing me a fortune esp when put on insulin. It boiled down that they would give me one certain meter and 150 test strips and lancets for that meter a month. All my other meters were " too expensive" and I had a range to choose from!! The finger pricker is horrible but I'm currently trying to find a pricker which uses the same lancets that I now have on prescription, I love my fastclix but they would not give me the lancet drums on prescription. Good luck and take care
Jo
 
You shouldn't have too much trouble getting hold of a 'Fastclix' Meg and when they ask 'What 'Type' of diabetes do you have?' - just answer 'Type 1' - because then they know they consumables will be prescribed (or at least SHOULD be) with no problems whatever. So Roche/Accu Chek will be happy to help!

If you get any earache from your GP about it - you shouldn't (I've always had strips and lancets of choice for the last 44 years) -we can help you sort him out too!! - so don't shrink away thinking we must have given you bad advice, cos we haven't!

We ALL have to ask a million questions whoever we are or however old/young we are. Think I'm into my second million by now!
 
trophywench said:
You shouldn't have too much trouble getting hold of a 'Fastclix' Meg and when they ask 'What 'Type' of diabetes do you have?' - just answer 'Type 1' - because then they know they consumables will be prescribed (or at least SHOULD be) with no problems whatever. So Roche/Accu Chek will be happy to help!

If you get any earache from your GP about it - you shouldn't (I've always had strips and lancets of choice for the last 44 years) -we can help you sort him out too!! - so don't shrink away thinking we must have given you bad advice, cos we haven't!

We ALL have to ask a million questions whoever we are or however old/young we are. Think I'm into my second million by now!
Click to expand...

Thank you very much our Gp is very good and we have a good relationship with her (if she hadn't sent my husband for a ct scan we would never have known about the diseased pancreas so she really is a life saver!). You are all so good on here but I just have no confidence with anything just now and am feeling very old!! Thank you everyone Meg
 
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