-
Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
hi
- Thread starter lesleyann
- Start date
- Status
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
That will be most likely Lesleyann. Your body needs insulin to live, and if it can't make enough itself then you have to inject it. It's really not so bad once you get used to it - I often think that in many ways it's actually easier than taking a load of pills, having to remember to take the right ones at the right time. There's a lot of good research going on all the time to try and find a cure or make things easier for people who need insulin, so who knows, one day we might all be able to stop having to inject it.
Don't let the thought of 'being on insulin for the rest of your life' overwhelm you - instead think about it as something that will take a couple of minutes a day, less time than it takes to brush your teeth 🙂
thanks and hi
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
It's understandable when you are not quite sure of what to expect, but I think that once you have started you'll be fine and wonder what you were worrying about! 🙂
Matt Cycle
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi lesleyann. No need to panic you'll soon get the hang of it. Good luck.
Lynn Davies
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi and welcome to the forum 
Hello Lesleyann, and welcome
I started on tablets, but changed to injection after about 2 years
It's not really any problem; you get better control, so feel better, and modern insulin pens and microfine needles mean it's quick & easy, and pain free
My guess is that you will have to inject for ever, but it's worth it. I've been injecting for nearly 20 years now, and still have no complications
Here's a tale about injecting that might cheer you up
When I was first put on insulin I came home from outpatients with a bagful of stuff - leaflets, pens, needles, the insulin itself, and more leaflets. I was explaining to my wife what it all was, what I had to do, and so on. That included the instruction to inject into any fatty tissue, meaning my tummy and my bum
She said " Oh, does that mean all over?!"
I started on tablets, but changed to injection after about 2 years
It's not really any problem; you get better control, so feel better, and modern insulin pens and microfine needles mean it's quick & easy, and pain free
My guess is that you will have to inject for ever, but it's worth it. I've been injecting for nearly 20 years now, and still have no complications
Here's a tale about injecting that might cheer you up
When I was first put on insulin I came home from outpatients with a bagful of stuff - leaflets, pens, needles, the insulin itself, and more leaflets. I was explaining to my wife what it all was, what I had to do, and so on. That included the instruction to inject into any fatty tissue, meaning my tummy and my bum
She said " Oh, does that mean all over?!"
KookyCat
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi Lesleyann
Injecting is a massive change, and it's totally normal to be anxious and down about it, but it's not as bad as you think. I find it irritating now rather than anything else, but only sometimes. The hardest part at the beginning is not knowing how the insulin will affect you, but you get the hang of that quickly. Just make sure you get lots of information from the nurse, and don't take any nonsense about test strips, if you're injecting insulin you need to test regularly. Injecting insulin means more testing and therefore you are more aware of what's going on with your blood sugar (depending on how often you test now) which might make you feel more anxious for a bit, that's normal too. Insulin isn't like antibiotics, were everyone takes the same dose, it's very specific to you, so it takes some time to get it right. My HBA1c was well over 100 when diagnosed and I felt like death (not even death warmed over, just death) so you will feel better when your blood sugar starts to come down. It can be a difficult time at first, but hang in there because it's worth it 🙂
Injecting is a massive change, and it's totally normal to be anxious and down about it, but it's not as bad as you think. I find it irritating now rather than anything else, but only sometimes. The hardest part at the beginning is not knowing how the insulin will affect you, but you get the hang of that quickly. Just make sure you get lots of information from the nurse, and don't take any nonsense about test strips, if you're injecting insulin you need to test regularly. Injecting insulin means more testing and therefore you are more aware of what's going on with your blood sugar (depending on how often you test now) which might make you feel more anxious for a bit, that's normal too. Insulin isn't like antibiotics, were everyone takes the same dose, it's very specific to you, so it takes some time to get it right. My HBA1c was well over 100 when diagnosed and I felt like death (not even death warmed over, just death) so you will feel better when your blood sugar starts to come down. It can be a difficult time at first, but hang in there because it's worth it 🙂
thank you
hi and thank youHi and welcome to the forum
thank you so much for your reply
ha thanks for taking the time to reply
pat.y
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi Lesleyann, I was told a month ago I would be going on insulin after 12 years of tablets last Friday. The nurse gave me a glucose metre and I because of that I really sorted out my food. Hence last Friday no insulin and a reduction in tablets. I was lucky. Yes I was scared when insulin was mentioned but far more worried about my health. Listen to the folks on here who take insulin and they will put your mind at rest.
thank you you are all very kind
- Status