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Hi

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Colin1366

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Type 2
I'm Colin I was 50 last Monday and have just been confirmed type 2. I'm the 1st one in the whole family. My biggest problem is I am completely needle phobic. If I do manage to get into the blood test I pass out. Anyone got any suggestions I'm supposed to have one tomorrow morning but as yet I'm still unsure if I can go.
 
Hi Colin, sorry to hear about the DX but welcome to the forum...

The dreaded needle phobia.... Myself, I don't have any problem, I accept it as part of the ongoing management of my D, my advice would be to not think about it, it's just like any other test, you accept them taking your BP etc. The thing is that it does not hurt it all in the mind!!!
 
Make sure you tell them wherever you are going to get it done. They have the chairs in our surgery phlebotomy room plus a comfier couch - so if you're a known fainter they get you on it to start with, pull the curtain so you aren't on view - apply the 'magic cream' and angle you so that unless you choose to strain your neck muscles, you can't really see what they are doing.

Our blood appts are 5 mins apart. When you get there and they are running late - a £1 to a pinch of salt - they've had someone like you. You are by NO means the only poor bugger who does this - so don't worry! They are quite used to 'yous'.
 
trophywench said:
Make sure you tell them wherever you are going to get it done. They have the chairs in our surgery phlebotomy room plus a comfier couch - so if you're a known fainter they get you on it to start with, pull the curtain so you aren't on view - apply the 'magic cream' and angle you so that unless you choose to strain your neck muscles, you can't really see what they are doing.

Our blood appts are 5 mins apart. When you get there and they are running late - a £1 to a pinch of salt - they've had someone like you. You are by NO means the only poor bugger who does this - so don't worry! They are quite used to 'yous'.
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They put me on the couch last time and I still passed out i just don't like the feeling when you come round and you can't hear anything. I know it doesn't hurt in just struggle training my brain to accept it.
 
Good luck Colin. Can you imagine how I feel. Up to 4 injections a day from the age of 3 ? 50 years tomorrow. Of course I love them :D:D
 
I wonder if they've ever found out why some folk do, when not everyone does?

After all - there's absolutely no flippin logic to it, is there? You know full well it won't actually have any lasting effect on you, plus they wouldn't even do it in the first place, if it wasn't strictly necessary.

Have you tried 'going' somewhere else in your head - I have a beach in the Maldives where I can go if I just take the trouble to go there whenever I think I need to - I haven't needed to for a while but did manage to get there whilst they were doing my cataract the other month - and it hadn't changed, one little bit!
 
HOBIE said:
Good luck Colin. Can you imagine how I feel. Up to 4 injections a day from the age of 3 ? 50 years tomorrow. Of course I love them :D:D
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I couldn't imagine any thing worse!!!!. Just goes to show what a coward I really am.
 
Hi Colin,

I'm needle-phobic too, so I completely understand. I used to faint whenever I had blood tests - then someone told me I could have them in the back of my hand instead of the crook of my elbow. I tried it - and I don't faint any more. I don't even need to lie down any more (I just don't look). I've no idea why this is - it actually is more likely to hurt in the back of the hand, but it just doesn't have that awful cringy wanting to curl up and howl and then vomit and then howl some more feeling that a needle in the inside of the elbow has for me. Might be worth a try?

I also find it helps to do breathing exercises while I'm there - take a deep breath, thinking "I relax my ... ", hold it for a second and then breathe out, thinking " ... head" (then gradually work your way down!). And tell them in no uncertain terms not to say "sharp scratch" just as they stick the needle in, that always makes me tense up. Much better if they don't warn you! Better still if they are chatty and can ask you a question about something completely unrelated just before they start.

I thought I would never be able to cope with being diabetic, but I am now giving myself 4 injections a day, thanks to covered needles which means I don't have to see them going in. If I can do it, believe me, anyone can!
 
TheClockworkDodo said:
Hi Colin,

I'm needle-phobic too, so I completely understand. I used to faint whenever I had blood tests - then someone told me I could have them in the back of my hand instead of the crook of my elbow. I tried it - and I don't faint any more. I don't even need to lie down any more (I just don't look). I've no idea why this is - it actually is more likely to hurt in the back of the hand, but it just doesn't have that awful cringy wanting to curl up and howl and then vomit and then howl some more feeling that a needle in the inside of the elbow has for me. Might be worth a try?

I also find it helps to do breathing exercises while I'm there - take a deep breath, thinking "I relax my ... ", hold it for a second and then breathe out, thinking " ... head" (then gradually work your way down!). And tell them in no uncertain terms not to say "sharp scratch" just as they stick the needle in, that always makes me tense up. Much better if they don't warn you! Better still if they are chatty and can ask you a question about something completely unrelated just before they start.

I thought I would never be able to cope with being diabetic, but I am now giving myself 4 injections a day, thanks to covered needles which means I don't have to see them going in. If I can do it, believe me, anyone can!
Click to expand...
 
I tried the breathing excessive last time,i think it did help because I passed out after they had finished. Forgive me for being crass but the thought of having It put into the back of my hand has made my balls jump up inside of me. Someone told me too ask for the "where's Wally " book it will take my mind off things. Right now I think I can do it,but I know tomorrow morning will be a different kettle of fish.
 
Ah, no doesn't sound as though the back of hand will work for you then, sorry :( I have whatever the female equivalent of that reaction is to the crook of elbow, so hand is much, much better for me.

The other thing that helped me was not knowing about it in advance. After about 25 years of just refusing to have blood tests (I even got diagnosed with a major illness - not diabetes - on symptoms alone, because I refused to have any tests to find out what was wrong with me), I decided I really needed to have one, so I got my partner to arrange it with the phlebotomist, and not tell me what date it was until just before it happened. If you can't face it tomorrow (and I have been there, done that, so many times) is there anyone who can re-arrange the date for you and just not tell you until just beforehand so you don't have time to stress out about it in advance? Obviously more difficult if you are working full time.
 
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