Site Rotation.

[rossi_mac]

Firstly hello it's been a while super busy etc etc.

Secondly sorry if this has been asked/talked about recently, it's been on my mind for a while to pick your brains!

So there was a picture in the press awhile back of some guy in New Zealand who apparently hadn't changed his injection site for 30 years and it looked like he had a pair of well how do you say it politely, a pair of fatty tissue lumps quite astounding they were.

We are told to rotate our injection sites, by how much is the basic question?

My evening jab I put in my buttocks, and try and rotate left right top bottom etc so I guess thats okay as generally 24 hrs between using that site and it's divided up again.

Sometimes I may do the left had side of my stomach for 2 meals, I may move the site by 4 inches, or I may put breaky in left lunch in right and dinner back in left, is this enough of a rotation? When at home I try and do top of thigh sometimes, rarely for lunch I'll slip it into my arm, is this enough?

Any comments gratefully received 🙂

Thanks guys/gals...

Rossi 🙂

 

[Persil]

I was about to post a very similar question, Rossi.

I tend to stick to my stomach, for the simple reason that it's easy. If I'm grabbing food on campus, it's so easy to lift your top up a bit, and do my injection. When I'm home, I use my arms and legs too, but seeing as it's deadline time at uni, my stomach is very popular at the moment.

And then, when I do think about where I did my previous injection, and sites I haven't used for a while, I forget where I have and haven't injected insulin recently.

How do you all do it?!?!?!

Vicki 🙂
xxx

 

[Phil65]

I always struggle with this, pumping and when I was on MDI. I tended to just whack it in anyway....now have lyperhytrophy in places, inevitable I suppose. I did rest my stomach for a while and used my thighs. Difficult though isn't it?

 

[Robster65]

They've (HCPs and DUK) always recommended rotating using an imaginary clockface. I've never managed to get to grips with that in over 30 years.

So I too have some no go zones but do try to keep things moving as much as poss. But I can never remember where I last did it.

Not sure what the best suggestion is sadly.

Rob

 

[Northerner]

My consultant checked my sites (stomach) and told me to stop using the sides, but to use above and below my belly button for a while. I didn't get on with that, so moved to using my buttocks - basically stabbing in generally different places each time. Can't use thighs or arms. I still use my stomach (sides) when I'm out. Like you Rossi, I've only been at it around 3-4 years and it amazes me (and encourages me!) to hear of people who have been doing it for decades and only got the odd place they can no longer use. I'm expecting my bum to get much bigger as I age, so hopefully I will have more real estate to consider jab-worthy 😉 (As I walk around town in my Diabetes Fairy outfit, I find myself asking strangers if my bum looks big in it )

 

[Robster65]

My main concern is, for example my buttocks, feel as if they're scarred and leathery. Now whether that's something that happens as we get older and they're not as peachy as they once were, I don't know, but I've been injecting into them consistently for 33 years, so I can't see there not being any change. I have similar patches on my thighs but as I can see those, I can assess their suitability.

It struck me many years ago that skin didn't evolve to survive endless assault with even a thin needle, so there must come a time when it just transforms to scar tissue and never recovers.

The only advice from officialdom is to rotate and imagine a clock face. I've read or heard it a million times and it still doesn't translate well to reality.🙄

Rob

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Hi all,

I inject into my stomach for meals / QA then into my thighs for BI (taken once at bedtime) but usually forget from one night to the next which thigh i've done. I've never injected into my buttocks as i don't think i could manage it. I used to inject sometimes when first diagnosed 20yrs ago into the tops of my arms but gave that up as i always used to bruise.

Sometimes I may do the left had side of my stomach for 2 meals, I may move the site by 4 inches, or I may put breaky in left lunch in right and dinner back in left, is this enough of a rotation? When at home I try and do top of thigh sometimes, rarely for lunch I'll slip it into my arm, is this enough?

rossi_mac
your site rotation sounds a good idea, i might try this myself.

They've (HCPs and DUK) always recommended rotating using an imaginary clockface.
Rob

Robster65
my DSN said to me to draw an imaginary smiley face underneath my belly button.

 

[Hanmillmum]

Hi

We were taught to go round like a clock face too, or on the stomach an M or a W either side of the naval, the pointy bit of each letter being your site to inject (HTMS) 🙂

 

[Austin Mini]

Doesnt any body stick it in their arms? I find the arms the easy peasy site to stick it into.

 

[Persil]

Hanmillmum, I like the idea of the M or W. I'm gonna give that one a go and see how I get on 🙂

Vicki 🙂
xxx

 

[novorapidboi26]

I use my arms, thighs, buttocks and stomach, and I never inject the same place twice...........

the potential areas are unlimited I suppose, obviously absorption rates can be effected but we could literally inject anywhere......