Type 2 and insulin

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happyloser

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Type 2
I have kept my sugar levels good for many years through diet but now they are really not good
I am Type 2 but they are looking at me using insulin. I know thousands of you use this and get on OK. I am really freaking out about it on 2 levels 1] a big step into the unknown and 2] I am needle phobic. The Nurse have assured me I will get good support if they go ahead and they are wonderful but I am still scared
Is it as bad/hard as I feel it could be?
 
When it comes to starting on insulin, those of us with Type 1 have it easy. We have no choice and we do it from day one: "You have Type 1 diabetes. Here is the insulin."
With type 2, there seems to be this big build up and time to freak out about it.
Sure, insulin can be a dangerous drug but, more importantly, it is literally a life-saver.
All of us with Type 1 and many with type 2 have taken that step into the unknown and we are here tens of years later (20 for me but there are those who have been doing it for 70 years and still going). Your DSN will walk you through what to do, how much your dose it (it is usual to start on a low dose and build it up gradually) and how to recover if you get it wrong.
There are needles involved but they are very small - you will not be stabbing a huge syringe into your heart. You will be screwing a 4mm needle onto the end of a pen and injecting a small amount of insulin into your abdomen (or somewhere with plenty of fat).

If you told me 21 years ago that I would be injecting myself with insulin every day for the rest of my life, I would be petrified. Less than a year later, it was second nature.

happyloser said:
Is it as bad/hard as I feel it could be?
Click to expand...
Probably not.
Just remember, it is good for you.
 
Hi. The benefit of insulin is that it should give you a bit more diet flexibility. I can assure you that the needles are tiny. Probably less than quarter of an inch long and not much thicker than a human hair.... I mean really tiny. There are I believe needles which have a shield so you can't actually see the needle if you really can't cope with the normal ones, but most people do manage, even people who are needle phobic like yourself. Often you don't feel the needle go in at all, sometimes you catch a nerve and it hurts a bit and you either push through it or try another site, even just half an inch away can make all the difference.

They will generally start you off on a lower dose than they think you actually need and gradually increase it until they find the right dose for you and that will usually take several weeks and even after that, there will likely be some adjustment needed as insulin needs vary according to a number of factors, not just food and exercise. The change of the seasons and ambient temp can also affect how much you need, so there is often quite a bit of trial and improvement with doses.

The important thing is to keep hypo treatments with you at all times.... by the bed, by your chair in the living room, in the bathroom, in your coat pockets or handbag for when you go out. Many of us use jelly babies as they are portable and 3 jelly babies is a standard hypo treatment. They are readily available in most shops too, so easy to replenish when stocks get low. Other people use Dextrose tablets and you can buy these in chemists or larger supermarkets and you need 4 or 5 of those to treat a standard hypo. It is also important to keep your testing kit close to hand too as sometimes it can be difficult to tell a hypo (low BG) from a hyper (high BG) so important to test if you feel a bit odd.

I am sure your nurses will keep in regular contact and adjust things as they need adjusting, but if you have any specific queries about your insulin, we are here on the forum to help and support you too.
 
helli said:
When it comes to starting on insulin, those of us with Type 1 have it easy. We have no choice and we do it from day one: "You have Type 1 diabetes. Here is the insulin."
With type 2, there seems to be this big build up and time to freak out about it.
Sure, insulin can be a dangerous drug but, more importantly, it is literally a life-saver.
All of us with Type 1 and many with type 2 have taken that step into the unknown and we are here tens of years later (20 for me but there are those who have been doing it for 70 years and still going). Your DSN will walk you through what to do, how much your dose it (it is usual to start on a low dose and build it up gradually) and how to recover if you get it wrong.
There are needles involved but they are very small - you will not be stabbing a huge syringe into your heart. You will be screwing a 4mm needle onto the end of a pen and injecting a small amount of insulin into your abdomen (or somewhere with plenty of fat).

If you told me 21 years ago that I would be injecting myself with insulin every day for the rest of my life, I would be petrified. Less than a year later, it was second nature.


Probably not.
Just remember, it is good for you.
Click to expand...
very reassuring thank you. I took a while to be able to do the finger one but can now as long as I do not look! Such a weakling :]
 
rebrascora said:
Hi. The benefit of insulin is that it should give you a bit more diet flexibility. I can assure you that the needles are tiny. Probably less than quarter of an inch long and not much thicker than a human hair.... I mean really tiny. There are I believe needles which have a shield so you can't actually see the needle if you really can't cope with the normal ones, but most people do manage, even people who are needle phobic like yourself. Often you don't feel the needle go in at all, sometimes you catch a nerve and it hurts a bit and you either push through it or try another site, even just half an inch away can make all the difference.

They will generally start you off on a lower dose than they think you actually need and gradually increase it until they find the right dose for you and that will usually take several weeks and even after that, there will likely be some adjustment needed as insulin needs vary according to a number of factors, not just food and exercise. The change of the seasons and ambient temp can also affect how much you need, so there is often quite a bit of trial and improvement with doses.

The important thing is to keep hypo treatments with you at all times.... by the bed, by your chair in the living room, in the bathroom, in your coat pockets or handbag for when you go out. Many of us use jelly babies as they are portable and 3 jelly babies is a standard hypo treatment. They are readily available in most shops too, so easy to replenish when stocks get low. Other people use Dextrose tablets and you can buy these in chemists or larger supermarkets and you need 4 or 5 of those to treat a standard hypo. It is also important to keep your testing kit close to hand too as sometimes it can be difficult to tell a hypo (low BG) from a hyper (high BG) so important to test if you feel a bit odd.

I am sure your nurses will keep in regular contact and adjust things as they need adjusting, but if you have any specific queries about your insulin, we are here on the forum to help and support you too.
Click to expand...
Thank you. It is not the pain thankfully but the whole action/process. Even when teaching and with my own children could not have a play syringe in the 'nurses set' But I do manage the finger ones now so a cover may be the answer
 
happyloser said:
I have kept my sugar levels good for many years through diet but now they are really not good
I am Type 2 but they are looking at me using insulin. I know thousands of you use this and get on OK. I am really freaking out about it on 2 levels 1] a big step into the unknown and 2] I am needle phobic. The Nurse have assured me I will get good support if they go ahead and they are wonderful but I am still scared
Is it as bad/hard as I feel it could be?
Click to expand...

I have a needle phobia and have had Type 1 for 30 years. It’s do-able 🙂
 
Perhaps you could get some form of counselling to enable you to overcome your fear of needles?
It is in your own best interests to be able to take the medication suggested to keep you healthy.
 
Have you run out of options with oral medications and dietary changes. I wonder if your nurse is scaremongering.
 
One question? Have you already reduced the carbs in your diet so that your BS and weight are the best they can be without insulin. I assume you are already on oral meds. If you have excess weight, insulin won't work that well thru insulin resistance so avoiding that is important. I find injecting is less painful than finger-pricking. As others have said, injecting insulin becomes second nature. You'll find out the best places to inject and those places do become less sensitive over time. The stomach can be a very good place and I now additionally use the upper arm. I used to use my outer thighs but did find that more painful. You'll find out by trial and error.
 
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