Hiya
Just popped in and see your message, I'm so sorry you are having a hard time. What no-one has mentioned at all so far is that you are talking about a child which is a huge element to rubbish levels especially on twice daily mixes. Even if the mixed insulins worked then you still wouldn't get great levels all the time as children change minute to minute, day to day. They never do the same things every day using the same energy, physical or brain power and they never absorb food the same, there is no way it will ever be the same.
Once a child had stopped growing and puberty is over and done with then you may see similar levels with similar regimes.
I want to say to you as well to take no notice whatsoever what people say to you when they are making you feel like this. They don't live with a child with diabetes so have absolutely no clue about what its really like. You are doing a great job so just ignore them all.
Mixes are obviously not working and so it is time for a change. You have two choices, MDI (multiple daily injections) or a pump. I wouldn't even bother changing to the Humalin stuff. Absolutely no point, all the mixed do the same thing and for 99% of kids they don't work. Any good medical team in the UK do not use mixed insulins ever at all, even on babies. They automatically get put onto MDI or a pump. In Europe they don't use mixed insulins either.
It sounds like you are having a hard time with the injections. I can't remember how old your son is but I think he is quite young and probably at the age where he doesn't quite understand why he is having injections and why he absolutely needs them. He'll get there but until he does he may well fight you on this for a while yet. Have you tried sticker charts etc.
Re the ice on the area, this is a great idea. Another is to use a sugar free ice pop or lolly and hold that on the area and then let him eat it while you inject.
Has he got a Rufus bear from JDRF? They are diabetic bears and you could get him one (believe you get one free one - google it) and he could inject the bear, it will make a bit of difference hopefully.
According to the NICE guidance anyone under 12 years can go straight from mixed insulins to a pump missing out the MDI. This is then one injection every 2 or 3 days when you put in the canula (don't be scared by that, it is a piece of cake). If your hospital don't do pumps then to me that is not a good forward thinking hospital anyway and you can easily change hospitals.
My main piece of advice for you is to join the childrens email group. There are lots of young children on there with diabetes who can help with anything. A recent new member is a mum with an 11 month old on a pump and it is a revelation to some of the people on there with what she is saying about how easy it all is now etc etc.
To find that email group go to
www.childrenwithdiabetesuk.org you can join from the home page. Let me know if you have problems.
Take care and it does get easier for you and your son.
🙂