Changing Fingers

[2high]

How many fingers to you prick, and how often do you change sites?? I am so bad, I know I shouldnt, but I tend to stick to just my ring fingers, and occassionally the middle ones... After 14 years, I still cant prick the index fingers, pinkies or thumbs!!

Is anyone else this much of a sookie lala???

[Gordonm]

I use 3 on each hand. My index finger on a rare occasion. I use from the pinky to the middle finger. All sides and change often. I don't keep track. I will also use my toes on occasion. They work quite well.

[blue eyes]

Right hand only - middle and index fingers and usually on the right side of the finger. Very rarely right ring finger.

Cannot do left and it's just habit now to stick to index and middle finger...

[JediSkipdogg]

I use all my fingers except my thumb and pinky. My thumbs have such a tough skin on them I can never get them to give any blood and my pinkies are so little that it just bleepin hurts.

[camjen1]

I don't use my fingers anymore. I always use my arms now, doesn't hurt me one bit.

[David]

I do alot of checking, so I use them all, on both sides. I also use my palms and occasionally my arms. I have a kind of rotation schedule that I loosely follow. Middle fingers are always used at work :- (I'm testing, really...I am)

David

[am1977]

I only use my left hand and only my middle or ring finger. I just seem to gravitate to those two fingers :dontknow:.

[pinkytricia]

I think my pinky is feeling left out... I hate using her she always gushes blood every where....

[ladytaz]

Left hand, all fingers, both sides. Once in a while, poke the pad of the finger and then wonder why in the world I did that. Poke a different finger each time. Index finger the least, as it's the hardest to get any blood out of. Never poked my thumb, dunno why. On a VERY rare occasion I've poked a random finger of my right hand, but it's very awkward for me to do (I'm apparently VERY right handed! LOL)

[Stuboy]

I use all my fingers except my thumb and pinky. My thumbs have such a tough skin on them I can never get them to give any blood and my pinkies are so little that it just bleepin hurts.

Same here, i still use my thumbs and pinkies tho, im a man i can take it :D I tend to use which ever finger tickles my fancy at the time.

[grace girl]

I use both hands, though I prefer the left since I'm right-handed. Always use the sides of the fingers, all fingers except for thumbs and index fingers. I test around 9-12 times a day, and I try to rotate but every now and again one finger starts getting that yucky look of having been stuck way too many times so I try to remind myself to use another!

[FrankDr]

Middle three fingers, both hands. I usually use one hand until it starts looking overused and switch to the other.

Today is a right-hand day.

[xMenace]

I will also use my toes on occasion. They work quite well.

I can't imagine that being safe Gordon!? Isn't the risk of infection and nasty complications too high? The thought just scares me away.

I don't mind stickin it anywhere, but my middle and index fibers work the best.

[ladytaz]

I don't mind stickin it anywhere, but my middle and index fibers work the best.

My pinky works best, I could probably give enough for 30 people to check with it alone! LOLOL But I use it the least, cuz that one stings the most.

[JanTx]

I use them all - both sides of each finger and all fingers on both hands. I do use pinky and thumb the least, though. I used to try to keep some kind of schedule, but now just try not to use the same one as last time. Calouses on my left hand from guitar playing make that a bit tricky, but I can still find places to poke.

One day at lunch I noticed that it looked like I had two tiny eyes on one finger. Pricks don't always leave a mark, but those two did!

Funny that the finger pricks hurt more than the injections did and way more than the pump sets do. Sure wish someone would come up with a better way!

I tried the arm prick one time and had too much trouble getting enough blood. If you run ... too low or too high? ... on an arm prick don't you have to retest on a finger?

[sweetcheeks]

i use both hands, but mostly the left, since im right handed, its very hard for me to test my right hand seems awkard to me, but if ive used a finger too much i can tell by the little bitty blood holes in them, and will try not to use that finger, i find that my thumb is the worst finger, i can never get blood from that finger, i like using my pinky if i had to pick a fav, because i can get more blood with that finger lol i think its cause she's a free bleeder lol

[ladytaz]

but now just try not to use the same one as last time.
that's basically how I go about it.

One day at lunch I noticed that it looked like I had two tiny eyes on one finger. Pricks don't always leave a mark, but those two did!
I've had that happen before too!


I tried the arm prick one time and had too much trouble getting enough blood. If you run ... too low or too high? ... on an arm prick don't you have to retest on a finger?

I tried the arm once, just to see how it felt, had that same issue (not enough blood) and it stung just as much as the fingers, so I didn't bother again.

I'd heard that there is a difference in the readings. Not sure if that's true or not tho, as I've never actually tested it out for myself.

[lgvincent]

I use the left hand on odd days and the right hand on even days. I use the thumb at breakfast, index finger before lunch, middle finger in the afternoon, ring finger after supper, and pinky overnight. I'll use the fingers on the other hand for any extra checks. I'll use the inside of the finger on the 1st, the middle of the finger on the 2nd, and the outside on the 3rd, then start over. That way, I spread everthing out a bit. I've tried my earlobes and base of the hand but can't get much blood from them.

[ladytaz]

i like using my pinky if i had to pick a fav, because i can get more blood with that finger lol i think its cause she's a free bleeder lol

GO PINKY! LOLOL

Hey, Stacey, I need to get one of those diabetes graphics from ya to put up on my site :wink:

[pinkytricia]

I don't use my fingers anymore. I always use my arms now, doesn't hurt me one bit.
You know what Sandi, I'm going to try using my arms again... When I was first DX I used my arms but, then people would ask me what was wrong
{It looked like a trail from a drug user...} Now, that we are in cold weather people wouldn't see my arms....
Thanks, You just made my day...

[slipperyelm]

I promise you I am a disorganized slob in most of my life, but when it comes to finger sticks I am methodical. I start with left thumb, do two sticks on its left side, two sticks on its right side. The next four sticks are similiarly given to my index finger....progressing through each finger on each hand. None are skipped. Thus, any given finger gets to heal through the period of 40 sticks before it has to be the victim again.

My ring fingers are both very sensitive (youch! ouch!) and both very "juicy." I have rather translucent skin and can see the little vessels to avoid in my ring finger. Nonetheless, they do bleed well.

Last time I tried to do my arm, I got a big, and painful ugly hemtoma. The only time armsticks seem useful to me is when I first wake up. Otherwise, I want more "up-to-date" numbers than the arm blood gives.

I am just glad I no longer have that old meter that required a small pond of blood. I wasted a lot of strips having just failed to get enough blood.

[lgvincent]

Remember the stainless steel lancets? I know I preferred having blood taken from my arm because it hurt less than having a nurse jab a finger (always the middle finger) with one of them. I still have a box. For a long time, I didn't use the lancet devices because they bruised my fingers. Looks like that has started happening again.

[Dewey]

How many fingers to you prick, and how often do you change sites?? I am so bad, I know I shouldnt, but I tend to stick to just my ring fingers, and occassionally the middle ones... After 14 years, I still cant prick the index fingers, pinkies or thumbs!!

Is anyone else this much of a sookie lala???

Guess I am cause I will only use my pinky & ring fingers on each hand.....I've tried the arms, legs and even the "palm" (the part below the thumb) with no luck & too small of blood samples for testing...Heck, I've even tried that "Vaculance" thing, with No luck! lol

I'll stick to what works best (for me, anyway) & that's the pinky & ring fingers. :thumbsup:

[Keezheekoni]

I use all fingers but not thumbs, on both hands, and I'm ambidextrous. I also use my left arm when I am giving my fingers a rest. :)

[sofaraway]

i use both hands, both sides of pinky, ring and middle finger. index finger hurts and thumb feels weird. when i was first diagnosed and my mum did my tests i would only let her do the left thumb.

like sweetcheeks, pinky is my favourite.

[jefftj]

I use all my fingers except my index finger because I feel I use it too much during the day. I test 6 to 8 times a day and after 40 years of diabetes and 20 years of being able to test at home, my fingers get a bit numb. I use my arm, I was told that it's OK to use your arm except when worried about being hypo. Over the past few years testing like this I've been able to keep my A1cs between 4.8 and 5.2. I still use the old syringes. I don't think the edocrinologist will ever give me a pump because I keep too close an eye on my blood sugars. NUTS! LOL Jeff

[Mister Q]

For some reason I always use my little and ring fingers only.

[Harold]

Outside of the communication finger through the inside of the pinky alternating hands. Use the outside of the pinky for unscheduled test. The others would require a different depth setting and are usually dry, cracked, and splitting this time of year. The pinky, for some reason, rarely hurts.

[pinkytricia]

The pinky is tiny... but yet it gives out alot of blood...
Go figure...

I wonder if it has alot of nerve ending in it... Mine hurts and I have it on the lowest setting...

[Mister Q]

[QUOTE=pinkytricia;169550]The pinky is tiny... but yet it gives out alot of blood...
Go figure...
QUOTE]

Same ammount of blood as other fingers yet smaller, so comes out at a greater pressure thus appearing to give more blood (believe that if you dare!)

[camjen1]

You know what Sandi, I'm going to try using my arms again... When I was first DX I used my arms but, then people would ask me what was wrong
{It looked like a trail from a drug user...} Now, that we are in cold weather people wouldn't see my arms....
Thanks, You just made my day...

I NEVER used my arm and thought it was rather odd but since I tried it I have never gone back to fingers except on the rare occasion. I have read about numbers being different then fingers but the numbers aren't dramatically different. ;)

[slipperyelm]

Remember the stainless steel lancets? I know I preferred having blood taken from my arm because it hurt less than having a nurse jab a finger (always the middle finger) with one of them. I still have a box. For a long time, I didn't use the lancet devices because they bruised my fingers. Looks like that has started happening again.

Do you mean the flat lancets there were a few milimeters wide?!! You have my respect, man. I never had to use those since I've only been diagnosed about a dozen years, but three times in my school years, we were supposed to use them on ourselves in biology labs. All three times I got excused from the exercise and escorted to another room when I began to faint. At that time I could not get over the psychological barrier to slicing open my own body like that. I just stood there with the lancet trying to get up the courage, thinking of the minor damage I'd be doing myself, and soon enough my vision would fade, my head would go cottony, and...whoa....! Give me these little round, acutely bevelled, spring-loaded automatic lancets any day over those old flat lancets.

[tanyatype1]

I don't think that I've read about any of you using the palms of your hands. I use them, and my forearms - no pain. Fingers, never, because they hurt too much. If your bs is on the rise (after eating) or falling (from insulin kicking in) then the fingers or palms are supposed to get a more accurate reading, but for all the other testing times the forearm works great. In the summer (wearing shorts) I've even used my upper thighs. Anyone else use these places?

[pinkytricia]

I don't think that I've read about any of you using the palms of your hands. I use them, and my forearms - no pain. Fingers, never, because they hurt too much. If your bs is on the rise (after eating) or falling (from insulin kicking in) then the fingers or palms are supposed to get a more accurate reading, but for all the other testing times the forearm works great. In the summer (wearing shorts) I've even used my upper thighs. Anyone else use these places?
huhhhhhh... that different... I think I read that in Dr. Bernstein's Book... But I've never tried it before ... Thanks,

[JungleJim]

Use all fingers and thumbs. Test 6-8 times a day. Tried the forearm thing and didn't really have much luck, and since I have very little pain if any from my fingers, just "stuck" with it.

[ramrummy]

7 yr old tests about 6-8 maybe more, times a day. He tends to favour a few fingers and only the ends. I test the others at night when he's asleep. He was warned that if he keeps testing only the ends, eventually he will lose sensitivity in that area?

[2high]

7 yr old tests about 6-8 maybe more, times a day. He tends to favour a few fingers and only the ends. I test the others at night when he's asleep. He was warned that if he keeps testing only the ends, eventually he will lose sensitivity in that area?

Ramrummy, my drs used to tell me the same thing. I test on the sides now, and actually find it less painul now. I never lost any sensitivity, though...

[MervnShroomy]

thank you everyone for the warm welcome!! :D

[MervnShroomy]

oops! newbie blunder. wrong thread :)

[MervnShroomy]

at the moment i'm alternating rather haphazardly with all my fingers (except pinky and thumb). I've noticed these small brown marks appearing on my tips and i'm guessing its scabbing. is this normal?

[2high]

at the moment i'm alternating rather haphazardly with all my fingers (except pinky and thumb). I've noticed these small brown marks appearing on my tips and i'm guessing its scabbing. is this normal?

Perfectly normal. Wait til you decide you like one or two fingers better than the others... it aint real pretty!!

[Keezheekoni]

Yep, totally normal. My cure for that is to use a pumice stone on my fingertips once a week. I also make sure to put a moisturizing lotion on my hands a few times a day. :)

[Cyborg]

I stick with 2 fingers... I use my the side of thumbs and I've developed calouses over the years that pretty much make testing painless. If I do get sore, I'll pick on a finger for a few tests. A new sharp lancet helps also.

[mullyman]

The nurse at my endo recommended that on occassion I can use the palm ( a lot of meat there for me). I have tried it on a couple of occassions without a problem.

[princesslinda]

I seem to use my index and pinky fingers on both hands the most. The ring fingers seem to be the most sensitive...though my "soft lady hands" days are behind me forever it seems. Oh well, it's cured my aversion to needles/shots and doctors, that's for sure ;)

[MJM]

I hardly use fingers any more. I discovered a device which gets blood from anywhere on your body. It's a tiny meter called a Freestyle Mini. It uses so little blood it's unbelievable. It's very small and easy to carry. I love it. I still use the Optium Xceed, which is a good meter also, but at the moment I'm giving my fingers a rest.

[ladytaz]

I seem to use my index and pinky fingers on both hands the most. The ring fingers seem to be the most sensitive...though my "soft lady hands" days are behind me forever it seems. Oh well, it's cured my aversion to needles/shots and doctors, that's for sure ;)

nahhhh, your "soft lady hand" days aren't over! Just never test in the same spot twice in a row! Alternate fingers, and sides of fingers. Try each day adding a new finger. The more ya do it, the more ya get used to it. My hands are still soft. Course I've only been at this for a 1 year and 4 months ... but no adverse affects yet :wink: Yes, it stings for a second, but that's it. No bruising, No callouses, no lost feeling. :)

[ProudNanaof5]

I like my side of left thumb the best. But I try to alternate 2 pokes to each finger. I seem to use my left hand the most. I also use the side of my palm alot, too. But I test atleast 8 times a day. So I use up my fingers quick. No toe sticks for me. I also would be afraid of infection or getting a sore. I also think that the finger sticks hurt alot worse than the shots.

[Larry H.]

I just got my meter yesterday and the girl at the drug store showed me how the lancet worked. It drew a bunch of blood on her finger. Really looked like too much to me. However every time I have tried it on my finger tips I poke my self with it but am not getting hardly, and sometimes no blood. I mean you have to shake it and squeeze it and it still only looks like a tiny drop of blood. So little in some cases, or took so long in some trys that the meter went to the error mode. Do some people have fingers that won't draw blood well? What part of my finger should I be useing if not the tips? My hands may be harder from work or striping furniture over the years, don't know why I am not getting much?

[ladytaz]

I just got my meter yesterday and the girl at the drug store showed me how the lancet worked. It drew a bunch of blood on her finger. Really looked like too much to me. However every time I have tried it on my finger tips I poke my self with it but am not getting hardly, and sometimes no blood. I mean you have to shake it and squeeze it and it still only looks like a tiny drop of blood. So little in some cases, or took so long in some trys that the meter went to the error mode. Do some people have fingers that won't draw blood well? What part of my finger should I be useing if not the tips? My hands may be harder from work or striping furniture over the years, don't know why I am not getting much?

Generally, if you poke the sides of your fingers rather than the pads, or just on the edge of the pads, it's easier to draw blood. But yes, I do have fingers that give blood better than others. My pinky is a "bleeder" ... I could probably give enough for 30 people to test with on that one alone! LOL

[slipperyelm]

LarryH, I used to have a lot of trouble getting enough blood. Once I started daily low-dose aspirin, getting enough blood became easier. Sometimes, though, I'll have to stick myself more than once for a big enough drop.

[mageerobin]

I just got my meter yesterday and the girl at the drug store showed me how the lancet worked. It drew a bunch of blood on her finger. Really looked like too much to me. However every time I have tried it on my finger tips I poke my self with it but am not getting hardly, and sometimes no blood. I mean you have to shake it and squeeze it and it still only looks like a tiny drop of blood. So little in some cases, or took so long in some trys that the meter went to the error mode. Do some people have fingers that won't draw blood well? What part of my finger should I be useing if not the tips? My hands may be harder from work or striping furniture over the years, don't know why I am not getting much?

Are you using one of the spring loaded devices that has a setting that you can adjust the depth? I have seen some people sling there arms in a circular motion using centrifical force to get more blood to the tips. Of couse this does look odd out in public. :trytofly:

[rzrbks]

Changing Fingers

I've always liked the ones I have, they served the purpose they were intended for and I just thinks it's So Paris Hilton to go and change body parts when there's noting really wrong with them.



I alternate fingers about every other B/G test

[2high]

Changing Fingers

I've always liked the ones I have, they served the purpose they were intended for and I just thinks it's So Paris Hilton to go and change body parts when there's noting really wrong with them.



I alternate fingers about every other B/G test

And you say I"M a bit strange?!?!?!

I've started trying to alternate a bit more, seeing that most people tend to, and I kow I shouldnt scab up just two little fingers like that... But old habits die hard... I've been using the same few fingers for 14 years!!

[JJenson]

Not that it is 14 years but I only used all my fingers for the first week then I switch and only use one finger now. I like it cause it doesn't scab up all my fingers and make them sore. I only do the one finger and it works great for me.

Jeff

[rzrbks]

I alternate simply because I got tired of the same finger being sore all the time, also, alternating makes me think about changing lancets more often

http://www.diabetesforums.com/monitoring/12110-huge-discovery.html


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
And you say I"M a bit strange?!?!?!

If, my dear young lady, you are back-handedly trying to imply that I might be strange........................well too bad, that was voted on and passed by unanimous consent Long, Long ago: ThPbbptt

[Moonlitknight]

I use 1 finger per day, and rotate between all fingers and thumbs.
For many years I just used my favorites, but with doing a little more testing recently, this seems to work weel and I seem to be able to remember
which finger to use each day.

[Nada]

I alternate between all fingers but there's no rhyme or reason behind it, lol. I prefer using my ring and pinky fingers since they are bleeders. :)