Tips and Tricks

[Ritehsedad]

OK...I'm sure that those among us that have had the big D for a while have come up with some tips & tricks that you figured out yourself, or some other diabetic told you. Well here's your chance to share with the rest of us.

Me first - You've just stuck your finger, tested your blood and now have a finger with a drop of blood on it. What do you do, wipe it on your pants, whip out your hanky? Here's what I do (& I'll bet some other of you too!): I use a square of toilet paper folded twice (into eighths), dab the blood, fold it again & apply pressure for a few seconds. I have a roll near my bed (where I test at home) and one in my desk at work. I also have 4 or 5 folded up in a little plastic bag in my meter's case.

OK, that wasn't too exciting, so tell us your tips, ya know ya wanta...

[psilocybin]

after i wash my hands befor testing bs i dry my hands with a towel first than with paper towel after i dried with the towel. this make sure my hands are totally dry...when my hands are damp i find it more difficult to test with my meters

[Penny]

No Yuks or oohs! :tongue: I stick my finger in my mouth, until it quits bleeding! I'm anemic, I can't afford to lose any more blood than I have to!:D

[Cinnabon]

"I will suck my blood!!!"

[lelggren]

I completely am not sure if this is ok to do, but it has worked for me when money has been tight. I'm on the Paradigm 712 pump and you are supposed to change your reservoirs and sets every 3 days. Well, sometimes I will reuse the reservoir, just save the plunger. Change the set every 3 days, but use the same reservoir for say, 6 days. Saves a lot of money and helps you get an emergency storage going for the supplies.

[valc3]

No Yuks or oohs! :tongue: I stick my finger in my mouth, until it quits bleeding! I'm anemic, I can't afford to lose any more blood than I have to!:D

No yuks or oohs here. I do the same thing.

[sydneya]

No yuks or oohs here. I do the same thing.

YUK!! ooh!! Oh, come to think of it, I do the same sometimes--but only when noone is looking!!

Actually my most recent trick is to move my medicine and testing supplies to the kitchen so I remember to take it before putting the meal on the table. I'm bad about hurry,hurry,hurry so now I remember to test, test, test.

[amccrazgrl]

finger w/ blood on it right into the mouth

[DeusXM]

Same as. I actually like the taste of blood. I find that my fingers only bleed if I squeeze them anyway, so I stab, suck up the excess off the finger and then I'm ready to go!

It is worth pointing out that insulin doesn't taste as nice as blood.

[Cyborg]

bunch of vampires !

[Belinda]

No Yuks or oohs! :tongue: I stick my finger in my mouth, until it quits bleeding! I'm anemic, I can't afford to lose any more blood than I have to!:D




I do the same thing....:dancing2:

[Ritehsedad]

You're all a bunch of wackos! :T

[condensr]

Hmm, yep, same here.. finger in mouth. I'm the same as DeusXM in the fact that most often, I only bleed if I squeeze. If that isn't the case, my lancing device is set too deep! :O

[Lynpenny]

I agree we are a bunch of vampires here. Oh yeah in the mouth with the finger. They taught me to use an alcohol wipe at the doctors office but that just doesn't taste as good.lol

[Georgia]

No Yuks or oohs! :tongue: I stick my finger in my mouth, until it quits bleeding! I'm anemic, I can't afford to lose any more blood than I have to!:D

Yep me too!

[Jeannie]

I do the toilet paper thing too!

[TvBabe]

I swear I must be the odd ball here...I use disposible make up removal squares that I pick up at the drug store on sale. I get a huge swack of them for under a buck and they last forever. I have them on my coffee table at home and I grab one each day and use one square per day then toss.

[Penny]

I swear I must be the odd ball here...I use disposible make up removal squares that I pick up at the drug store on sale. I get a huge swack of them for under a buck and they last forever. I have them on my coffee table at home and I grab one each day and use one square per day then toss.

I get a box of swabs every time I get syringes or lancets, in the mail. There are several sitting around the house, and I carry them in my purse. They are great for cleaning your glasses. I also use them to wipe my granddaughter's hands when she uses a public restroom, I know she doesn't wash them good. They are good for cleaning a scape or cut, before putting on a bandaid, too.

[Tokyo Cate]

Tip 1: I use the alcohol swabs they give me to clean up ink stains from leaky pens. I don't think I have used an alcohol swab for any other purpose since I stopped using the pump.

Tip 2: the fridge at work is usually full and things often move about. I tape my back-up fast acting pen to the inside of the fridge door above the otherwise useful space with a note asking others to not move it.

Tip 3: when getting test strips, if you get a large volume, they are often of the same lot so you don't have to recalibrate the meter.

Tip 4: while I haven't worn one in years (I keep meaning to replace mine), Medic-Alert bracelets give your loved ones a sense of security.

[rea]

I don't know about everyone else, but I get tired of all the garbage that I produce with my supplies. it seems like I am ALWAYS going to go the the garbage to throw out my pen needles, the little paper that covers them, little plastic fittings, test strip wrappers, etc. sigh.

I never bothered with kleenex/whatever for bleeding. I stick my finger in my mouth too. the bleeding usually stops right away.

diabetic tricks that don't involve sommersaults:
-If I have air bubbles, I squirt my insulin into the sink, with the water running. stops the smell (not that I care). nurse taught me that.

-also carry my supplies (2 days worth) in a makeup bag, it fits into my purse, and I keep it next to me on my desk at work.I know a guy who has a whole "man supply binder" - as he calls it. its a leather case like a binder that zips up. when he opens it up and lays it out, it looks like he is about to commit surgery. I cant' stand carrying around that much.

-to keep things simple, I use an assensia breeze glucometer, it carries ten test strips at once so I have to refill it every day and a half.

-I have jelly beans or glucose tabs in my car, purse, desk, gym bag, running clothes pockets, nighttable drawer, bathroom, kitchen, studio and parents house.

- also carry disposable packets of alcohol wipes or antibacterial wipes in my purse. I don't like the hand gel because it leaves a yucky film on your hands. but sometimes you are just in a filthy place.

[Ritehsedad]

Tip 4: while I haven't worn one in years (I keep meaning to replace mine), Medic-Alert bracelets give your loved ones a sense of security.

That's a great tip Cate! I don't have one (I'm T2, no meds), when I was first diagnosed last year I didn't want one, because i didn't want someone to see it and think, "Hmmm, he's got a medical problem, I wonder what it is. So sad for him." Now I'm thinking you have the right idea, also now I would wear it sort of as a badge of honor, "Yup, I've got diabetes, but I'm in control, not IT."

Thanks Cate!
-Randy

[rea]

I keep losing my medic alert bracelet. I have gone through five different style clasps on it.

I am thinking of just going and getting the symbol as a little tatoo on my wrist. I no its like branding yourself, but I don't see my diabetes going away anytime, soon, and my wrist is less likely to fall off.

[Ritehsedad]

My luck I'd get the tattoo & they'd come up with a cure for T2, however, standard treatments used to remove a tattoo can be life threatening after the treatment.

*sigh*

;)

[Finn]

I am a vampire, too. I'd like people to think "hummm...she's sucking on her finger" as opposed to "eeeeeeeeee..she's bleeding"

[karen]

I just rub the blood off with my other hand. No sucking involved.

Karen

[camjen1]

Ewwwwwwww didn't realize so many people sucked there blood. I prefer to do the whole toilet paper thing. Maybe some of you should try out fear factor since drinking blood probably wouldn't be a problem. Ewwwwwwwwww!

[pbmax]

Do many of those metioned... Just depends on whats handy.
Mouth,pants,swab, running water...
I'm not picky... just lazy some times...

[Tokyo Cate]

Buffy would so be onto us!!

I am a blood sucker as well. On the occasion when I bleed a lot (once every few weeks), I will find another way to deal with it, but usually a quick lick cleans it up and the bleeding has already stopped. :nurse:

I would never really consider a tattoo, but my sister once came across someone unconscious and she stopped to check things out and found his diabetes tattoo and knew exactly what to do. I guess it is an option, but I would prefer to not go through that (I would like to avoid needles I don't need to use to sustain life, if you know what I mean). Perhaps I will order a new Medic-Alert bracelet on my next trip home or ask for one for my next birthday.

I have never seen them in Japan (and haven't looked), but there must be something similar. I wonder if an English one would do the trick. I guess it would clue medical personnel into the fact that something was going on and they would likely pick everything else up based on my symptoms, if need be.

[scara]

I was thinking of getting a dart board tattoo on my side so I could remember the "pain free" spots for injecting the insulin... sadly getting the tattoo would hit all the painful spots....:hmmmm: