NEEDLES
I am afraid of needles. Even though I inject myself four times a day I just cannot watch someone else either being injected or self-injecting, even in movies or on TV!
So you can imagine how I felt when I was told by my doctor that I would have to inject myself for the rest of my life as he held up a syringe which he called 'one of these little fellows.' It didn't look like a 'little fellow' to me at the time! All I could think about was my fear of sticking the 'little fellow' into my body.
IN THE BEGINNING
Even though I am writing about a visit to my doctor's surgery thirty years ago I still remember it to this day. I also remember how I overcame my fear of needles so that I was able able to inject myself with no problem. Today I do it without thinking. But it wasn't always like that. Especially at the beginning.
At that time my doctor was required to have me admitted to a hospital (in London) where I was to test using a 'little fellow' on an orange! I wonder if they still do it today?
Two days later I was on my own at home, where I had to inject myself three times a day before meals. Today my regime is a little different in that I inject myself four times a day- three times a day before meals with a quick acting insulin and a once a day with a long acting insulin.
THE BENEFITS
Do not be concerned if you have just been diagnosed with diabetes and you have been told that you will have to inject yourself with insulin. The fact is that without insulin you will die. And it will be a horrible death. The discovery of insulin was a true gift which we should all be grateful for. Its the reason why I am still living today and able to write this article..
COUNTING
I remember sitting down at home to give myself my first injection in my thigh the morning after I was released from hospital But I just sat there fearing to do it. And I sat and sat and sat, 'little fellow' in one hand at the ready and my pants around my ankles.
Realizing that I couldn't stick the needle in I decided I would count before I injected myself ostensibly so that I would be able to monitor my progress. I knew that it was really a delaying tactic.
So I counted to 80 before I was able to plunge the 'little fellow' to release the insulin. That lunchtime it was the same, 80, and in the evening the same too.
Now, 80 as a number doesn't mean anything to me but it certainly did then. Was it the magic number, my key to self-injecting?
The next morning I had even greater success. I stuck the needle in after counting to 75! At lunchtime it was the same but in the evening I was able to inject myself after counting to 60- no small achievement I assure you. After all, I had reduced my delay time from 80 to 60, a reduction of 25%. Not bad I thought.
Some months went by until I was able to inject myself counting to 20. Nowdays I do it so quickly that I even surprise myself. But it all started with counting.
THE FUTURE
I know many insulin dependent diabetics who don't have a poblem injecting themselves. And that's OK. But if, like me, you fear needles, then counting is a certain way to move ahead. And there you have it.
Start counting now if you are afraid of needles. Whatever number you count to, you will soon be able to do it without thinking.
Good luck and please do remember that diabetes is one of the better chronic disease to acquire. You will have to be careful about what you eat and to exercise. But you will be living a healthier life style than before and, all in all, you will live for many many years on insulin if you take care of your health.
And maybe one day in the not so distant future we will all be taking insulin pills coated with something magical which will prevent the insulin from being detsroyed in our stomachs. Then we will look back on articles like this one and give a little laugh. Better still, we will give a sigh of relief when a cure for diabetes is found.
I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 31 years years ago. At that time I had an abscess on my leg and my doctor advised I have a blood test which confirmed his suspicians. At first he put me on a diet and when that had little effect on my blood glucose level I was put on pills. And when the pills didn't work I had to go on insulin. The insulin worked, and I have maintained my blood glucose levels at reasonably acceptable levels albeit a little highre than normal.
In my case diabetes runs in my family. My paternal grandfather injected himself with insulin, and my father's sister and brother were both diabetic although my father was not.
I now look back and credit my healthy life style to being diabetic. Insulin was, without doubt, one of the great medical discoveries of this century. It saved my life, and has allowed my to live into my seventies.