How Did You Learn How To Inject Yourself?

thanks for this. i was totallyt confused :blush:

Apparently they still make U40 insulin for pets, and U40 syringes for pets! But based on many hits on my U40 search, many people are still confused, and use wrong syringe for the pet insulin concentration or not instructed to convert dosage to work with mismatched syringe.

https://www.petrescuerx.com/index.cfm/product/276_151/vetsulin-u40-insulin.htm

My first injection was NPH, in my left leg. I was needle phobic, but I felt so bad and desperate to feel normal again.

After FOUR decades, I still am a little needle phobic.

No oranges, bananas etc here, just jab into real flesh.
My wife was Rx’d training over a decade ago when I was heading for surgery and would need help. She was trained at the local diabetes center, using a foam? pad.

JD

1 Like

Oh I remember the ole days, they had TWO strengths, U40 and U80, before U100. Mistake in dosage were more common, using a U40 syringe with U80 insulin or reverse.

Now we are going back to multiple insulin concentrations?
U100, U200, U300, U500, what next?, U10,000?

1 Like

Those were the good old days @Gomer … . Double boiler to sterilize our glass syringes and heavy duty stainless steel needles. I think that shot in the morning took a good 10 minutes just to get the syringe prepared.

Then remember how we’d have to roll the vial of insulin between the palms of our hands to mix it? Fun times …

2 Likes

I haven’t had diabetes for that long (28 years) and even I remember having to do that with NPH. :slight_smile: And always measuring “Toronto” (regular) first so as not to get any cloudy stuff into the vial of Toronto… Though in my case I never had to actually do that, since I didn’t start measuring my own insulin till I’d switched to pens.

Anyone here remember when pens had 1.5 mL cartridges? I swear I remember that, but I can’t find anyone else who does. And they could only count up in two unit increments back then (‘90s)…

2 Likes

OMG @Jim_YYC I had completely forgotten about rolling the vials to mix it!

2 Likes

I was diagnosed as a 5yo. In the hospital all the education was directed at my parents, and I was encouraged to play. Yeah, right, as if I would play with dollies and toys when the adults were discussing interesting things.
I could read and write, tell the time, count, read music etc. I felt as if I were a fully sentient human. I had been at school for 6 months and knew everything :joy:. Mum and I giggled about how “dumbed down” anything directed at me was.
So when mum was taught to inject oranges in preparation for injecting me, I observed very closely. It didn’t seem hard really. And the injections by mum and dad hurt, so about 2 weeks after leaving hospital I asked for the syringe and did it myself. Didn’t hurt nearly as much, and I have not allowed anyone else to inject me since (I do my own vaccines). I wasn’t super interested in drawing up etc. I could do it, but it was boring and took time.
I used U40 Monotard, once a day, and I was lucky enough to have disposables, not glass syringes and metal needles. Had some as back up though.

3 Likes