(Continued from the last blog - P1) We sat down in the Mall and the daughter was full of questions about why the lancet device hurt so much. So it was education time. I asked to see her device and it was the same one that I use. The setting was at one less than the deepest and she had been told to leave it there. I said no, that she could change it to fit her needs and that it was what I had been taught. So we started at the lightest setting and I used mine on my fingers as an example going through several settings. The daughter asked why I did not change lancets each time. I explained that I would have if I was to test on my wife's fingers, but that I did not change until I had too much pain when I used it. I said that she should change when she felt like it or on a certain day each week or month.
Then she ask why I had not used the alcohol pad to sterilize first. I knew then there were problems so I took time to explain that the alcohol pads were only for those times when her finger needed to be sterilized and she could not wash with soap and warm water. I also warned her that if she had been working in the kitchen and handling fruit and some foods, that the alcohol would not remove the sugar and she would get erroneous readings and needed to wash with soap and water to remove the sugar. I also explained that regular use of the alcohol pads would dry out her finger tips and cause cracks in the winter and then testing could be quite painful.
Then she did the lancing and of course flinched. As a result – no blood. I could see that she had been scared on this. So I had her try again with me holding the device so she would not know when it would hit. No flinching and a little blood, but not a sufficient amount for the meter. She said she had no pain, so I set the device to the next level and we repeated. This time there was enough blood for the meter, so she put the test strip where she had been shown and wicked the blood into the test strip. The reading was not great, but for the time of day after a meal, it was acceptable.
We discussed the pressure needed and milking the finger to get sufficient blood. The next one she did on her own and got sufficient blood. She commented that it was a small sting, but not nearly as bad as when she was in the office. We discussed the need for adjusting the device to her own needs and possible differences even on some fingers. The daughter asked if one of the web sites the endo had given them would also cover this. I said it would and from what I remember it is a good site – just not as detailed as it could be.
The daughter said the endo had set up an appointment in two weeks to talk about the pump and some other information. The book they had to order was about pumping and so they would not be ready for the appointment. I knew my neighbor who is a Type 1 had the book and said I would ask him if he would loan it until theirs arrived.
When I returned home, the neighbor said he would loan it, so with my two on counting carbs and his on pumping, I called to say I had them. The husband said he would be by to get them shortly.
When he arrived, we talked further and he thanked me for the two sites I had given them as they were very helpful and he wanted my email and telephone so they could ask questions as they had them. I gave him the information and two other sites for the family to explore. After I sent an email to the endo, I know she sent several more sites including two that I had given.
Continued on the next blog - P3
No comments:
Post a Comment