What IS that?


This really is one of the most common questions I get, so I figured I’d explain all of my little machines in a blog post :)

1) This is a fingerpricker. There are many different types of fingerpricker, from various companies using different kinds of technology. Basically, this little machine makes a tonne of noise in quiet rooms, but has the useful advantage of checking my blood sugar. It’s pretty simple, click the pen looking thing on your finger, place the blood on the machine tip and boom, there’s your blood sugar (if only mine was always as nice as 5.8, at last check it was hovering at 16)

(dooyoo.co.uk)

2) These are insulin pens, no, they don’t also function as a pen (seriously, people have asked). Attached to the top is a needle used to inject insulin (note- it's clear and smells terrible for those that have asked) into the stomach, or for some people, arms and legs. You basically need to work out your blood sugar, and then take a bit of a guess (with some guidelines of course) as to how much insulin you will need to cover a meal, or last you through the night. There are different kinds of insulin in these pens, some are short acting (they cover meals) and others a long acting (they stay in the background, making sure you’ve always got a bit of insulin in your system).

(en.wikipedia.org)

3) This is not a pager. I repeat, NOT A PAGER! This is an insulin pump that makes life much easier! Before these clever little machines, I used insulin pens to have injections 4 times a day. With this I only need one injection every three days. Insulin pumps work a little something like this. You fill a vial with insulin and connect it to the pump, then you inject a cannula into your stomach and voila, continuous insulin! What’s a cannula? It’s that little sticky white band aid in the image below that allows for insulin to travel from the machine straight into me. People get a bit confused with that, the circle you see there? That’s on the outside, inside there’s a small tube that drips the insulin in. All I have to do is type in my blood sugar level, then the amount of carbs I’m eating and it works out how much insulin I need to take. Considering I’m awful at maths, I’m glad the computer takes over in that department!

 (diabetespharmicist.com)

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