What is Reddit's opinion of Lancing Device and 100 Lancets for Diabetes Testing - Sterile, Single Use, 30 Gauge Lancets, for Minimizing Pain and Discomfort in Diabetic Blood Glucose Testing?

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>I know I'm posting this in a sub full of people who do this all the time, I guess I just wondered if anyone was as scared as I am at first?

I've been a type 1 for ~25 years and I'm still scared of needles.

>Something about it being my hands is a huge issue for me

There are lancet devices that can be used on your fore arm(I've also used it on my palm). So maybe somewhere other than your fingers might be easier for you?

And congratulations on the baby!

I haven't really ever experienced too much bruising, except for the two times that I used a different lancet device and squeezed a lot in order to get enough blood for one of those covid antibody testing cards. I think it could've been that the lancet was rougher (was one of those single-use kinds, and probably had a thicker needle because the point was to get lots of blood), but also I was squeezing a lot. Do you need to "milk" your finger to get enough blood? If so, that might be causing the bruising, and doing other things like running your hands under hot water, shaking them, using a deeper lancet setting, etc. might help so you don't have to squeeze hard. I don't "milk" but rather do one or two up-and-down squeezes if that makes sense (like with one finger on the fingernail/the other on the pad of the finger I poked the side of). If you aren't milking your finger but it's still bruising, can you go down in the lancet setting? Or even buy a new lancet? Mine broke partway through pregnancy so I bought a new lancing device, and I found it to be easier. It was the Care Touch.

ETA: I also have a rotation, so like on Monday fasting I do the outer side of my left pinky, Monday breakfast inner side of left pinky, Monday lunch outer right pinky, Monday dinner inner right pinky. Tuesday is ring finger, Wednesday middle, Thursday index, and Friday-Sunday go back to pinky-middle. This way each finger/side gets at least 3 days in between pokes and I'm never trying to remember which finger I haven't done in a while.

I see. That sounds difficult. I think there have been lots of different posts here where people weigh in on their strategies in the comments if anything might help, but I like to rub the area vigorously with a paper towel after washing, then I poke before getting the strip all ready and squeeze gently one time to make sure that there's any blood (occasionally something jams and it doesn't actually puncture... so as soon as I see red here I stop squeezing). Then I get the strip set up and go back and squeeze a few more times until I get a big enough drop. My squeezes are just like pinch pinch, not "milking" or stroking. I've heard these kinds of things can actually make your numbers worse.

It shouldn't be so hard. Have you mentioned to your nurses? There are other glucometers that allow taking blood from other sites, which might open up more possibilities. Also, glucometers vary in how much blood they require, so maybe a different one would make it easier. TBH, I would probably set myself a limit and if I had to do more than 5 attempts, I just would give up for that reading. But definitely tell your nurse.

Oh, also I bought a different lancing device than came with my glucometer and found it slightly more comfortable. Maybe you could explore that too? I got this one on Amazon for $8.

Could you warm up some water in the microwave and dip your finger in for a min beforehand too maybe?

I'll copy and paste a couple of comments I made earlier, it was written for someone else so the verbiage will be off but the content is still relevant:

I sympathize, I struggled a lot with home testing when I was starting out too. Do you use a rice sock or something to warm the ear? I find that makes a huge difference. Warm ears bleed much better than cold ears. I just took a small sock and put a handful of rice in it. I microwave it for about 20 seconds and hold it onto the ear. Just test it in your hand to make sure its not too hot.

You can hand prick or use the device, whichever is easier. Sometimes its hard to aim the lancing device in the right spot and hand pricking can be easier. I got a lancing device on Amazon which has a clear tip and makes it easier to see where exactly the lancet will hit.

https://www.amazon.com/Care-Touch-Lancets-Lancing-Device/dp/B01K8K63TI/

Keep practicing! Home testing is essential. Hypo events are really scary.

As for food, I strongly disagree with your vet that food doesn't matter. Human diabetics have to follow strict diets, the same goes for cats. Food is half the battle!!! Cats are obligate carnivoires anyway so they have no need for corn, peas, whatever starchy filler most dry foods consist of. Wet food is ideal because it naturally low carb and high moisture. We feed Fancy Feast pate but I know Friskies wet food, Tiki Cat, Sheebah, almost any of them are good options. Just stay away from anything that has gravy as they tend to use starch as a thickener. Read the labels, they won't list carb % but they will list ingredients.

There are a few very low carb dry foods available too. I use Young Again Mature Zero for snacks and supplemental feeds between meals. You can only get it from their website:

https://www.youngagainpetfood.com/products/zero-mature-health

Wysong Epigen 90, Ziwi Peak Air Dried, Dr. Elsey's Cleanprotein Chicken recipe are all low carb and popular options among owners of diabetic cats.

Also low carb treats!!! Freeze dried meats or organs are great options. We use freeze dried salmon as my diabetic boy is a fish fiend. My cats go nuts for these protein puffs too:

https://www.amazon.com/Redbarn-Protein-Puffs-Salmon-1-Count/dp/B07G994H7V

4-5 units is a high dose for a house cat. My concern with switching to all wet food while on that high insulin level is a hypo event. Low carb/Wet food will help control the diabetes somewhat by itself so if you're still dosing insulin like he's eating high carb food it could be too much for him. I would try to get your home testing technique down and be ready to monitor him for the week or so that he adjusts to wet food. Maybe even talk to your vet (or a new vet) about reducing his dose once he's on a low carb diet. Then bringing it back up as needed. I doubt he will need almost 10 units a day while on a low carb diet. Dosing is for you to work out with your vet and your glucose monitoring though.

Be ready for a hypo event anyway. Be sure you have some honey or pancake syrup on hand to rub on his gums if that happens.

What kind of insulin are you using? Glargine insulin has the best chance of inducing remission in cats. A lot of vets still use vetsulin though.

I sympathize, I struggled a lot with home testing when I was starting out too. Do you use a rice sock or something to warm the ear? I find that makes a huge difference. Warm ears bleed much better than cold ears. I just took a small sock and put a handful of rice in it. I microwave it for about 20 seconds and hold it onto the ear. Just test it in your hand to make sure its not too hot.

You can hand prick or use the device, whichever is easier. Sometimes its hard to aim the lancing device in the right spot and hand pricking can be easier. I got a lancing device on Amazon which has a clear tip and makes it easier to see where exactly the lancet will hit.

https://www.amazon.com/Care-Touch-Lancets-Lancing-Device/dp/B01K8K63TI/

Keep practicing! Home testing is essential. Hypo events are really scary.

As for food, I strongly disagree with your vet that food doesn't matter. Human diabetics have to follow strict diets, the same goes for cats. Food is half the battle!!! Cats are obligate carnivoires anyway so they have no need for corn, peas, whatever starchy filler most dry foods consist of. Wet food is ideal because it naturally low carb and high moisture. We feed Fancy Feast pate but I know Friskies wet food, Tiki Cat, Sheebah, almost any of them are good options. Just stay away from anything that has gravy as they tend to use starch as a thickener. Read the labels, they won't list carb % but they will list ingredients.

There are a few very low carb dry foods available too. I use Young Again Mature Zero for snacks and supplemental feeds between meals. You can only get it from their website:

https://www.youngagainpetfood.com/products/zero-mature-health

Wysong Epigen 90, Ziwi Peak Air Dried, Dr. Elsey's Cleanprotein Chicken recipe are all low carb and popular options among owners of diabetic cats.

Also low carb treats!!! Freeze dried meats or organs are great options. We use freeze dried salmon as my diabetic boy is a fish fiend. My cats go nuts for these protein puffs too:

https://www.amazon.com/Redbarn-Protein-Puffs-Salmon-1-Count/dp/B07G994H7V

4-5 units is a high dose for a house cat. My concern with switching to all wet food while on that high insulin level is a hypo event. Low carb/Wet food will help control the diabetes somewhat by itself so if you're still dosing insulin like he's eating high carb food it could be too much for him. I would try to get your home testing technique down and be ready to monitor him for the week or so that he adjusts to wet food. Maybe even talk to your vet (or a new vet) about reducing his dose once he's on a low carb diet. Then bringing it back up as needed. I doubt he will need almost 10 units a day while on a low carb diet. Dosing is for you to work out with your vet and your glucose monitoring though.

Be ready for a hypo event anyway. Be sure you have some honey or pancake syrup on hand to rub on his gums if that happens.

What kind of insulin are you using? Glargine insulin has the best chance of inducing remission in cats. A lot of vets still use vetsulin though.

Check on amazon. I got a different brand's lancing device and it's like 4 cents per lance.