The doctor said no more arms because her numbers were high a few days in a row. I'm at my wit's end, don't know what to do. She's 5. She's scared to death. I've tried stickers, toys, etc. Please help.
My daughter definitely has her "favorite" spots too and we are dealing with sticking the same fingers over and over, but can you explain what the arms have to do with high numbers?
I assume you are giving her the injections (she's not doing them herself). Has she EVER gotten one somewhere other than her arms? Wonder if it's a matter of that being the place she can't see... that's where my daughter wanted them early on when we were doing them for her. She's 10 and is doing her own now, but that's what she told us -- she didn't want to be able to see the syringe or needle at all...
Maybe there's a way to give her the injection in another place without her seeing it???
[quote user="Chris"]
My daughter definitely has her "favorite" spots too and we are dealing with sticking the same fingers over and over, but can you explain what the arms have to do with high numbers?
I assume you are giving her the injections (she's not doing them herself). Has she EVER gotten one somewhere other than her arms? Wonder if it's a matter of that being the place she can't see... that's where my daughter wanted them early on when we were doing them for her. She's 10 and is doing her own now, but that's what she told us -- she didn't want to be able to see the syringe or needle at all...
Maybe there's a way to give her the injection in another place without her seeing it???
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there's the rearend. pretty much the same as the arm, can't see it if you aren't turning your head to look.
when i was little, cuz i was using my stomach too much..never rotated sites cuz it hurt everywhere else..the doctor and nurses would bribe me with candy and stickers and little teddy bears. my mom would do the same at home. didn't work too well, but i started to once in a while have a shot somewhere else.
like chris, i'm kinda confused as to what the arms have to do with her numbers? seems to be that high numbers = not enough insulin, whether long acting or short acting...which has nothing to do with the injection location....
Our son was only 3.5 when he was diagnosed, so we have battled over where to get shots. Do you have a Rufus book/bear? (Contact JDRF for one for free if not). That seemed to help to show that Rufus could get shots on his arms, legs, tummy or butt. I have found when my son really fought shots that his butt was the easiest spot. I could have him stand between my legs, and then have him bend over my left leg. Then I can use my left arm/body to hold him there while I give the shots in his butt with my right hand. It sounds bad, but it controls the flailing arms and legs so you can just get the shots done. I will than it is and is done so fast.
I really try to explain "This is what we need to do to keep your body healthy" and "We need to give shots in different spots sometimes." But then we just do it - spending a lot of time arguing just makes it more stressful for longer for everyone.
One other trick is that I have my son pretend he is blowing out a birthday candle when I start to pinch his skin before giving the shot. He sounds more like he is blowing up a balloon :) but it distracts him enough that now I usually have to tell him - OK I'm done! before he stops. So I know he is not really noticing the shots.
Good luck - it is hard for a few days everytime we have to try something new and then all of a sudden it seems like no big deal. It is just hard to remember that the no big deal part will come eventually.
If she has even the tiniest bit of fat on her belly (enough to pinch an inch) then it actually hurts less there, in my experience (I'm on a pump now but was on shots for 1 and a half years).
You know, when I was trying to do my own shots, I shouted at my parents countless times, "Why don't you give YOURSELF a shot?!?!" So, you could always see if you could get a vial of saline solution from the endo and give yourself a shot in the stomach/thigh. This might help her to see that it doesn't hurt-- it probably isn't too appealing to you, but it may help.
Also, if you can have her get up the nerve just once to do it in her stomach/leg, then she will probably realize that it is not scary and it will be fine.
I went through this when I was younger. There was a time when I would only use my arms. Fibrious tissue builds up at injection sites which can delay absorbtion. I'm guessing that is what your doctor thinks is causing the high sugars.??( IDK) You'd be able to see lumps on her arms like a bulging tricept. Anyway - I think that trying to get her to use her butt is the best other option. There's a few different approaches. You can have her lay down on her stomach on the bed, couch, etc... (This is how they taught my mother to inject me when I was first diagnosed). Then my father (I hope I can discribe this in a way you can understand) would face his body in front mine and he would bend in such a way to give me the injection. He did this so I couldn't jump away from the shot. Standing or squating behind her gives her too much room to move.
For some reason, I don't know if someone told me to do this when I was young, but on the count of three I would take a deep breath and hold it. Next thing I knew it was over. (Then for awhile all I did was use my butt. After I exhausted that area I went to my legs. I used the sites til I just couldn't use them any more.)
Right now the arms are what she knows and is comfortable with. She can anticipate what it feels like. Other areas are unknowns and the unknown is scarey. So you have to stand firm because you know that it's best for her but always remaining calm and reassuring. And make sure you don't bribe her. Reward her - there's a difference.
I also went through this when I was younger -- I wouldn't do my stomach. What I found is that any new place DOES hurt more initially until you build up scar tissue but that it hurts less and less as you use it more. Good luck!
Don't worry-- you sound so frustrated, but I promise it will be okay!
When I was younger, I did not want to get injections anywhere else but my arms, either. Make your daughter feel more comfortable about the whole injection process.
What about "numbing" another area (like her thigh)? If you have an ice pack, you can numb the skin first. Then, have her poke the spot with her finger and ask her if it hurts (hopefully she will say no!). Then, ask her if you can poke it with your finger. Hopefully she will be sensitized to the thought of getting a shot elsewhere (and using ice to numb the skin really should make the injection hurt less). I would suggest not trying to use her stomach because stomach skin is very sensitive and because it is a private area (it's covered by a shirt all the time).
Also, have you heard of Emla Cream? It is a topical anesthetic that can be used to numb an injection site. Over time, you might be able to use less and less and switch over to just a topical lotion, and then to nothing. I'm not sure if it is over-the-counter or prescription, but if it's prescription, I'm sure if you spoke to your daughter's endocrinologist, he/she would be willing to give you their professional input. Here is a link with information about it: http://www.rxlist.com/emla-drug.htm
Also, you could show her that it doesn't hurt to get a shot in your thigh (or other area) by inserting a syringe into your own thigh (of course using a sterile syringe, without anything in it, with the plunger pushed as far down as possible).
Another issue: She's a growing 5-year old. Although it is crucial to rotate injection sites, her insulin needs may have increased just due to normal growth. ALSO, did her physician suggest increasing her dosage until you can use another injection site? (Because the important thing is that she needs enough insulin to be healthy and grow REGARDLESS of where she is injected).
Again, don't worry so much-- you will figure it all out!
Best,
Ally
I actually went through this when I was about 8 yrs. old or so. My parents/Dr. wanted me to try to use my stomach for injections but I was not buying it. So one day my Dad took one of my syringes and put it in his belly first. Then I thought I could do that too. The rest is history. I used to rotate between arms, legs and stomach. Now I primarily use my stomach unless I am noticing my BS's are too high, possibility insulin isn't being realesed properly. In that case I use my arms and legs for a little while. I'm not sure if this helps but I wanted to share my story with you. Good Luck.
Her numbers are high because of getting scar tissue on her arms from only having her shots there for the last year or so. The skin in her arms is not capable of absorbing the insulin correctly.
We have both gotten "fake shots" all over, so that doesn't work. But, I think I will try numbing the area with an ice pack. Has anyone ever heard of the "shotblock"?
When I was young and new to diabetes, I used something called the Inject-ease. It's a thing that you load the syringe into and then push a button to inject yourself. You might have her try it out. Here's what it looks like.
mmm Ice Packs, bandaids, and booboo bunny always fixed me. I still use ice backs but have moved on to swear words to get though shots some days. I Think I need to get booboo bunny back.
My daughter was diagnosed in 8/09 when she was 8. While she was in the hospital, she just wanted to get her shots in her arms too. We were trying to confience her to try new spots but she wasn't going for it. So when my husband, my mom and myself were practicing giving shots to eachother we would ask her where do you want me to get a shot at? And she thought that was fun being able to make us give shots in places she didnt like. She still wouldnt go for it but it showed her that it wasnt too bad. So then we told her that she had to try different spots and we let her pick who would be the one to give it to her and each time she would say hey i didnt feel that. She was in the hospital for 4 days and by the time we got home she was getting shots in her arms, thighs, and stomach. With your daughter only being 5 it's a litte harder to confince her but try giving her some choices with it. If you're brave enough let her give you one. No I did not have to resort to that with my daughter but hey i would've if i had to.
I mean, I was 19 when I would beg my mom to do my shot in the back of my arm! For me it was just easier to have her do it then do it myself. I got really bad anxiety about giving myself a shot, but if someone else was doing it and I couldn't see it I didn't get the anxiety because I didn't know when it was going to happen.
There's proof that it's not just kids. I used to have my parents give me a shot in the leg to rotate sites. Now that I have a pump it's even harder to rotate sites because I don't have enough fat everywhere else.