I dropped my lancing device (a.k.a. my “finger poker”) on the gym floor last week. The cap that goes over the lancet popped off and skittered away.
I’m on the side of the basketball court, facing the wall. There’s nothing but empty gym floor to my left, right, and behind me. I looked and looked and looked, but I could not find the cap to my finger poker. I was a little amused, because really, where the hell could it have gone?
I wanted to test my blood sugar and get back to playing ball. I stood there trying to figure out what to do, still trying to figure out how this little piece of plastic could just disappear.
I flashed back to the first Roche Social Media Summit, back in the summer of 2009. It was very common during the meetings to see any one of us pull out our test kit and check our blood sugar. But when I saw Kelly check hers, I realized just how bad-ass she is.
She pulled out her meter, her test strips, and a lancet. Not a lancing device, not a finger poker, but just the lancet (the light blue thing with the needle in the picture). She just jabbed her finger with the lancet. Like…manually. No spring loaded jabber, no fancy depth settings. Just her hand and the needle.
Back to the basketball court, and with thanks to K2, I knew what I needed to do. I checked my blood sugar a couple more times before leaving, and it worked out just fine.
But I still packed a new lancing device into my test kit once I got home.
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Scott K. Johnson
Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in April of 1980, I recognize the incredible mental struggle of living with diabetes.
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lol thats just wonderful!! and im a “wuss”,because i aint doing that!after i read this i sat there with a lancet in my hand.i could not do it!! lmao i agree that is bad ass!!
I’m sure I’ve done that many of times but it just sounds horrible! I guess we’ve been spoiled with our devices. I’m glad you thought of it + were able to test + get back to the game!
I’m surprised you’ve never done this before. In the old days, we had harpoon-like lancet devices (see Kerri’s picture for one here http://goo.gl/rWKLY) and it was sometimes easier just to use the lancet itself (and less painful). I guess we’ve become too soft with new technology … LOL!
Great post, Scott! You describing the missing lancet device cap on basketball floor made me flash to the scene from Indy Jones and the Temple of Doom where he loses a diamond on the shiny dance floor and people kick it away just as he’s about to grab it, then it gets all mixed up with spilled ice cubes. Glad K2 served as an inspiration for you to tap into that old-school lancet only method! Lancet only is something I do often, as I’ve found the many devices I have don’t pierce my calloused-fingertips enough to make me bleed. Anyhow, thanks for sharing!
WOW & Thanks for the shout out! I can’t believe I’m a title, a subject & a tag in your blog post – that’s so cool!
Scottie J, I’m SO proud of you for going for it and taking the no lancing device initiative! Told you that you could do it!
Lancing devices have come such a long way, but I guess I grew up trying so many horrific ones that scarred me both mentally and physically, that going hardcore with the lance has become second nature to me now!
HUGS!
Kelly K
I chucked when I read your post. We have all been there. One day at work I forgot my lancing device at home on the bathroom counter. What to do? What to do? A syringe! OUCH!, But it worked. Bleed big time. A PWD does what they got to do.
I am fairly new at this (New Type 2), but I started to lance my finger one day and slipped and gouged myself really good on my thumb. I still use a lancet device, but remeber that day I almost bleed too much.
I LOVE THIS POST!!!! Because you inadvertently told me I was badass too (because I’ve sooo been in this situation) This post made me smile so big! haha!