Poll results – most irritating part of day to day diabetes

By | 17 August, 2010
Eager Shoot Up readers queue up to vote

Eager Shoot Up readers queue up to vote

It’s approximately mid-way through the month, so that means it’s poll results time (cue wild applause). Last month we asked the diabetic intermaweb community what aspects of the day-to-day ‘running’ of their diabetes caused the most hassle.

Top of list comes regular blood tests with 32% of the vote; perhaps unsurprising given checking 2 or 4 or 8 times a day (delete as applicable, depending on your diabetes negligence) is a pain in the, well, finger. Carb counting also scores highly, with us diabetics being forced to whip out our calculators and work out the carbohydrate content of our snacks before cramming double handfuls of syrup pudding down our gullets.

It’ll probably come as a surprise to non-diabetics (who seem to have an endless fascination with injections) but regularly shooting up scores relatively low with only 13% of the vote. Perhaps that’s because it doesn’t really hurt and is very quick and easy to do. Who knows?

However, I see that dealing with non-diabetics’ reaction to any of the above scored highly, coming third highest on the list. Now, I’ve never had the slightest problem with shooting up in public or people’s reactions, so I don’t really get the popularity of this option. But, as people who’ve met me will attest, I’m a quiet, shy, retiring person, so people probably just don’t notice me.

Coming, now, to this month’s poll, regular reader Terry has suggested that in this wintry economic climate us diabetic drains-on-the-NHS should pull together and help save money by advocating one of the following options. Give your opinion over on the poll down to the right!

  • Reduce blood glucose testing
  • Reduce Hb1Ac testing
  • Reduce research funding
  • Manage diet/exercise more effectively
  • Multiple uses of needles and lancets
  • Return to bottled insulin and hypodermics
  • Summarily execute all T2s.

Last month’s results in full:

  • Regular blood tests – 32%
  • Carb counting – 21%
  • Dealing with non-diabetics’ reaction to any of the above – 21%
  • Regular injections (or cannula changes for pumpers)- 13%
  • Clinic appointments – 5%
  • Blood taking for clinic appointments – 3%

10 thoughts on “Poll results – most irritating part of day to day diabetes

  1. Caroline

    Interesting results! Injecting would have been top of my list if I didn’t have a pump. Perhaps we’ve skewed the outcome? By the way, that’s the Royal ‘we’, unless any other pumpers followed the same decision making process…

    Reply
  2. Tim

    @caroline – I think we do have an unnaturally large number of pump users on this site, so it might have skewed the results. Though saying that, I really don’t mind injections.

    Reply
  3. Hairy Gnome

    Well, I would just like to say how greatly honoured I am to have my modest effort at a poll posted on this fabulous site! I have not been this excited since I won the 50 yard freestyle swimming race for the Boy Scouts! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou @Tim, it’s such a privilege!

    (PS: I think I already see a trend! Roflmfao! :D)

    Reply
  4. Tim

    I like the way “Summarily execute all T2s” has soared to an early lead with 50% of the votes so far! You’re all heart, dear readers.

    Reply
    1. Hairy Gnome

      I was rather impressed with that @Tim! Can’t stop, I’m just off out to buy some anti-personnel mines and a high powered rifle! Roflmao! 😀

      Reply
  5. katherine cromwell

    I think to execute all T2s is a bit mean surely we should have another option for those T1 who would consider (for a short while) not having any insulin for a few days: drinking and eating whatever you may wish and generally smelling of nail varnish/vomit and wearing our Tena pants. Well the teens seem to get away without injecting for 3 days and not testing. We could save millions initially.

    Reply
  6. Cecile

    There, there – no bloodshed required; both Types can be utilized as cash cows to ease “financial austerity”: all PCTs should encourage their T1&2 diabetic patients to not inject/drink pills for 1 day a week, and then deposit that day’s copious crop of urine in a PCT (Piss Collection Tin), which they deliver to their local GP, who’ll sell it to Lucozade. (Just please don’t eat asparagus…)

    @teloz: As long as you adhere religiously to your managed diet of beans & legumes, you’ll be safe 😉

    Reply
    1. Hairy Gnome

      @ckoei – If you believe that, you believe nursie when she says, “Just a little scratch!” then sticks a drainpipe in your vein!

      Note to self: Never drink Lucozade again… 😀

      Reply
  7. gregory gallina

    hello, i am in the usa or what sarah palin has left of it. i am not diabetic but my grandkid who is 12 was diagnosed two years ago with type 1 and as her mom is a single parent and i am a pensioned off codger i provide a lot of support to these two thankless imps.

    anyhow we have been using nph and humalog mixing morning and at dinner and have been getting h1ac’s of about 7.5 though in there we have highs and lows. we are ready to use a new method and have been considering lantus and humaloug as my brother in law who is type 1 gets great control with it.

    recently my grandkid says she might want to use a pump type device now that these pod things are available and she wouldn’t have to have the catheter thing on her. reading your blog is very helpful and i thank you for creating it. not sure which way we will go.the kid is VERY active doing jazz and african dance and is also very compliant in terms of not eating evil sugar products, eating at the right times and eating the right amount of carbs.

    i am tending toward giving lantus a try (the recent scare about it increasing the chances of cancer that was published in a german study seems to have been largely discounted by the epidemiological community) because it seems simple and the kid doesn’t mind testing her blood a lot (usually does so between 5 and 8 times a day) and has adapted to injections without much trouble. but i really have no idea what is the best way to go and of course am terrified about the whole disease and wish i could give her my healthy though somewhat ancient pancreas and take the insulin myself.

    but unless sarah can get me a one on one with her lord and savior i am stuck in the current reality. any insight beyond what is already offered here into stuff that might help with this decision would be appreciate…..lost in the colonies…..

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *