October 26, 2007
Behavior, Blood Tests and Insulin Injections
Question from London, England:
To be honest, I’m getting really depressed with diabetes lately in general. I’m sick of having injections and I hardly ever test my sugar level simply because it’s annoying and leaves my fingers in pieces.
What I am most concerned about is that I have swelling at my injection sites. There is not a lot of swelling, but it is noticeable. The lower half of my stomach and the tops of my arms are swollen. My doctor always tells me to inject in different sites, but no matter what I do, this swelling will not go down. I’ve tried not injecting in those sites for ages to see any improvements but nothing has changed! I’ve also tried to burn it off. I do kick boxing and I work out extremely hard but, no matter how much I work, it never goes down. As I’m becoming more muscular, the more this swelling becomes visible! What do I do to get rid of this swelling?
Answer:
First, you need to tell you doctor about how you are feeling. You are not alone. Lots of kids get tired of diabetes. Your doctor likely can help you to feel better or help you find a counselor or therapist who can assist you.
With respect to the swelling, you are describing a problem we sometimes see…hypertrophy at injection sites. See Dr. Peter Chase’s chapter on Drawing Up and Giving Insulin for more information. Your doctor is right: you need to stay away from the swollen sites. It really does usually go away.
LD
