7
There can be so much to learn and remember when you're new to injecting. These
following key steps will get you into the best routine.
SEVEN STEPS TO SUCCESS
1. Keep positive: It's normal to feel
anxious when you start injecting, try to
remember that insulin injections are
good for you.
2. Learn about injection technique: Your
doctor and nurse will help, but you
must also learn what works for you.
3. Needle length and skin folds: You may
need to do a skinfold to inject. Check
with your nurse or doctor (see p.18).
4. Injection site rotation: It's essential to
rotate to avoid lipos. Stay feeling and
looking good by practising the correct
injecting technique and understanding
lipos (see page 6).
5. Where to inject: The recommended
places are the abdomen, upper half of
thighs, both upper buttocks and flanks
(below the rib cage and above your hip)
and both upper arms.
6. Injection site technique: Healthy sites
make a big difference - get into the
habit of checking your sites regularly
and, if you have any concerns, talk to
your diabetes team.
7. Use a new needle every time: Pen
needles are designed for single use
only. Using needles once not only helps
to reduce injection pain, it also reduces
contamination and skin damage, which
can lead to lipos.
Rob Brown sorting his insulin out when preparing to
run the Marathon de Sable in the Sahara dessert.