Insulin: doing injections everyday

There are three main things that anyone diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes has to do in order to control their diabetes well. These are: injecting insulin everyday, eating a healthy and balance diet and checking their glucose level (finger pricking) everyday.

When you are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes there is no alternative but to replace the missing insulin by means of daily injections. In this summary the young people we talked to tell us what it is like to inject insulin everyday, the problems they have had and how they have coped with them.

Where and how to inject

Young people are taught by specialist diabetes nurses and doctors how to inject as well as where to inject. Arms, legs and the stomach are all parts of the body recommended for injection. Most of the respondents said that their 'favourite' place was the stomach. But they also said that it is important to rotate and to inject over a wide area rather than in the same place otherwise lumps developed under the skin. Injecting into the lumps is usually completely painless but the absorption of insulin into those areas can be less effective, and continuing to inject into them leads to the development of larger, unsightly lumps.   

Some young people who were small children when diagnosed said that they have grown up with doing daily injections and thought it was normal. Other children were initially scared of needles and their mother had to start injecting them. 

She was seven when diagnosed and started to inject herself.

He started doing his injections twice a day when he was eight years old. Doing his insulin injections has not been a problem for him.

He hated doing the injections at first, but with the help and encouragement from his family, friends and medical staff he has overcome his initial fears.

Young people have different opinions as to whether insulin injections hurt or not. Some said that the needles they use are so fine that it is painless but others said that it depends on how relaxed and comfortable they are at the time of the injection. Several young people commented on how much easier and painless it is to do the injections yourself because you know your own body. Most young people said that it is down to practice and that 'practice makes it perfect'. The young people we talked to said that doing their own injections gave them a sense of control and independence. 

Says that doing injections is not something you get used to in a day but with practice you will learn to do them how is best for you.

At the age of 11 he decided to start doing his own injections because his parents couldn't tell which were the areas that would hurt him!

Getting used to injecting everyday

Some young people found that the everyday injecting had taken a long time to get used to. One young woman diagnosed two years ago still has some difficulty when it comes to doing her injections. The diabetes nurse recommended her using a device called PenMate where she presses a trigger which shoots the needle into the skin. One young woman remembers that her mother or grandmother used to give her one out of the two daily injections when she was still asleep and that she was in her teen years before starting doing her own injections.

She uses a device called PenMate to help her do her injections.

It was after leaving school when she really started doing her own injections.

Most of the young people we talked to said that you will get used to doing the injections, that they will become part of your daily routine like brushing your teeth or brushing your hair. We interviewed one teenager who has had more serious difficulties and has needed professional help. Her parents have been doing her injections since she was four years old and it was very difficult for her to take over. She asked for help and was referred to a psychiatrist who she saw for two years. She says that it has taken her two years to overcome her fears of injections.

She found it very hard to take over from her parents who had been controlling her diabetes since she was four years old.

She asked for help because she wanted to control her diabetes and be a normal teenager.

She tells us what she had to do to be able to conquer her fears and start injecting herself.

Forgetting to do an injection

The young people we talked to said that there have been instances when they have forgotten to do their insulin injections. They said that it is not always easy to remember to do them like for instance when they have been in a hurry to go out with friends; too tired to remember to do it in the evening, find it difficult to do them at school break time, not wanting to carry the kit with them, when they have been ill, etc. Some young people said that they need a lot of reminding and that mothers in particular do most of the 'nagging'.

Says that his mother 'nagged' him and that he now has a routine to make sure he doesn't forget his injection.

He kept forgetting to do his lunchtime insulin injection at school because he wanted to be with his friends.

One young man who has had Type 1 diabetes since childhood started to miss injections when older because he found the routine too boring and socially limiting. (See also 'Talking about - Obesity and other eating problems'.)

Doing an injection in public places

Young people have different attitudes when it comes to do insulin injections in public places. Most young people told us that they have no problem about doing them in restaurants, school/university canteen, etc. Other young people find it difficult to do it in public places and prefer to go to the toilet or another private place when they are out and about.