Re: Diabetes


"Bob" <nottooslow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:MPG.1e7ff8b3c60ccde09897ac@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In article <9CsQf.2502$k75.1058@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
edchait4remove@xxxxxxxxxxxxx says...
<snip>
I don't poke my fingertips. I poke my forearms. Fingertips are one of
those areas of the body where nerve receptors are very concentrated. In
addition, as you mention, many of us have thickened skin there due to
different activities.

If you do use your fingertips, you're supposed to poke them on the side,
not
on the tips. That helps avoid the calluses issue. Also, you want to
sort
of "milk" the finger first before poking. You want to squeeze the finger
from proximal to distal in order to make it easier to obtain a good drop
of
blood.

ed

Ed,

Now, how do I prevent calluses on the sides of my fingertips :-)

I don't seem to have much fat on the sides of most of my fingers, so
I'm pretty much limited to using two fingers on my right hand. I guess
I could try and learn to do it using my right hand, but that will take
a log of practice.

Bob/Lefty in Texas


Any area that you use too frequently to poke is going to develop toughness
and callus to some degree. Some people are much more prone to having their
skin develop calluses than others, however. I'm one of those whose skin
doesn't develop calluses easily at all.

I can't imagine that the medial aspect of your forearms could be all that
hairy. Thats the side that I use.

If that doesn't work out, I would work on developing the coordination to use
your right hand. It really doesn't require that much coordination as
opposed to a lot of other things that you could ask your off hand to do.
All you gotta do is poke yourself, and if you use one of the lancet holder
springie thingies, all you have to do is push a button.

ed



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