New to taking Insulin? We’re here for you

It’s a scary thing to have to start doing at any part in your life. Having to medicate yourself with a drug which could be the difference between you being healthy and you approaching death’s door is a lot of pressure for anyone and it’ll be worse in those first few weeks. For those insulin experts out there, think back to your first few weeks of injecting yourselves with insulin. Wasn’t it scary? Well, regardless we’ve assembled a short guide for new users which should help you through the first few days!

Step-by-step

1. Communicate with you GP openly. If you don’t understand something then make sure you ask for it to be clarified. Don’t be nervous, this is your health that’s being discussed and it’s important that you understand and are comfortable with every bit of it.
2. Think short term and don’t get bogged down with the long term logistics. This is important for any big lifestyle change, looking too far ahead can be scary. Take it one day at a time.
3. Talk to other users of insulin. You’ll find diabetes support groups online or maybe even in your local area, or if you’re lucky enough to know someone then ask them. These people might have useful tips or tricks for the best and easiest ways to take insulin.
4. Explore all options for taking insulin and don’t be frightened to change method if you find one uncomfortable or particularly unpleasant.
5. Eat Healthy and try and exercise a bit every day!
6. Make sure that, once you’ve got a schedule sorted, that you keep to it. Consistency will be a great help for you during this transition!
7. Make sure to store your insulin in the correct way to protect it from spoilage.
8. Carry a source of glucose just in case, try glucose tablets or boiled sweets.

Remember to keep lines of communication open with your Doctor and not to be scared to asked questions!