[Diabetes-Talk] Counting insulin doses

[Paul Magill]

Hi Allan,

I have  light perception only, and easily use the Novo Nordisk Flex Pens.  

There may be other manufacturers of insulin pens apart from Novo Nordisk,
but I only know about them.

They are so easy for us to use, that it is as if they were designed for the
blind, but are intended for the whole market.  

FlexPen is a pre-filled dial-a-dose insulin pen, able to deliver from 1 to
60 units of insulin, in increments of 1 unit.

It is like a fat syringe made of coloured plastic, almost 6 inches 150
millimetres long.   At one end is a thread where you screw the needles on,
and at the other end is a knob that you turn to measure out the required
dose.  In the middle is a clear section for sighted people to see the amount
against a scale.

The knob you turn clicks as you turn it, once for each unit. If you should
turn it too far, you can turn it back.  The clicks are both easily felt and
heard.  As you turn the knob, it moves slowly up from the main section,
similar to the plunger on a syringe.    

I use 2 types of insulin, Novo Rapid, and Levimir.  The Pen for the Novo
Rapid has 2 easily felt lines moulded on to the end of the knob, and the
Levimir  has no markings on the knob.  Each type of insulin they provide in
Pens, has a different marking on the knobs.  

Each needle comes in a plastic holder, easily handled, and roughly in the
shape of a cone.  There is a paper seal stuck over the base of the cone,
which you peeloff, revealing a thread which screws on to the thread of the
Pen.    

If you are able to change to a pen system it would be wise to have someone
show you step by step. 

Changing from using syringes to using the Pens, was such a game changer for
me, making life so much easier!

Warm regards, 
Paul in Australia.


-----Original Message-----From: Diabetes-Talk
[mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Alan Lemly via
Diabetes-Talk

Hi List,

 

I'm curious what products are available and being used to count insulin
doses for syringe injection. I'm aware of the Prodigy Count-a-dose product
but it sounds like a device into which one loads up to two bottles of
insulin, a syringe, and then counts the dosage into the loaded syringe for
administration. Is there such a thing as a syringe that allows someone who
is visually impaired to count doses? If so, can someone please describe it
and where you got it? Does it come already with needles or do those have to
be purchased separately?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

 

Alan Lemly