You've come a long way baby...

Imagine being a complete needle phobe. One of my earliest memories (I was probably 4 or 5) was being at the doctor's office and being brought to the back because I was sick with yet another ear infection, and as I am walking down the hall, I can see into the open doors of the other exam rooms. Suddenly I see my favorite nurse, Nurse Charity (seriously that was her name...she had other sisters, named Faith, Hope and Joy) jabbing a needle into some kid's arm. I freaked out. Since that day, I could never watch a shot being given or see a needle go into my skin. The older I got the worse it got. I've passed out while iv's were started. I've been turned away from giving blood because I panic so badly about the thought of the needle stick that when they check my blood pressure it was sky high and my pulse rate was rocketing. Suffice it to say that I was a BIG wimp when it came to needles.

Now imagine being told that not only will I need to have a shot of insulin every day, but that I'll have to give it to myself. I literally sat in the doctor's office sobbing. All I could see was Nurse Charity jabbing that needle into that kid's arm. I was a basket case. The first shot I attempted took me nearly an hour to actually break the skin of my thigh. (I couldn't even begin to imagine sticking that needle into my belly). I sat there holding that needle over my skin, crying, while my husband sat there getting more and more aggravated with me. He just wanted to stick me, but I knew I had to do it. It probably took about 2 weeks before I could just stick the needle in without hovering over my skin and agonizing over the prick (knowing that the prick really wasn't all that bad, but still...). That was almost two years ago. This morning my daughter laughed at me and said "mom, you sure have come a long way" while, on the interstate driving 74 mph, I started steering my car with my knees, pulled up my shirt and jabbed my 8 am Lantus dose into my belly during my hour commute to work. She is right...I sure have.

Edited to say: I draw my Lantus at home before I get behind the wheel. I literally just have to "jab" it into my belly. It takes all of one to two seconds. I don't even take my eyes off the road. And, I still have one hand on the wheel. I would never willingly put myself or my daughter in any danger. :)