Anyone else avoid pricking their index fingers and thumbs? Am I the only one to avoid using 40% of my fingers? Those hurt more than the others, but they are always reliable bleeders so I do use them some times. I’m just curious to see if this is normal behavior.
I also avoid pricking the index fingers and thumbs…I find it a bit more painful pricking them than the others. I use my pinky and ring finger most often.
I don’t lance my finger or thumb pads, I use the sides of my fingers and thumbs. Is that what you do?
I almost exclusively prick my pinkies and ring fingers! Heh. Next after that would be middle fingers… index fingers extremely rarely, and I can’t recall ever pricking my thumbs!
I never prick my thumb because I was told not to. I can’t remember why I’m not allowed but a fuzzy memory is making me believe that it had something to do with inaccurate results.
The only finger I avoid using is my pinky as it’s the only one that hurts when I do (especially the inside of it).
Oh yeah, and I only use the sides of course as well. And most often prefer the outter side (left on left hand, right on right hand)!
I am left-handed and only use the middle 3 fingers. I avoid the thumb and the pinky on both hands. That only leaves 3 fingers. Boy are they rough!
Was told to use sides of my fingers and I only use pinky and ring finger. I am left handed but poke only my left hand .Never my right hand.Those 2 fingers are kinda getting rough on the sides, maybe time to switch hands. Also told never to poke thumb.Don’t know why though.
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uhm…i think the answer to this is easy.because when you r pricking your fingers over and over again you will loose the feeling right on that particular place.and thats why you r adviced not to use your thumbs and indexfingers to avoid them getting damaged!
I use my index fingers but not my thumbs. THAT HURTS!!!
I don’t necessarily avoid any one finger, but I tend to use my ring fingers on both hands the most. And I go through phases where I favor one hand in general more than another. Currently I am using my left hand more often.
I do the same, so to me its normal. Over the years I have developed a system that is comfortable. I use 60% of my digits. I might use my index finger if all others are sore but that is rare, I test my BG every two hours or so. I hardly ever think about it. I also use the side of the tip of my fingers, I hate it when a phlebotomist goes after the very tip of my finger. OUCH…
I was also told not to use my thumbs. I usually prick my pinkies and ring fingers the most.
I never prick my index fingers or my thumbs! So, it’s normal behavior for me.
For about ten years, I kept my baby fingers (pinkies) untouched, but as my daily pricking trended toward 8-14 pricks a day, I had to bring my little babies into the mix. (I actually felt sorry for them, and I still do!) I’ve relied on 6 fingers to carry the responsibility. When I was in high school I used to also prick my ear lobes. Ear lobes work great because they almost never hurt and almost always give a huge drop of blood. However, earlobes bruise easily and I often found it hard to stop the bleeding. So walking around with cotton balls stuck to my ears and lobes bruised enough to cause people to ask about them kind of turned me off from using them.
I’ve used my forearms now and then, but truthfully it’s so automatic, that by the time I remember I have the option to prick elsewhere, I’ve already pricked one of my trusted 6 (fingers).
Speaking of “automatic” do you ever go through the motions of pricking, etc. and then realize you’ve put your meter away without really looking to see what the reading was? I do that occasionally - crazy!
I don’t think it is which finger rather where on the finger that has always plagued me. There are always the sore parts because of nerve endings that are the devil.
i don’t use my thumbs, i was taught how to once but i find it more awkward than my fingers, so i just stick to the latter. people who lance the finger pads are crazy! it hurts like hell, stick to the sides of the pad people, way, way less nerve endings.
I avoid using my index fingers and thumbs too, I also only use to side of my fingers, not right in the centre.
I avoid them all together as the thumbs have a vain and I cant remember the reason as to why they told us to not use the index finger during the course I done to learn carbohydrate counting,so I use only the other 6 fingers.
I prefer middle finger especially on left hand, but do use all fingers except for thumbs and index fingers. Not because thumb or index finger hurts, but they’re just in the wrong place in a way. I have tried all fingers…
i’m shamless i only use the middle and ring fingers on my left hand