Thomas Blevins: People have to inject themselves, who have diabetes think about it. People who don't have diabetes, never have to think about that. People with diabetes have to think about not only taking the shot, they have to think about injection, there might be some discomfort, and then they have to think about taking just the right dose to control the Glucose, the sugar. So all those things can cause anxiety, also the blood sugar is kind of bouncing around that can induce anxiety.
Sheetal Verma: Well I had a great fear of needles and people think, well you are diabetic you shouldn't have a fear of needles. But I don't, yeah I don't like needles I don't like poking myself.
Dobra Lofton: It was very difficult to administer my own injections, because I am afraid of needles and I don't like to be stuck. So poking in myself or sticking to myself seven times a day that was a challenge.
Sheetal Verma: In the past I have had to do a six times I was testing for my blood sugar, I would have to do four injection a day. So ten times total.
Rajat Bhushan: The most important thing which has recently come about is to allow multiple daily injections without having to penetrate your skin frequently.
Thomas Blevins: In a sense it's a breakthrough of sorts for many patients. Frankly, some patients can give injections and they don't have problems with that. Now other patients don't like to give the injection as we discussed earlier, and I-Port through which they can give multiple injections is a big deal.
Dobra Lofton: Prior to the I-Port I was having to stick myself, minimum seven times a day and that does not count the two to three skin punctures for carbs. When I count carbs, I need to take a small amount of insulin to adjust the blood sugar for the amount of carbs that I am about to ingest, until that was an additional two or three skin pokes, plus my regular seven skit needles sticks for my regular doses of insulin.
So prior to the I-Port, I was taking a minimum of seven injections, or needle sticks per day, over a period of three days, which is how often you changed the I-Port that would be 21 needle sticks versus one. That's awesome to me.
Thomas Blevins: Well the way the multiple injection port differs from a pump is that there is an injection port actually in sense for the pump connected to a tube and then there is the pump itself. So there is the sort of pump that's connected to it. The multiple injection port is simply the catheter that's put into the subcutaneous space, that's sits there without a tube and without a pump. And the person just gives the injection through it and then there is no connection there.
Rajat Bhushan: It's just say a catheter which stays under the skin and there is dome where you can inject your injection. So you still have to give insulin through the syringes, so it's not a continuous delivery like pump will have. Although the principle is same that you can wore this port for three days and give all your insulin through it.
Dobra Lofton: It's administered one day and you only have to change it on the third day. So seven needle sticks per day times three days, was 21 needle sticks or skin punctures over a period of three days, but with the I-Port it's one skin puncture a needle stick every three days. Now that's awesome.
Thomas Blevins: This is the way this is inserted, there is a tiny needle. You only need to introduce your needle that's all it is, it surrounded by plastic catheter and this then inserted into the subcutaneous space like that. This goes in very easily and put the adhesive down, and then the inserted needle actually is then removed. And it's just started. Now what's left is this catheter is beneath the skin, its adhesed very well, stays on very easily, we leave it in for three days at a time.
Now if I am going to inject insulin what I am going to do take my -- in this case pin, I could use a syringe, but in this case a pin. I am going to uncap the needle here, and I am going to go ahead and dial in let's say 10 units. Now let's say this is a person normally I would give the injection just into the skin. And a person taking four shots a day, you are going four shots per day one, two, three, and four in different places in the skin.
With the port, we actually would give them the insulin right, inserted the needle right into this little kind of nipple and then you inject the insulin. And it's been injected and it's going into the subacute space and this can reused then instead of the person being sort of ejected in subacute space. In separate places it could be given then four times one, two, three, and four. This can be used multiple times. Some patients even take more than four shots per day. But as we discussed many people take four a day. So if this last for three days then you could calculate then that a person would be instead of taking 12 injections in different places in their body, they would be giving the 12 right here. There will be one injection that will be the original injection, insertion of the port.
So that's the bottom line. This is a very -- I think a very simple straightforward useable, reliable way to give insulin.
Rajat Bhushan: Well I think in my practice at least it's been very widely accepted by patients and, it allowed me to give much more close to nature type of insulin treatment, and it allow patients to take four five even more shots a day if required, without having to puncture every time, this device can be worn for three days. So you can give all your shots through it for three days, and then you change to other side.
Thomas Blevins: Number of injections as many as you want, in three days. And the average patients with diabetes on multiple injection takes four injections per day. And so three days a four will be 12 injections, essentially avoided by using the I-Port. Now we do have some patients taking other numbers and more injections per day. And sometime, some people take only three and the math remains very similar, it just three times the number of injections.
So really the number of injections is can be anywhere from three per day to five or six per day. It's the duration of time that the I-Port that needs to be limited to three days at a time.
Sheetal Verma: There is scaring that happens even with the smallest needles, they are knowing that I just have to do it one time over two or three day period it's definitely something that's positive.
Dobra Lofton: The I-Port has really made my life easier. The I-Port allows me to administer my insulin injections with little or no pain. The only pain that I possibly get is from the one needle prick, once every three days and that's not really pain that's a needle stick. The I-Port has really helped me manage my diabetes better, because instead of taking 21, sticks seven injections a day over a period of three days is 21 sticks, I only take one stick. I only give myself one needle puncture, one needle stick over period of three days. When I get ready to take my insulin injection I do not feel a stick, just the one every three days and the one stick is when I apply the I-Port.
The I-Port is adhered to my body with a small amount of tape or adhesive. It does not irritate my skin. I don't quell up like I was, when I was taking all of the insulin injections.
Sheetal Verma: When I was diagnosed 12 years ago they had literally just come out with insulin pins. So having to draw an up in a while was very disillusioning to me. I really wanted the ease and over the years the new - the I-Port, the ease of just knowing that I don't have to stick myself so many times. There is a lot of benefits now.
Dobra Lofton: When I go swimming with my grand children I use to put on a bathing suit and people would say what's wrong with your skin, what's happening with your thigh? You have got black spots, you have got black spots, you have got bruising, oh! Gosh is that knocks on your thigh, what's going on? And I would say oh that's where I take my insulin injections, and that was very embarrassing for me, and so I wouldn't go swimming, or I wouldn't take the towel from around me until I got right to the edge of the pool, because it was embarrassing.
Sheetal Verma: Any time you poke yourself it's going to hurt, but knowing that I just have to do it every three days compared to four times a day it's definitely easier.
Dobra Lofton: The I-Port is not painful at all. If you can give yourself one injection needle stick or skin poke that's all the I-Port is. It's just one skin poke injection. It's just one stick every three days.
Sheetal Verma: Well it has made me more compliant it is something that I remember to do and it's not a hindrance to me, so it's definitely been easier for me to be compliant.
Dobra Lofton: I didn't want to stick myself, I didn't want to puncture my skin until therefore I wouldn't do it, but with the I-Port, yes I take my insulin. I take it when I am supposed to take it. And I take it sometimes, it is over way before I even know it, because I don't feel the stick.
Rajat Bhushan: The most important thing I want patients do in terms diabetes treatment is to adhere to a good guidelines of taking their medication at proper time in relation to their food intake. And understand how much medication or insulin does needs to be taken for what amount of, so there is some flexibility in their lifestyle, but they are also receiving right amount of medication.
Sheetal Verma: Well if you are diligent with your compliance then you will feel better. It everything in moderation don't go from not feeling that you can't have anything to eat, no sweets completely. I think in moderation is going to make the difference then it is a lifestyle change.
Thomas Blevins: One thing, that I remember person who is having difficulty managing their insulin therapy now then I would want them to know that there are different ways to give insulin. I would want them to know about multi-injection port the I-Port. I would want them to know and some people would want to be on insulin pump, I would want them to know everything that's available to help them. And that's important for them to know.
I also want them to know that they are in good company this is not easy, this is tough and just keep trying and keep you in the fundamentals do the finger sticks, check your blood sugar, do a diet and just keep working on it because it will get better.
Dobra Lofton: The one thing that I would like for people to know who have diabetes is get yourself a good diabetes educator. If you have got a diabetes education team who cares about you and your diabetes, they will keep you abreast of all the new products that come out on the market. Sure we have syringes, and needles of all sizes, we now have pin needles, we don't have to carry the bowels around anymore with the ice pack on them, we can carry a pin needle in our purse just as long they didn't get too hot, but insulin in the syringes is a beautiful thing. But we now have the I-Port.
So that's less skin punctures, that's less needle sticks, and that's what a good diabetes educator will do for you. They will keep you abreast of what comes out new on the market. The second thing if you don't have the I-Port take it from me, go to the website i-port.com, call your diabetes educator, ask questions, learn about the I-port.
The I-Port is one skin puncture over a period of three days. For me, I was taking 7 injections a day, that's 21 injections over a period of three days versus one skin puncture over period of three days. Now it didn't take rocket scientist to figure that out, that's sweet. If you don't remember, but one thing find out about the I-Port. I guarantee that would be one of the best moves you've made and you'll not be sorry. You will love it.
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