[Diabetes-talk] Testing/Strips?

[Jude DaShiell]

No the Clever Check meter doesn't use any vacuum system to pull blood 
down the strip.  I put the stylus tip into the part of the strip that is 
supposed to take in the blood and move it just a little bit there to try 
to open that part of the test strip up a little bit.  That may be 
getting me enough of a target for the blood to hit and then go down the 
strips.  One additional problem I got as a result of some brain damage 
is a fine motor deficit.  A sighted diabetic told me probably the two 
big problems blind diabetics have is we can't see the blood on our 
finger so can't reliably position the strips to catch it.  If I hit a 
spot that's more than normally sensitive with the lancet, and go all the 
way with the reading try invariably it doesn't happen.  If the spot is 
less sensitive then I usually don't have any trouble.  This makes sense 
because the more sensitive spot will radiate pain further out away from 
the puncture site than the less sensitive point and that makes the less 
sensitive point easier to find with the test strip in time to catch that 
blood and get a reading.

On Fri, 22 Apr 2011, William and Bernadette Jacobs wrote:

> Wow Honey!  You're scaring me spitless!  So, what pray tell do you do with the
> stylus to modify your test strips?  Firstly, when I test, I actually set my
> lancing device to "MAX" or five on the cover.  You can't help but feel where
> the hole is because there's a degree of pain involved  Like Grant says though,
> practice makes perfect.  I don't know what meter you're using.  But the
> "Prodigy Voice," for one draws the blood into the strip so one doesn't have to
> worry about smearing/dropping blood onto it?  I think many of the talking
> meters out there have that capability nowadays,.  If you wish to call me by
> phone, and see if I can walk you through this, my number is: 410-455-5311.
> Please do not call after 10:00 PM Eastern Time.  Actually, the best time to
> call me at night is between eight and ten Eastern Time as I have two small
> special needs children who are fully awake, active, and need me during the day
> and they don't do well when I'm tied up with phone/computer issues for
> extended lengths of time.  .
> 
> Bern
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jude DaShiell" <jdashiel at shellworld.net>
> To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, April 22, 2011 6:37 PM
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] tinkering with test strips
> 
> 
> > The only way I can get readings is by using the stylus on these strips.
> > I got two readings today for the first time ever.  One of the readings
> > that failed yesterday was the one on which I didn't use the stylus on
> > the test strip.  This won't be the first time diabetics got defective
> > test strips, doing a google search for diabetes test strip problem shows
> > more than one F.D.A. recall.
> >
> > On Fri, 22 Apr 2011, Grant E. Metcalf wrote:
> >
> > > Jude,
> > >
> > > I don't think you should be using your stylus or anything else to modify
> > > your test strips. Better I think to work on sampling technique and/or get
> > > a different system that might work better for you. Remember, warm, clean
> > > hands, milk the finger before and perhaps after sticking, try and keep the
> > > finger in a still position when attempting to sample with the strip. Even
> > > the old pro's on the list have their bad days. However, practice increases
> > > success.
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> > >
> >
> >
> >
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