[Diabetes-talk] why I don't test myself

[Sandi Ryan]

I'm with you, Julie.  I'm another lucky one--and glad to be!  Good job on 
getting your A1C's down.  It's not easy, but definitely worth it.

Sandi

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie Kline" <julie.kline at rochester.rr.com>
To: <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, September 02, 2013 1:40 PM
Subject: [Diabetes-talk] why I don't test myself


> Hello all,
>
> I don't mean to sound like I am gloating here, but I'd like to share my
> thoughts of the messages I have seen over the past few days.  Reading over
> these messages, this is exactly the reason why I don't do testing for my 
> own
> blood glucose anymore.  I have had nothing but trouble with both talking
> meters and I'm sorry I spent the money on either one.  Even having people
> from the diabetes centers we have here watching me, I haven't been able to
> get enough blood to get enough of a sample, while the meters at the 
> diabetes
> center work just fine.  I feel that with a 20 point plus or minus accuracy
> that seems to come with the talking meters, I'm not willing to continually
> sit there and poke my fingers for the 20 minutes it takes to finally get
> enough blood.  And yes, I have done the hot water thing, massaged the
> finger, held it to the lancet on maximum setting, stayed hydrated, the
> rubber band thing . but testing with a talking meter just hasn't worked 
> out
> for me, so I don't bother with it, and these messages just confirm to me
> why.  I still do whatever lab work or tests my doctor or diabetes center 
> ask
> me to do, and I stay on top of these tests every 3 months.  However, I 
> found
> that I've lost enough weight now and that weight loss that came from 
> eating
> better, combined with exercising an hour 5 days a week walking 4 miles a
> session, and my medications, have given me 2 a1c readings of between 6 and
> 6.2.  When I first learned I had diabetes, I was 83 pounds heavier and had
> an a1c reading of 8.6.  I know that the approach I take won't work for
> everybody, especially for people who have to take insulin.  But for 
> myself,
> I have type 2 diabetes and am not at that point yet.  At least for myself,
> it has been possible to turn things around and I'd be willing to recommend
> exercise DVDs that I use and found helpful if anyone is interested.  I
> recognize, or at least people tell me, that diabetes is a progressive
> illness.  I hope that when it does come my time where things get worse, 
> that
> they will have perfected these meters more and maybe they can work better
> with people who can't generate enough blood, but for now I have much 
> better
> use of my fingers for other things, like reading Braille.
>
> Just my thoughts on the whole thing.
>
> Julie
>
>
>
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