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

[Sandi Ryan]

Diet and exercise are never ever an answer for Type 1 diabetics.  And once 
we Type 2's are diagnosed, we always have the disease, even if our A1C's are 
great.  We just sometimes get a break!  And of course one never knows how 
long that break will be.  I actually had to beg my doctor to prescribe a 
meter for me.  With an A1C of 5.0, my doctor, a long-term Type 1, said I 
didn't need to check my blood sugar.  We'd just check the A1C every three to 
six months.  But I won--I have the meter, and the strips, and I check my 
blood.  But I do feel fortunate that I don't need to check it several times 
a day.  I've never gotten over the chill that goes down my spine when I use 
the lancet, and then when there's either not enough blood or I get a freaky 
response, it's really frustrating!

And I'd certainly never say that people whose diabetes is not under good 
control aren't as good as me.  No, it's pure luck--that's all it is!  My 
point was just that Type 2's sometimes get a little break.

Sandi

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, September 02, 2013 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] why I don't test myself


> Sandi:
> I applaud your encouragement of Julie and all others who can control their 
> diabetes with diet and exercise. However, I hope you do not mean to imply 
> that you sanction not testing blood sugar. Even ballpark figures are far 
> better than nothing.
> I also believe we should be very careful to not let our ability not to 
> need medicines to cloud our understanding into thinking that diabetics who 
> use or need medicines are somehow less diligent in their diabetes 
> treatment and control. Some of us don't have a choice in the matter. You 
> and I differ on this but I believe almost all diabetics would be far 
> better off to begin use of insulin upon discovery of their disease.
> YMMV applies in spades to diabetes.
> Mike freeman
>
> On Sep 2, 2013, at 13:35, "Sandi Ryan" <sjryan2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 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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>>
>>
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