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

Tue Sep 3 14:51:37 UTC 2013

Debbie:

I am reluctant to copy and publish the letter directly since it is a FDA
document and was itself not published as a document but, rather, as a web
page which is probably dynamically-generated. However, I am told you can
find the warning yourself if you go to <http://www.fda.gov> and put Prodigy
in the searchbox. You might also wish to contact Kelly Massaro-Neal who
monitors this list to obtain a replacement meter. Incidentally, although it
may be the meter at fault, it is more likely to be a strip problem. If none
of the results make sense to you, try a new bottle of strips.

You might also want to get your reader to tell you the expire-dates on the
strips and also the lot-number of the strips.

We're having to become more vigilant by the day!

Mike Freeman

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Debbie Wunder
Sent: Tuesday, September 03, 2013 7:07 AM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] why I don't test myself

Hello, for what ever reason I have not been able to open the link to the
letter. It is obvious that all of you have been able to, so don't know why I
can't, every time I try my computer freezes. Is it possible for some one to
copy and paste it on the list?
 I would very much appreciate it.

I have experienced some issue with my meters, both prodigy. The issue has
been a great variance between the two, as to what my reading is.

Thanks,
Debbie
----- Original Message -----
From: "Albert Sanchez" <albertsanchez at suddenlink.net>
To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, September 02, 2013 7:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] why I don't test myself

>" ... Say,
> what's for lunch?" "Peanut butter soup!"
> Albert Sanchez
>
> ----- 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 7:37 PM
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] why I don't test myself
>
>
>> Hey sandi! Testing four times a day ain't so bad or even more as Bridgit
>> Polpeter had to do when she was pregnant. Most (though not all) people
>> really do get used to it. And the less one fusses and stews about it, the
>> less of a problem it becomes. Even with errant meters and flaky 
>> insurance,
>> it beats the hell out of the way things were, say, in 1955, when about a
>> student a semester who was in a school for the blind due to blindness 
>> from
>> diabetes would shuffle off this mortal coil due to either hypoglycemia or
>> hyperglycemia. I'm not kidding.
>>
>> "What happened to Linda Chick? She was OK before Christmas break!" "Oh,
>> haven't you heard? She died of insulin shock!" "Darn, that's too bad! 
>> Say,
>> what's for lunch?"
>>
>> It wasn't that we didn't care but it happened often enough that it wasn't
>> unusual.
>>
>> What a difference (for *everyone*) meters and fast-acting and basal 
>> insulins
>> and even oral medications have been!
>>
>> Mike Freeman
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
>> Of
>> Sandi Ryan
>> Sent: Monday, September 02, 2013 4:20 PM
>> To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
>> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] why I don't test myself
>>
>> 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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>> om
>>>>
>>>>
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