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

[Bernadette Jacobs]

Hey Gang:

Bern here!!  Everyone here has a valid point and even as for Julie:  I
can see where you're going.  However, listen to everyone else here
because you've got advice here from absolutely the BEST!  And I do
mean the VERY BEST!!!  When I first read over your message Julie, I
don't mind telling you, it sent chills up and down my spine for the
very reasons Bridgit, Mike, and Veronica all raise here.  My other
huge, huge gripe here is now people are coming up with this "pre"
diabetes garbage.  And, of course, my mother-in-law was just diagnosed
with... of course... "pre" diabetes.  Has anyone heard of being "half"
or "Pre"-pregnant???  Sure would like to find out who the first quack
was that ever came up with this hogwash!  I'd like to hang 'em!  I'm
with Mike here because, even at that point, diabetics need to be
taught and practice frequent testing.  We diabetics all know we can't
be too cautious.

I'd be lying to all of you if I didn't admit that I've had my own
testing woes.  But that's why I do test very, very often; maybe even
moreso than I need to because I don't want to get out of practice. I
too, feel that testing is vital!!

Have a great day everyone!!

Bern
On 9/2/13, Julie Kline <julie.kline at rochester.rr.com> wrote:
> 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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