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

Wed Sep 4 11:06:58 UTC 2013

putting my 2 cents in here about this topic, coming from someone who learned their lesson on how important it is to test your blood sugar.
I have been diabetic all my life and not always blind. I became blind at 35 that is 11 years now.
As a kid, my parents tested me when I was older, I did it myself but didn't want the other kids to know and tease me and bully me, and then in high school and then dating my ex and so on.
I would wait until I went to the doctor to do it.  At the age of 25 I  found out I had diabetic retinopathy. My sugars had been fluctuating all my life. My highest A1C was 13, I should be dead, because my sugars were anywhere between 200-300 any given day.
In 2001 I lost 75 percent vision, and I had to go on dialysis. In 2002 from the issues with dialysis I lost full vision in my left eye. I have vision in the right many people on this list now me by meeting me at conventions, etc.
But the vision I have is tunnel no peripheral, I can only see you if you are in front of me, and that field is getting smaller and smaller.
My point being if I tested by sugar I don't think I would have wound up this way, Diabetics due get complications from blindness (still number one cause of blindness), kidney failure, I also have an amputated toe, and I would love to read braille, but I have no feelings in my fingers as well.
I can feel it, but to the point of it feeling like someone losing there vision they can see someone but not the features anymore.

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> Date: Tue, 3 Sep 2013 08:24:55 -0700
> From: bernienfb75 at gmail.com
> To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] why I don't test myself
> 
> 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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> >
> 
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