[Diabetes-talk] New Member To The List

Thu Feb 25 00:47:32 UTC 2016

I'm also only 35, so perhaps I will experience more difficulty as I grow
older. Well, hell, I know I will. I've been diabetic for 30 years, but I'm
still young. So things I don't currently have problems with, I may, or
likely, will later.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Veronica Elsea via Diabetes-talk
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 4:39 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Veronica Elsea <veronica at laurelcreekmusic.com>
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] New Member To The List

Mike, it's not just technique. We are all different. If I have rheumatoid
arthritis which causes swelling in my fingers, that does have an affect on
what happens. In our local insulin pump group, among everyone there we found
variations as to how easily people could get blood. My technique is pretty
much as Bridgit described. But no way can I do a finger stick without time
under the hot water faucet first. And now part of the problem is the
callouses on the sides. If I happen to land on one of those, not much
happens. I doubt that I'm the only one who has ever struggled with this. As
for the Prodigy, there is a tough spot to get the blood inside of the strip
and if you don't have a lot, it's very possible to not completely fill that
strip. 
We all scar at different rates and a zillion other differences. Yes of
course there is technique involved in getting blood on the strip. There is
also guess work. Too bad the industry hasn't served all diabetics better in
this regard by now.
Veronica

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                Veronica Elsea, Owner
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Santa Cruz, California
Phone: 831-429-6407

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Mike Freeman via Diabetes-talk
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 9:00 AM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
Cc: Mike Freeman
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] New Member To The List

I have gotten a few high readings with the Prodigy Voice but I agree with
Brigit that usually a bum reading is low. I suspect this is due to
insufficient blood being present at the right place for the electrochemical
reaction to give a good result. It has been my experience that the problem
most blind persons with diabetes have is that the blood gets smeared. Unlike
the scientists on the TV show Forensic Files, meters don't do very well with
smeared blood. (grin)

Unlike Veronica, I find the Prodigy Voice perfectly satisfactory. This is no
criticism of Veronica. I think more than most of us realize, our
fingersticking technique has a lot to do with whether readings are good or
not. And this, in turn, has a lot to do with what lancing device and lancets
we use. I recently switched to Wallgreen's lancing device (looks kinda like
the one that comes with the Solus V2 but is a bit sturdier) and 30-gauge
rather than 32-gauge lancets. It's made quite a bit of difference for me in
ease of getting a drop of blood that will make the meter do its thing
correctly although this could be the result of my new technique that Brigit
described to you recently.

Different strokes for different folks!

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-talk
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 6:26 AM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] New Member To The List

By weird or off readings, I think most of us mean an error reading, such as
the meter stating you're 50 when you're really 120. This happens to any
diabetic using any meter, sighted and blind alike.

I use a Prodigy Voice, in my experience, I always get errors that are low,
not high. For example, I may be in the 100's, but I will get an error
reading in the 50's. This doesn't happen often, but it can. And I may be the
only one, but it has never errored high on me.

I also can tell pretty well what I'm running, but I've been diabetic for 30
years, so my body and I are well in-tune. So if it does error, I usually
know. And even if I feel high or low, I always re-check to double check.
This is a good rule with extremes.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Mark Tardif via Diabetes-talk
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2016 7:38 PM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Mark Tardif <markspark at roadrunner.com>
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] New Member To The List

And it's quite true about getting strange readings.  Usually my readings are
around 110, 105, maybe as low as 90 or as high as 120.  One day last week I
got a reading of 135 in the morning, and I hadn't eaten anything since late
the previous afternoon.  I also use the Prodigy Voice meter, but who knows
why we sometimes get strange readings that seem to make no sense.

Mark Tardif
Nuclear arms will not hold you.
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Freeman via Diabetes-talk
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2016 7:14 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
Cc: Mike Freeman
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] New Member To The List

Daniel:

The software is for a Windows system, not a Mac. I run Windows 7 and the
software is *supposed* to bre accessible. I've never gotten it to work but
my Windows system has some problems which will soon lead me to a reload so
that may be my system's fault, not that of BioSense software.

One end of the strip has an indentation that feels like it is one strip atop
another; one puts this end into the meter with the part of the strip that
sticks out the most on the bottom. The other end of the strip has a small
knotch into which one drips the blood; capillary action sucks the blood into
the interstices of the strip where the chemical reaction does its thing and
the meter shows a reading. The strip has two electrodes which means there
are fewer errors due to insufficient blood than sometimes occurs with the
other accessible meter, the Prodigy Voice, the meter I use. However, no
meter is perfect and even sighted people occasionally get readings that
don't make sense. In this case, one just tests again.

In other words, no meter is foolproof and meters occasionally give results
that may not make sense so one tries again.

Practice makes perfect.

I doubt Solus will make another version of the meter with more memory
because the meter is aimed at the Medicare market rather than the blindness
market; the speech is meant to reinforce the visual reading for an elderly
person who might need added feedback.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Daniel Chavez via Diabetes-talk
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2016 3:57 PM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
Cc: Daniel Chavez
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] New Member To The List

Thanks mike and other's. I'm surprised they've not come out with a newer
Solus meeter to speak all 500 memories, oh well. At least it speaks enough
for 10 readings.
I will take a look at the manual provided to see what I can get out of it.
According to my nurse, the only trouble he could see my having, is getting
the blood right on the strip. If I understand right, the Solus V2 does tell
you if you have blood on the strip, no?
A friend says it does, but I just wanted to be sure.
Also, alternative testing sites? What does that mean? I was told you can
test using alternate testing sites with the Solus V2, so confused as to what
that means.
The other issue is how can you tell what end to put the blood, and which end
goes into the meter?
I appreciate everyone's help with this.
P.S.: biosense, according to their website says they have data manager
software for the Solus V2. Has anyone tried this? If so, how good and/or
accessible is it?
I ask because I use a Mac full time, running OS X 10.11.
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