[Diabetes-talk] First Time Meter Newbie Help

[Mike Freeman]

Daniel:

I've attached a booklet, "Bridging the Gap" in Word form to this message.
(It should come across; we don't prohibit attachments on this list.) It has
articles which should explain to some degree living with blindness and
diabetes. In general, one deals with diabetes the same way whether one is
sighted or blind and only a few techniques differ. IN particular, there is
an article on fingersticking techniques. Additionally, review the last few
weeks' posts in the Diabetes-Talk archive; there has been some good
discussion on techniques some of us find useful.

Also, you really should enroll in a diabetes class and/or read some of the
books we've recommended; your questions such as what to put in a log will be
answered.

I know you want a "how-to" on how to be a "good" blind diabetic. However,
there are so many differences among individual diabetics that you would
really be better off working with a certified diabetes educator and your
physician than you will ever be just reading our posts. We can certainly
help but we are no substitutes for your physician and a certified diabetes
educator. That said, here are my answers to your questions:

(1) You do the same thing for first-time meter setup as you would do were
you sighted. You set the date and time and (if needed) the units used for
blood sugar measurement (usually in this country, blood glucose is measured
in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl)). Another fellow and I have sent you
manuals for the Solus V2. Have you read the manual yet? If not, please do
so. If this is a problem, get yourself a human reader and read the manual.
Said reader can show you how to set up the meter. It's probably a good idea
to read the manual anyway, advice of some folks notwithstanding.

(2) The nurse is correct. Did you try lining up the strip in her presence?
If not, you should have. Most strips (including Solus V2 strips) have a
miniscule knotch in the end that you touch the blood to and the blood is
sucked into the strip and the meter does its thing. Most of us find it
easiest to hold the hand flat, palm up, do the fingerstick, then move the
end of the strip to the blood, touching the knotch to where you think the
bead of blood is. Each person does this a bit differently. What you want to
avoid is smearing the bead of blood. This is one of those situations wherein
the best advice that can be given is practice, practice, practice. And then
practice some more. Doing this with a nurse to help you is invaluable. This
may be frustrating at first but it gets better as you become more skilled.

(3) If you were to take a class on diabetes, you'd get an idea of what a log
should look like. Also, your physician or nurse probably wants certain
information in the log. At a minimum, I'd say a log should contain the
date/time of each reading, the reading itself, and whether the reading is
taken before a meal, after a meal (usually two hours after), at bedtime and
before and after exercise. Any unusual circumstances should also be
included, such as whether you were having a low blood sugar episode, what
you ate (including estimation of the amount of carbohydrate in the meal) and
anything else you think might be relevant. For those of us using insulin,
especially those taking it before each meal, the type and dose of insulin
injected should be part of the log although this is probably irrelevant to
you as a Type 2 just diagnosed.

(4) I don't bother with control solution tests although they are a good
idea. If your meter came with control solution, just squeeze a bit on your
finger and test as if the solution were blood. My observation is that
control solution really doesn't last long and I've never bought more and my
meters usually worked well enough that I never worried about it all that
much. Frankly, I wish meter manufacturers would either come up with control
solution that would last longer than three months or come up with a recipe a
lay person could use to come up with his/her own calibrated control
solution. But they haven't so other than initially doing a control solution
test, I never worried much about it. (smile)

If you're still confused, I'll get my Solus V2 out and work through steps to
set date/time and do a reading although others who use the Solus v2 all the
time might be preferable as sources of information.

HTH!

Mike


-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Daniel Chavez via Diabetes-talk
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2016 11:27 AM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
Cc: Daniel Chavez
Subject: [Diabetes-talk] First Time Meter Newbie Help

Hi list,
I was able to acquire my Solus V2 Talking Meter today,  so this will be the
first time I test my blood sugar's.
I have some experience in testing with a sighted non-talking meter, with the
help of a nurse assigned to me by my doctor, but no experience withtesting
my sugar's on my own.
In that respect, I have some questions.
1. What do I do for first-time meter setup? As a totally blind person.
2. When testing blood sugar's, my nurse tells me I have to line the strip up
with the blood. As a totally blind person, how would I be able to do this?
3. What would a, blood sugar log, look like? If I am to keep track of my
blood sugar readings?
4. In the manual it refers to a, "Control Solution Test." How would I as a
blind person be able to do this? Or would I have to have sighted help with
it?
Thanks.
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