[Diabetes-talk] HELP USING THE PRODIGY AUTO CODE METER

Wed May 11 03:19:05 UTC 2016

Hi Kim.

Thank you so very much! I just feel like my body is falling apart with each
birthday. Diabetes and high blood pressure are 2 of the health
complications running rampant in my family.

After watching my mother's health spiral downward and the suffering before
she passed away, I am scared not to help myself.

I hope you don't mind if from time-to-time I reach out to you for answers.

Thanks!

Anita

On Tue, May 10, 2016 at 3:49 PM Ladd, Kim (DBVI) via Diabetes-talk <
diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Hi all! I am new to this list. I am not blind, but I am a type 2 diabetic
> and work as a diabetes educator for the blind and vision impaired. I have
> found great value in being a part of this list serv, because learning from
> all of your experiences helps to make me not only a better self-manager of
> my diabetes, but also a better educator.
>
> Anita, I could only locate a pdf version of the Prodigy meter, but below I
> have pasted the instructions for the alternate site testing for the Prodigy
> meters.  I hope this helps.
>
> Prodigy Auto Code Alternative Site Testing
> There are important limitations to Alternate Site Testing (AST). Please
> consult your healthcare professional before performing AST.
> What is AST? Alternate Site Testing (AST) means you can use parts of the
> body other than your fingertips to check your blood glucose levels.
> Prodigy(r) meters allow you to test on your palm, forearm, upper arm, calf
> or thigh.
> What is the Advantage? Fingertips feel pain more readily because they are
> full of nerve endings (receptors). At other body sites, nerve endings are
> not so numerous and you will not feel as much pain as you will experience
> at the fingertip.
> When to use AST? Food, medication, illness, stress and exercise can affect
> blood glucose levels. Capillary blood at the fingertip reflects these
> changes faster than capillary blood at other sites. Therefore, if you are
> testing your blood glucose level during or immediately after a meal,
> physical exercise or stressful event, take the blood sample from your
> fingertip only.
> Use AST only:
> Two hours or more after your last meal.
> Two hours or more after taking insulin.
> Two hours or more after exercise.
> During a relaxed and calm state.
>
> Do not use AST if:
> You have reason to believe you have hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.
> Your routine glucose results are often fluctuating.
> You are pregnant.
> To increase accuracy when using AST, rub the puncture site before
> extracting blood.
>
> Kim Ladd, RN, BS, CPHQ
> Diabetes Educator
> Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind & Vision Impaired
> 401 Azalea Avenue
> Richmond, Virginia 23227
> Email: kim.ladd at dbvi.virginia.gov
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Mike Freeman via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 4:35 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
> Cc: Mike Freeman
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] HELP USING THE PRODIGY AUTO CODE METER
>
> Anita:
>
> Insofar as I am aware, there is no accessible copy of the Autocode manual.
> This isn't surprising as the Autocode is nowhere as accessible as is the
> Prodigy Voice. You will have to have sighted assistance to set up the
> Autocode and you won't be able to review readings in memory nor will you be
> able to repeat the speech of the last reading; reviewing readings from
> memory requires sight. In other words, the autocode speaks the current
> reading *Once* so you'd better be listening closely and be ready to write
> it down.
>
> All is not lost, however. The Prodigy Voice can use Autocode strips so
> just get a Prodigy Voice and get the Autocode strips from your pharmacy; no
> one will be the wiser. That's what I do.
>
> As for alternate site testing, I know of no blind person who has
> successfully done this precisely because one can't feel where one poked. I
> ran into a diabetes educator once who maintained that it could be done but,
> as I say, I've never known any blind person who did this because one has to
> let the blood flow up into the tube when you poke.
>
> So for most people, finger-sticking it is. We can help you with this.
>
> Pharmacies/doctors most often have *no* idea what it takes to make an
> accessible meter and they tend to think that if it talks at all, it is
> accessible. Balderdash!
>
> Mike Freeman
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Anita Ogletree via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 1:00 PM
> To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Anita Ogletree
> Subject: [Diabetes-talk] HELP USING THE PRODIGY AUTO CODE METER
>
> Hello.
>
>
>
> I haven't commented on this list for a while but I believe some of you
> remember me.
>
>
>
> I was diagnosed as being pre-diabetic, which a lot of folks have suggested
> that really means that I am a diabetic. At my last doctor's visit and
> according to the lab results from March, my A1C was down from 6.3 to 5.7.
>
>
>
> I have switched from the Prodigy Talking meter to the Prodigy Auto Code
> because the insurance I have now uses it's own pharmacy and the Auto Code
> was recommended.  Other than the fact that the Auto Code can be used to
> test on alternate parts of the body, does anyone know if one is better than
> the other? Or is it a matter of personal preference?
>
>
>
> I also am going to confess that when I only had the Prodigy meter with
> speech that only allowed the testing on the fingers, I was unable to do the
> testing myself because I could not steady my hand in order to stick my
> finger. So it has been a long time since I've kept up with testing. I've
> only recently received the Prodigy Auto Code this past weekend and I have
> been trying to read the user's manual that is to difficult to scan. I found
> one online but it seems only to refer to the one without the Auto Code.
>
>
>
> Can anyone direct me to accessible instructions for the Auto Code or does
> anyone on the list have an accessible format that you are willing to share?
> I really want to start monitoring my blood sugar so that there are no
> surprises when I visit my doctor again. I have experienced a lot of pain in
> my legs and feet over the past couple of days but that may be due to the
> fact that I was doing a lot of walking last week wearing sandals.
>
>
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
> Anita
>
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