[Diabetes-Talk] what am I doing wrong?

Wed Jan 2 02:11:32 UTC 2019

Amber and Bridgit,

Amber, Bridgit is right. Many blind people test independently and some take longer than others to learn.I was one of those but by sitting with a good nurse certified diabetic educator I learned. One of the things I did in the beginning that may help is a wound an elastic band around my finger to get the area where I wanted to test to stand out more and be isolated. I pricked my finger, got the blood on the strip, and then took off the elastic. I used that method until I could test reliably. But even now I have my days when I can't test on the first try. Also, make sure your hands are warm, as that will help.

Jeanette

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Amber Wallenstein via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2019 12:03 PM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
Cc: Amber Wallenstein
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] what am I doing wrong?

Bridgit:

Thanks for the ideas. I just don’t understand what I’m doing wrong today that I wasn’t doing wrong yesterday.
I have no access to sighted people to help me with this, so I’m just trying every method I can think of to try.
Also I don’t qualify for MediCare, so I’m at the whim of my insurance company.  
I will keep trying. I’m going to run out of test strips soon, LOL. But I feel this skill is one I have to have in case the Libre I get goes down for some reason.
Amber

> On Jan 1, 2019, at 10:32 AM, Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Plenty of totally blind people test their blood sugars with success every
> day. Even sighted people can struggle in the beginning with testing; nurse
> educators don't just see blind patients, grin. Sight can make it more
> convenient in the beginning, but I don't think it's necessarily a sight vs.
> blindness thing. Some of us don't have many problems testing nonvisually,
> and some of us need more practice and patience. But it's the same for
> sighted diabetics; I speak with experience here, grin. So, it's very much an
> individual situation here and not always specific to how much or little we
> see.
> 
> Amber, I'm sorry it's so frustrating right now. Perhaps using the highest
> setting on the lancer is giving too much blood? Just keep practicing and try
> as many methods you can think of. When you go to the endo office, they wipe
> the finger after poking then squeeze again to try to avoid smearing, so,
> maybe try that.
> 
> Bridgit
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jude
> DaShiell via Diabetes-Talk
> Sent: Tuesday, January 1, 2019 9:19 AM
> To: Amber Wallenstein via Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Jude DaShiell <jdashiel at panix.com>
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] what am I doing wrong?
> 
> My guess is you smeared the strip.  The blood needs to drip through the air
> onto the strip in order for you not to smear the strip.  This is why
> Medicare doesn't recommend totally blind people do their independent blood
> sugar testing.  Much easier for those with sight to do this.
> 
> On Tue, 1 Jan 2019, Amber Wallenstein via Diabetes-Talk wrote:
> 
>> Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2019 09:54:30
>> From: Amber Wallenstein via Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Amber Wallenstein <amber.wallens at gmail.com>
>> Subject: [Diabetes-Talk] what am I doing wrong?
>> 
>> I got my meter on Sunday. Sunday and yesterday I did OK with it.  Today,
> however, no matter what I do it says my blood sample is not enough.  It
> beeps like it?s going to test, and does it really quickly like I got enough
> of a sample on the strip but no matter what it won?t do a reading.  I know
> there is plenty of blood because I can feel it on my skin.
>> Is something defective or am I doing something wrong?  Like I said I did
> fine yesterday.
>> I am finding the meter super frustrating to be honest.  But I want to be
> able to use it successfully when needed.
>> Amber
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>> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> 
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