How often do you test?

[BottomlessPit]

I have the GlucoMen areo machine and have just seen that they cost £20 for a box of 50. Is that the average price for most machines?

 

[Bluetit1802]

I have the GlucoMen areo machine and have just seen that they cost £20 for a box of 50. Is that the average price for most machines?

The most popular meters for self funding T2's are the Codefree and the Tee2 because the strips are much cheaper than other meters, and you need a lot of strips. You can't buy them in pharmacies.

Try here for the Codefree meter
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/

and here for the extra strips
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/

There are discount codes if you buy in bulk.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

The Tee2 is here and the meter is free.
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

Don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for either meter)

 

[lindijanice]

Hey All, this thread has been a great read for me and given me pause to consider why I am testing as often as I do as I partially self fund - got a menacing letter from the insurance company that I had used half of my yearly ration of strips and next time would require a letter from Doc stating why I needed so many strips!! Yikes So, I wait until seniors' discount day at the Pharmacy and get my extra strips at 20% off

I will continue to test and rely on my daily readings rather than wait for an A1C to tell me I'm doing okay...as has been mentioned, it doesn't give a true enough picture of what is really going on. For having been uncontrolled with my diabetes care for 16 years, I am fortunate that the ole pancreas still likes me and with the help of Metformin, I haven't needed to progress to more meds/interventions....and no complications - unless this irritable liver dumping is a complicatoin I finally feel in control of my diabetes for the first time since diagnosis and testing as frequently as I do gives me that control, that feeling of achievement and success.

When we all sit back for a moment and take a breath, I hope we would agree that discussions like this are good - no personal attacks intended - strong feelings/opinions are expressed, sure, but that is helpful and engaging our brains to question ourselves, our actions, our attitudes.....So please, keep posting everyone, keep feeling free to express yourselves in a Forum that is so very valuable to so many of us.....Blessings/L

 

[Fleegle]

I guess everyone is entitled to manage their own situation as they choose. I worked in Scotland where practices give free prescriptions for testing. I still feel that If your test answers a query or question for you then it’s worthwhile but I don’t think just routinely testing is worthwhile. I appreciate many of you don’t agree.

As you appreciate many people will not agree I thought you would appreciate me not

It amazes me - beyond all belief - that people who spend years studying, and all of their studying is based on data - would consider that any opportunity to add to the data pool wouldn't be of use. As GPs can only provide general advice and everyone is different people should be encouraged to find as much out about themselves as they can.

You may have read that some people can tolerate bread - some people can not. If that is the only thing that spikes, but you have bread every day - and you do not know - is it not possible that your average over 90days maybe say 7, so not bad - but the spikes maybe 12 for three or four hours in a day? Would that not be possible to cause many or all of the horrible complications?

If I have got it all wrong - then sorry about that. Well intentioned, not argumentative.

 

[rom35]

In czech rep. the state will pay 50 strips a year for t2d without insulin. I need approx 200 strips per month. The price is approx 60€ monthly. I pay it myself gladly, as 60€ monthly to have information and to live is nothing.

 

[BottomlessPit]

The most popular meters for self funding T2's are the Codefree and the Tee2 because the strips are much cheaper than other meters, and you need a lot of strips. You can't buy them in pharmacies.

Try here for the Codefree meter
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/

and here for the extra strips
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/

There are discount codes if you buy in bulk.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

The Tee2 is here and the meter is free.
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

Don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for either meter)

Thank you for this. The prices seem a lot more reasonable.

The last time I saw my GP, she told me unless my blood sugars were above 11, she wouldn’t class me as a diabetic. Seemed like madness to me.

 

[Brunneria]

Thank you for this. The prices seem a lot more reasonable.

The last time I saw my GP, she told me unless my blood sugars were above 11, she wouldn’t class me as a diabetic. Seemed like madness to me.

And when I showed my doc clear evidence (on my meter) that my blood glucose rises to 15mmol/l after a couple of slices of bread, he checked my records and said 'Well, according to your latest HbA1c your aren't even pre-diabetic'.

I could actually see him switching his ears off when I said 'the only reason I keep my HbA1c in range is because I avoid foods that raise my blood glucose. I am therefore on a very restricted diet.'

We didn't get very far after that, and I have since changed doctors.

 

[Freema]

After initial panic where I measured before and after every meal and also right after waking up in the morning , after that Where I learned to count my carbs and what foods to avoid after that I most days only measure my morning blood glucose and that is enough now

 

[dbr10]

Thank you for this. The prices seem a lot more reasonable.

The last time I saw my GP, she told me unless my blood sugars were above 11, she wouldn’t class me as a diabetic. Seemed like madness to me.

It is. This is what we seem to be up against all the time. Annoying and very frustrating.

 

[Bluetit1802]

The last time I saw my GP, she told me unless my blood sugars were above 11, she wouldn’t class me as a diabetic. Seemed like madness to me.

That is because when an oral glucose tolerance test is done for diagnostic purposes (which is 75g of pure glucose) if you are under 11 at the 2 hour mark, you are not classed as diabetic. Between 7.8 and 11 you are classed as pre-diabetic, and under 7.8 you are non-diabetic. The nurse is very mixed up. This test is quite different from eating normally and seeing an 11.

 

[rom35]

The most popular meters for self funding T2's are the Codefree and the Tee2 because the strips are much cheaper than other meters, and you need a lot of strips.

Other option is One drop with unlimited test strips for cca 550€ for a year.
At the start of the process to fight diabetes I would buy one year to have unlimited strips.

 

[BottomlessPit]

That is because when an oral glucose tolerance test is done for diagnostic purposes (which is 75g of pure glucose) if you are under 11 at the 2 hour mark, you are not classed as diabetic. Between 7.8 and 11 you are classed as pre-diabetic, and under 7.8 you are non-diabetic. The nurse is very mixed up. This test is quite different from eating normally and seeing an 11.

Oh ok. Thanks for this. She must have thought the result was the post 2 hour result. I never had the lucozade or post 2 hour result taken as the fasting one was so high.

 

[MrTickle]

I'm fairly new to all this, so am testing first thing on getting up (although those times vary) and usually before and 2hrs after my evening meal, or if there is something specific I want to test.

I'm a numbers guy, so find it far more motivating to track these all in a spreadsheet, colour code the cells for certain 'targets' and watch the picture grow as I progress.