Your longest period without testing & why ?

[Ronancastled]

Just realised I haven't finger pricked in a week.
One reason is that I'm down to my last 3 tests on my Accu-Chek cassette.
The 2nd reason is I've gone lower carb recently as I know I'm due an A1c test.
The main reason though is that I saw with my own eyes, with a CGM trial, of how variable BG can be postprandial.
So I'd poke at 1 hour & see a 6.5 & be delighted but then miss the fact that your fatty meal could be pulsing through & then you could be still in the 6s at 90 mins.
It made finger poking redundant for me, these snapshots in time could be missing the big picture.

I'm now starting to think a self funded CGM every 6 months is far more powerful than any finger pokes outside fasting.

 

[LaoDan]

I down to doing one or two tests per week. I’m dieting down. I’m more curious about how low I am rather than how high.

I have my meals planned, my exercise planned so I’m on cruise control. Yeah, so a couple times a week just for a sanity check

 

[ianf0ster]

Since I got my BG under control with Low Carb and found out exactly which foods I can tolerate, I have tested less and less. In fact I have averaged about 1 test per 3 months (FBG only) since I got my last HbA1C coming in at 37.

Why test when you already know the result to the nearest 0.5 mmol ?

 

[Inchindown]

I stopped testing over a year ago after I fell off the wagon during the pandemic and started guzzling junk food again.

I was jolted into action after my most recent HBA1C test was 150 about 3 weeks ago. My finger prick test was over 33 mmol/l.

I'm now down to 11.1 after going cold turkey on the junk food.

Hope I can keep it up.

 

[Ronancastled]

I was jolted into action after my most recent HBA1C test was 150 about 3 weeks ago. My finger prick test was over 33 mmol/l.

Crikey, that's a shock

I'm now down to 11.1 after going cold turkey on the junk food.

Hope I can keep it up.

Sounds like you're on the right road already, single figures soon

 

[Andydragon]

Does a decade count?

I didn’t test myself at all for about that long because the NHS tells us T2s not to. Relying on hba1c and the drugs I was on to keep things controlled. Slowly getting rising levels and more drugs, finding this forum was a true inspiration to me to see how to do it differently and better

I am so incredibly lucky to have not (fingers crossed) progressed quicker and was able to come back to where I am now. Just hope it can last

 

[Mr_Pot]

I don't test very often anyway, after nearly 6 years of low carb, but a month ago I ran out of strips and I have just got around to ordering some more. I agree with the idea that an occasional CGM might be just as useful. My recent free trial of a Libre 2 was very interesting if only because it showed that I wasn't missing any peaks with my previous finger prick testing. I think if a months worth of CGM was prescribed to the newly diagnosed they would be convinced of the effect of diet.

 

[Andydragon]

I don't test very often anyway, after nearly 6 years of low carb, but a month ago I ran out of strips and I have just got around to ordering some more. I agree with the idea that an occasional CGM might be just as useful. My recent free trial of a Libre 2 was very interesting if only because it showed that I wasn't missing any peaks with my previous finger prick testing. I think if a months worth of CGM was prescribed to the newly diagnosed they would be convinced of the effect of diet.

I thought libre give a fortnight free trial?
But maybe if the technology rumoured for the next or year after in wearables comes through that’ll help a lot of us

 

[Donaldfr]

I stopped testing over a year ago after I fell off the wagon during the pandemic and started guzzling junk food again.

I was jolted into action after my most recent HBA1C test was 150 about 3 weeks ago. My finger prick test was over 33 mmol/l.

I'm now down to 11.1 after going cold turkey on the junk food.

Hope I can keep it up.

I think we are in same situation. Been diabetic for about 5 years and had non diabetic a1c till 2019. Had covid march 2020 and fell off the wagon. A1c came back at 114. Finger prick tests were 25+ Went down the low carb route again and added 5 to 10k walk everyday, still not losing any weight but got my figures down to between 5 and 7 after about 10 weeks of low carb and 4 weeks of walking. Fasting is still high at 7 but during the day i am usually between 5 and 7. I keep putting it down to covid but i got to the point where i had difficulty breathing and when after 20 days i finally recovered i just wanted to eat everything, still fail to understand why.

 

[Rustytypin]

Even after five years, I still test 2-3 times a day. I low carb, about 20 to 30 g a day. I also test ketones about once every ten days. If I don’t test, carb creep shows it’s ugly head, and my BG starts to rise, so testing for me keeps me on the straight and narrow.
I also find the daily ups and downs fascinating, for instance after my second COVID-19 jab BGs rose by about .5 mmol, but not every time just in a random way! They took a month or so to stabilise and get back to my normal.

 

[Mr_Pot]

I thought libre give a fortnight free trial?
But maybe if the technology rumoured for the next or year after in wearables comes through that’ll help a lot of us

They do give14 days free trial. I was suggesting an NHS prescription of a month's worth for the newly diagnosed.

 

[MrsA2]

I'm testing less and less. When I'm at home a fbg is part of daily routine, just before teeth cleaning, but when I'm away and the kit isn't next to the toothbrush I may forget for a few days.
I still like to have it handy though, for checking after an unknown meal out or just to make sure I'm on the straight and narrow
I too think the occasional use of a Cgm libre much more helpful and have budgeted for 4 a year to cover Christmas and holidays , and I do get twitchy I I haven't worn one for a while as I do like to know what's happening

 

[OB87]

I was only diagnosed in September and test at least 7 times a day. I'm pregnant at the moment so having to test at an hour aswel and I am getting abit fed up of testing so much and being monitored so closely as the nurse checks my levels and food choices with an app.I might reduce it abit after on very low carb meals but I don't want to take my eye off the ball too much

 

[Drfarxan]

Its sometimes weeks for me and when i do check it never above 95 or 5.27. Thats only sometimes mostly its below 90 or 5.
Why should i check when i barely eat any carbs. I even decided to check my HbA1c once in 6 months before i was checking once in 3 months my last HbA1c was 5.5

 

[Daphne917]

I test most mornings but don’t bother otherwise unless I’ve eaten a particularly carby food or trying one that I haven’t had for a while to see what effect it has had on my BS. I never take my meter on holiday though.

 

[Fenn]

I’m tired of testing, tired of seeing the numbers, tired of worrying about them, tired of worrying about my health, I hardly test at all and don’t even need to prick my finger. Sorry dunno why I’m whineing on your thread.

 

[zand]

I’m tired of testing, tired of seeing the numbers, tired of worrying about them, tired of worrying about my health, I hardly test at all and don’t even need to prick my finger. Sorry dunno why I’m whineing on your thread.

Same here!

 

[Dollylolly]

Mine was for 2 years why cos of burn out

im back testing daily but only if it’s new foods or unsure and keeping my bloods in the normal ranges well my normal not the NICE guidelines as I feel they are too high.

 

[SKiddell]

I test around 4-5 times a day but recently bought my own HBA1c test unit (Bio Hermes Boronate affinity) do an A1c test every week /2 weeks now

 

[CIarebear]

I go months without testing, purely because if my blood sugar is really high it makes me really depressed so I’d rather not know.