Blood Glucose Monitors

[Thundercat]

I use the One Touch Ultra Easy too. Got it direct from Lifescan. I use 2 metres which I keep in different places so there's no danger of forgetting (my short term memory is shattered by stress). Lifescan provided me with 2 without a problem. I have used a lot of metres but this is my all time favourite. The difference in readings when compared is negligible. Its also quite small. As a bonus it comes in different colours and I am chuffed with my pink ones! Its true that accuracy is most important but I think its nice that the thought went into adding something that can suit your taste aswell. Practically everything has a design angle so why not metres. Lets face it, we have to look at them a lot!
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[CollieBoy]

Well this is the one i have, not every thing is in the picture but i guess you know whats missing.

lancets? :think:
pricker? :think:

Oh you mean test strips! :lol:

 

[michaeldavid]

I would advise you, daisybell, to dump the junk which you've been fooled into thinking you need to carry around with you.

Ordinarily, I don't carry a blood-glucose monitor because (ordinarily) I don't need one. If I do need to take it out with me, then I just put it into a little plastic bag, and I stick it in my pocket.

For blood-sugar testing, I ordinarily take a tube of Betachek Visual testing sticks. (It's about the size of a tube of Smarties.)

I also never, ever use a spring-loaded finger-pricker. Rather, I simply use a lancet, and gently stab myself to get the blood-sample. (The lancet, plus a spare, can be carried inside the tube of testing sticks.)

I don't use insulin pens: they're clunky, and completely unnecessary.

I use small, disposable syringes. Some insulins only come in pen-injector cartridges; and drawing up the insulin can be a bit tricky at first. But with practice, this can be done easily: hold the cartridge in one hand, and gently press down on the rubber bung at the end of the cartridge with your index finger as you draw the insulin into the syringe with your other hand. Obviously, the equivalent amount of air should be injected into the cartridge first; and with the syringe hanging from the cartridge, gently flick the cartridge with your finger to ensure that you don't draw air bubbles into the syringe along with the insulin. (Nb. With a new cartridge, extra air will have to be injected first to ensure that the rubber bung reaches the end of the cartridge, and can therefore be pressed down on.)

The smaller the syringe, the more accurately you can draw out the insulin dose. (I use 0.3 ml syringes.)

I never eat Dextrosol tablets. Rather, you know those little pots that electronic testing sticks come in? Well, I fill one of those with jelly beans.

I also would never eat Mini Cheddars (I believe they contain Monosodium Glutamate), or any other junk food if I can help it.

I am a Teletubbies fan. I like Tinky Winky, very much. But I identify with Dipsy. And I would never carry an effing 'manbag'.

 

[LittleWolf]

The testing kit comes in a neat little bag that looks like It could be for a handheld game or makeup so it just goes in my bag.

I take it out with me because I tend to have issues travelling to/from Uni.

I don't take insulin so don't worry about carrying it but the pens my friend uses seem pretty nifty and not as fiddly as syringes


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[michaeldavid]

Daisybell's initial posting for this thread was a complaint about the amount of material she believes she has to cart around with her.

Her last-but-one line, in that initial posting, was this: "If our kits were smaller maybe people would be able to have better control of their diabetes."

I probably carry around less material than anyone else here does.

And my blood-sugar control is probably better than anyone else's too.

Here's one further thing I should have added before: if I'm out anytime during the day, before four o'clock in the afternoon, I must take rye bread with me too. (Nb. If I eat rye after four in the afternoon, my blood-suger will go high later in the evening.)

I CANNOT SAFELY CONTROL MY BLOOD-SUGAR LEVEL WITHOUT EATING RYE.

I usually eat rye bread with Biona Pear & Apple Spread, which is delicious.

 

[heyjude68]

I have an accu check mobile and I love it all in one no messing with strips. I am now told by my GP that I have to switch over to another machine. It is like a machine I had 20 years ago strips and the finger device doesn't attach but I am told I have no choice. Anyone had the same experience


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[michaeldavid]

Please may I ask, what makes you think you need a 'finger device'?

Why don't you simply use a lancet - the size of three matchsticks stuck together - and gently stab yourself?

That's far gentler, simpler, quicker, and more compact than any wretched spring-loaded device.

 

[heyjude68]

Well thanks for you opinion and every time u test u got to get rid of it. Hardly convenient when u out.


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[Neil Walters]

The iBGStar is small and light


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[michaeldavid]

Well, heyjude68, what makes you think you've got to get rid of the lancet every time you use it?

I re-use the same lancet umpteen times before it starts to become blunt.

What makes you think you can't do that?

 

[LittleWolf]

It's a bit easier for some people (especially those who don't like needles) to use a spring loaded device that you can't see anything sharp on and it does the job on a fraction of a second.

I know it sounds crazy seeing as I've happily carved up my arms with bits of glass and razor blades in the past but you couldn't pay me to just pick up the lancet needle and stick it in 0_0


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[michaeldavid]

Hi LittleWolf,

I think it's perfectly reasonable to use a spring-loaded device if you want to.

But I find that even just the noise they make is disturbing, perhaps especially for small children. (I believe I am one of those at heart.)

And I think that small children especially should be shown that you don't HAVE to use them - not least because it's simpler, quicker, and gentler to do without. For professionals in a hospital, I think it's perfectly reasonable to use them all the time. But in a time trial, I think I'd win.

Surely it's surprising that it seems not to occur to people that you can very easily do without those gadgets IF you can bear it.

Thank you very much for telling me what you think. But I note that, actually, you don't have to use them yourself. (Please excuse me if I've made a mistake there.) And I wonder if you might come around to my way of thinking if you did have to stab yourself (I wish I could think of a better turn of phrase) umpteen times every day.

I've been doing it for thirty-odd years. (My fingers are all in a perfect state of health!) And I acknowledge that I'm fortunate not to have any kind of phobia about it.

What you've written doesn't seem crazy to me.

Indeed I'm sure I must be the craziest one here.

But, hey, at least I'm not one of those swivel-eyed loons I've been reading about in the newspaper today!

 

[martin2410]

Perhaps to make thing easier to pack, the round tube that contains the strips could be made square and flatter. Im no engineer or designer but surely squarer goes flatter.

 

[jdizzy74]

I have just got myself a new blood monitor called mendor discreet and its fab, its about the size of packet cigarettes an the finger pricker and strips are all inside the meter, only received it yesterday so not sure if strips are free on prescription but im def goin to look into it. I ordered mine online n im sure it was from this apps facebook page.x

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[violet6763]

Jdizzy74..I got mine yesterday too but it reads 2.5 higher than my contour and someone else confirmed it did for them too. Can you do a comparison with your old meter and the mendor and see how it is for you? Would be interested to hear result

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[blueeyed81]

Hey all heres a few pictures of what I use to carry all my things in I need ie my blood metre with test strips and finger pricker in one side abd the other I hacr my oens and needles, I know it might not be to everyones taste but it does me just fine, and I can also fit 2/3 packs of dextrose tablets in it aswell.


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[blueeyed81]

Heres another 2 so you can get a rough idea of the size lol

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[MissEcho]

The OneTouch Ultra Mini is a really small device, check it out - http://www.onetouch.com/onetouch-ultramini

 

[Jayno]

I have a ibg star meter which fits in the charging slot of my iPhone. All I need to carry is the small pot of sticks and a small lancet.
It's small, discreet and all your readings are available on your iPhone

 

[Danaemac]

I have 2 meters one that stays in my car the ibg star which is small and can be used as a stand alone meter or is compatible with my iPod which is virtually always in my car the other my everyday meter is the accu - check mobile which as someone who has been a poorly controlled diabetic for 16 yrs has transformed the way I deal with things no strips or lancets to carry about and not that big I keep it in a small pencil case in my bag with my pens and my jelly babies very convenient