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Advised against Blood glucose meter

Yes. I am afraid she was talking complete nonsense. You need to test to help control your BG and to see what foods to avoid. Not only do we have the condition to contend with, but we also have the NHS diet advice to keep eating carbohydrates - we are carbohydrate intolerant- , and doctors trying to take us off Metformin when it has succeeded in helping us to get our BG down. I am sure if you asked the average 5yo what to do if eating something made you ill, they would say stop eating it. At times, I wish I knew a 5yo would explain this to my doctor
 
For me the big problem is that diabetes affects all of us in different ways, often in counter intuitive ways, for example a few biscuits does me no harm but white bread certainly does. I only found this out through buying myself a meter etc. Now I'm on Metformin and I get all my testing strips etc on prescription..... but I'm lucky.
My point is that we are all individuals and because of the nature of the beast we need an informed and tailored approach and should not simply be the 'recipients' of local NHS policy. It's not a one size fits all condition.
Had I not started self testing I would have had no idea which things were making me ill.
 
I don't believe there is a local NHS Policy. You can view most local policies on line or request them through Freedom of Information requests. I would challenge anyone to find such policies. The NHS just does not actively support or encourage testing in the way many of us do it. Some individual HCP may question our rationale and some may support it. Just because it is not supported doesn't mean the NHS actively discourage through policies.
 
Blonde45 said:
I have been advised wasn't any point in getting one......its the HBa1c result.....got one anyone and found when moving my room round or doing anything really strenuous my levels crashed to 3.5 despite having eaten lunch and a banana half an hour after. It helps recognise when my levels are too high or too low as it can be difficult to tell and get very dizzy and tired anyway. I think it's probably cost as I live in Fareham and didn't get one yet my brother lives in Portsmouth and got one. How can you make informed choices without one as everyone is different!!!!
Click to expand...
How did you get on in the end?
 
Agree with you. Originally when diagnosed some 10 years ago I would not have known what foods affected me the most so monitoring before/after meals helped me a lot. This kept me diet controlled only for many years. Many blood monitors are free, check around its the test strips that cost so I find the strips that are best value. But last few years the GPs have been saying don't check your own blood levels, rubbish waiting 6 months or a year for the HbA1c test results at the GPs. These days I tend know when I feel possibly low or high & check my blood level.
 
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