Blood monitoring

[aikipad]

Hi all I haven’t posted before, I was diagnosed with type 2 a year or so ago and have had two eye exams. I’m trying to control it with diet, sometimes good sometimes not so good. I just had another yearly blood check and awaiting results. I asked the nurse about checking my blood regularly and was told that because I wasn’t on meds that I didn’t qualify for a blood monitor etc. Is that correct? If so where’s the best place for me to get one and how often do I check my blood.

 

[Prem51]

Hi @aikipad. Type 2s aren't usually prescribed meters and testing strips unless they are on insulin. The main cost of self testing are the test strips. The cheapest are the SD Codefree, and the TEE2+.
I use the TEE2+ and you can get it from www.spirit-healthcare.co.uk

 

[Mike d]

Search the forum ... but it's on waking, first bite after each meal, two hours later ... every day to understand what foods do to your bloods

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi all I haven’t posted before, I was diagnosed with type 2 a year or so ago and have had two eye exams. I’m trying to control it with diet, sometimes good sometimes not so good. I just had another yearly blood check and awaiting results. I asked the nurse about checking my blood regularly and was told that because I wasn’t on meds that I didn’t qualify for a blood monitor etc. Is that correct? If so where’s the best place for me to get one and how often do I check my blood.

Hi!

Yeah, we mostly have to self-fund, and it's the strips that gobble up the cash. But it is quite useful. For me personally, the most important times to test are before a meal, and two hours after first bite. (If you go up more than 2.0 mmol/l, the meal was too carby.). Dawn phenomenon scews my results quite often so I rarely test upon waking (fasting blood glucose), and others might test before bed... But more than 2 years after diagnosus I don't test more than I absolutely have to. When I just started though, I was a pincushion. And that helped me to know what was going on, how I responded to food etc... It played a big part in getting my HbA1c into the normal range. So yeah... Wholeheartedly recommend it.

 

[jpscloud]

I was lucky and got a meter and 50 test strips per month on prescription but I was on metformin after diagnosis. Some practices are good and others not. Our practice stopped funding type 2s two years ago so I self fund now.

I have tested erratically until now, because my health has improved such a lot with a new medication and I want to motivate myself by (trying to) eat to the meter and use the data I get to keep on the right track.

I bought an accuchek mobile just recently to help with this - the cassettes are not cheap but more convenient than strips for me.

Have a look on the threads on the forum discussing meters and choose the best one for you. Good luck!