Thank you
@Goonergal &
@Alexandra100
I may look into the codefree strips and change my monitor in the near future - I know there are cheaper options online. I was in a blind panic at diagnosis and went straight for one I could get off the shelf (accuchek performa) and not have to wait for as couldn’t handle not knowing for a few days whilst things were delivered.
Really had no idea about doing my bloods more - all the sites say what your reading should be 2 hrs after food so never occurred to me to check at 1 or 3. Do I presume that i should expect the reading to be higher at 1 hour - do you know to any ‘acceptable readings’ if checking after 1 hour? Sorry for all the questions - was given zero advice by my GP so relaying on what I can google basically
I get the accu-check performa nano strips off eBay from a guy from India
He delivers on time and has really good feedback.
His prices make him cheaper than any I can buy form the UK main companies. It works out at 100 strips for £13.50 (which is £6.75 for 50) it used to be £12.50 for 100 until the GBP took a downward dive these last few months. Its even much cheaper if you buy 400 strips. My only beef with the Performa nano meter is that I get very low test readings, compared to the Glucomen lx2 or Freestyle Optium. I would rather get inaccurate high readings than inaccurate low readings IKWM
This is me and I am by no means advocating that anybody do what I did.
When I was first diagnosed I did not test the first 2yrs
I googled the condition and read where folks were advocating that Dr Richard Bernstein's Diabetes solution book was essential reading.
I bought the book, absorbed the information contained there in, and followed it to the letter, still without testing.
I bought a digital kitchen scale, and found me the most accurate site, with information regarding the nutrient values especially the carbohydrate values in the foods. I therefore knew what was off limits and what was not.
I kept my meals spartan.
I resolved to be well controlled from day one.
I ate meat and Veg (green leafy and or cruciferous) and nothing else with everything weighed and measured, including garlic, onions and all seasonings. I knew exactly how much carbohydrate was in everything that passed my lips.
At my first HbA1c result 3mths later, I was told my blood sugar reading was significantly low enough to be in the pre-diabetes range, I bought a meter, and did not get round to using it for another 18mths.
6mths later I had another test, the HbA1c test at that time, confirmed that my blood glucose levels were in the "non diabetic" range. After another year and more tests confirming that I am still in the normal range, I began testing. Seeing how I am practically obsessed with keeping my readings tightly controlled, I'm glad I did not test initially. It would have done me in.