Hi
@ardvark
I have just seen your other thread, the one where you say you have been taken off Gliclazide
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/am-i-getting-better.162168/
and told to test less.
Gliclazide is a strong medication that can induce hypos. So people taking it should be supplied with sufficient test strips to use as often as necessary to monitor for hypos. They should also test before driving (at whatever time of day), to ensure their blood glucose is at a safe level.
Since you have been taken off Glic, I suspect that your surgery intends to phase out the test strip prescription to save money. Actually, I am surprised that you have been left any at all, and you may well find that your next prescription request comes back refused. Unfortunately, this is more the result of the NHS saving money, than giving you to tools to manage your diabetes well.
Many type 2 diabetics on the forum choose to self fund their testing equipment, so that they can monitor blood glucose through the day, and tailor their food choices in the best interests of their long term health. If you want to do this, there are a couple of meters that you can buy 50 test strips for less than the price of a prescription charge (I am thinking of the Codefree, and the Tee 2), which you may wish to look into.
As I understand it, you are just 2 months or so from diagnosis, and are attempting to change your dietary habits to suit both a heart condition and type 2 diabetes. In view of that, I would suggest that this is a time when testing multiple times a day would be most important to you, as you establish a new pattern of eating, and check its effects on your blood glucose.
Hope that helps.