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Do daily BG readings actually matter that much?

Each to their own.
I read a lot , think alot and then do what works for me.
I think diabetes is such an individual thing . I tested a lot until I understood my diabetes and how diet and exercise etc affected me. I don't test as much now. I know when Ive overdone it , I feel ****.
Most of the time I feel great so don't test.

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Sorry, but I have to confess I don't agree with 'each to their own' on medical matters when people are being foolish and putting their heads in the sand. Yes it's their lives if they want to do that. But they should not come on forums and trumpet it as being their own way of managing diabetes which is as justifiable and workable as anyone else's. All opinions are not equally valid. Health is not a democracy where all facts are relative. Reality doesn't adapt to what people would like to believe. People die from diabetic complications. It's not a game.
 
I am only a humble newbie but....
I was told I was prediabetic and just to eat a healthy diet!! When I left the surgery that day I knew practically nothing about diabetes ( it happens to someone else!). The doctor knew I already had kidney disease and that the last thing I need in my life is diabetes, but he didn't seem to be bothered. If I had accepted his nonchalance and trusted it, I know now I wouldn't stand a chance of keeping full blown diabetes at bay. A healthy diet to me might have meant a piece of cake every other day or I might perceive that one chocolate bar a day wouldn't hurt. He didn't elaborate on what my healthy diet should be.

I felt I had been left in the dark with diabetes looming and it didn't feel safe to me.I joined this forum within days and bought a BG meter. I was actually very curious to know what had I been eating that was making my sugar high, so first there was the curiosity aspect. Then I got real and seriously tested my blood every day after eating, plotting down which foods I had eaten. I aim to do this for at least six months until I have a much clearer understanding of what 'culprits' are threatening to give me full blown diabetes. It's not a hassle for me, it's a learning curve. I am not obsessed but I WANT TO KNOW!

If we personally don't look after our bodies then who will? Feel quite let down by the attitude of that doctor. Thank god for BG meters I say!
 
Scandichic said:
Actually it does help to weigh myself. As I have pointed out to you already, it helps me know that I'm on track and that I'm not eating the wrong things. Using my meter also helps confirm what I can or cannot eat. I have also reduced my meds as I have gradually lost weight (down from 3 metformin to 1) but bp meds still same. I have done this in consultation with my doc who is rational and sane and qualified! He believes I may be able to get rid of my diabetes meds altogether and probably reduce my bp meds. I understand that there are some docs out there who are too busy to update their approach (some work in my practice) but this doc is not one of them. I reiterate my response to your earlier post: not taking meds without consultation is dangerous. If you choose to do this, that is your choice. It is not advice which should be given to other forum members.
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sorry but i think youre wrong, there is no point in discussing with you
 
equipoise said:
Sorry, but I have to confess I don't agree with 'each to their own' on medical matters when people are being foolish and putting their heads in the sand. Yes it's their lives if they want to do that. But they should not come on forums and trumpet it as being their own way of managing diabetes which is as justifiable and workable as anyone else's. All opinions are not equally valid. Health is not a democracy where all facts are relative. Reality doesn't adapt to what people would like to believe. People die from diabetic complications. It's not a game.
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No need to apologise and maybe it was the wrong phrase.
What I meant was that every has to find their own way of coping with any illness. People may want to put their head in the sand sadly and only they can change that. It is worrying that people just stop their medication without monitoring by gp etc. That said we don't live in a nanny state and we can only advise.

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Jeffretro80s said:
sorry but i think youre wrong, there is no point in discussing with you
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If it's her opinion it's not wrong, it's just different to yours. Firstly, Scandichic has made amazing progress with diabetes control and secondly, promoting not taking meds with talking to a doctor is not great advice.

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equipoise said:
Sorry, but I have to confess I don't agree with 'each to their own' on medical matters when people are being foolish and putting their heads in the sand. Yes it's their lives if they want to do that. But they should not come on forums and trumpet it as being their own way of managing diabetes which is as justifiable and workable as anyone else's. All opinions are not equally valid. Health is not a democracy where all facts are relative. Reality doesn't adapt to what people would like to believe. People die from diabetic complications. It's not a game.
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My point exactly! Jeffretro80s seems unaware of this! Diabetes isn't a game and is a serious lifelong condition. It can never be reversed. It can and will come back if you put on weight and eat the wrong things.
 
eastcoastphil said:
OK, firstly I should say that this thread is simply to discuss something that has been in my mind lately relating to my own condition, and hopefully no-one will take any offence as I realise we are all very different and will each be dealing with our Type 2 diabetes in a variety of ways.

So, I've spent some time on here now and one thing that is a constant theme are folks discussion their BG readings with each other. On another thread of mine said that I have been advised I don't have to test because, although I am on Metformin, I don't inject and my surgery seem more interested in dietary control etc.

Anyway, having set the scene, now to the point. I was initially concerned that by not testing I was somehow missing 'vital' information, or that I didn't have adequate control of my Type 2 as others seem to have on here. However I am now gradually considering that maybe I am fortunate in that I don't have daily concerns about my levels, and indeed am becoming more chilled out because of that especially when I see so many folks on here discussing them. I certainly am not taking any sort of moral high ground here, merely wondering if due to not testing I am having an easier ride than most?

I am controlling my diet very strictly now, I have cut out all added sugar, and taking more exercise and eating more fruit etc. Also gradually trying to reduce carb intake. So as long as my routine tests via the clinic are Ok with them, does it really matter that on a day to day level I have no idea what they are?

Just a question for other thoughts so please - no rants.
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Hi Phil. I have no strong opinion either way but your question reminded me of an old, cynical, fictional medical adage (from 'House of God' I think) along the lines of 'if you don't do the test you won't have to treat it'. Very funny book btw if you don't mind dark medical humour.
 
Scandichic said:
My point exactly! Jeffretro80s seems unaware of this! Diabetes isn't a game and is a serious lifelong condition. It can never be reversed. It can and will come back if you put on weight and eat the wrong things.
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its not a life long condition, its reversable for over 90% of patients well proven many times, the problem is that most people dont take hard enough action to do it..most people are voluntarily stuck in the heath care system
 
Jeffretro80s said:
its not a life long condition, its reversable for over 90% of patients well proven many times, the problem is that most people dont take hard enough action to do it..most people are voluntarily stuck in the heath care system
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Jeffretro80s, that is a worrying statement. Could you please supply the link to the evidence. If its true I will follow their plans. I would love to be free of diabetes. I do everything I can with lower carb and lots of exercise.
If its not true then its a cruel lie.

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Jeffretro80s said:
its not a life long condition, its reversable for over 90% of patients well proven many times, the problem is that most people dont take hard enough action to do it..most people are voluntarily stuck in the heath care system
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Are you in the 90% or the 10% group?
 
Jeffretro80s said:
......most people are voluntarily stuck in the heath care system
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Although I am a newbie I have found no evidence so far that suggests there is a way to reverse this condition - otherwise surely everyone would be doing it? Hopefully such a breakthrough will be made one day.

I'd love to be off the meds but my GP thinks I need them so because of that I am in the health care system, but my original point of this thread asked whether that means I need to be personally adding to that system by testing, or simply rely on the advice of my GP every 6 months or so.

A more lively debate than I imagined, but overall the strongest opinion is to voluntarily test to enable me to work out what I should or should not eat which seems sensible and educational in these early months of my new ailment. I think its time to sort out a meter! Thanks all.
 
eastcoastphil said:
Although I am a newbie I have found no evidence so far that suggests there is a way to reverse this condition - otherwise surely everyone would be doing it? Hopefully such a breakthrough will be made one day.

I'd love to be off the meds but my GP thinks I need them so because of that I am in the health care system, but my original point of this thread asked whether that means I need to be personally adding to that system by testing, or simply rely on the advice of my GP every 6 months or so.

A more lively debate than I imagined, but overall the strongest opinion is to voluntarily test to enable me to work out what I should or should not eat which seems sensible and educational in these early months of my new ailment. I think its time to sort out a meter! Thanks all.
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Hi Phil,
If I've posted this earlier forgive me. Most of the strips which you buy from the shops are £25 for a pot of 50 which as you can imagine, is horrendously expensive. You can buy a meter and strips and lacets fro ebay. The meter is called an sd code free. My strips for this meter are £7 for 50 strips. Pp is free and it's vat free if you tick the box yes, I have diabetes. You can get this meter on amazon but I think the strips are £8 for 50. The diet and the testing are interlinked. If you keep the bs down, then you're likely to be avoiding sugary food and carbs so you should see a steady reduction in weight too. Hope this helps!
 
Jeffretro80s said:
its not a life long condition, its reversable for over 90% of patients well proven many times, the problem is that most people dont take hard enough action to do it..most people are voluntarily stuck in the heath care system
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Yes, it is a life long condition. You can get your bs down to normal and your weight down to what the norm for you should be, although you cannot know this as you have no baseline data to measure anything against since by your own admission you neither test your bs or weight. However, if you go back to eating a poor diet and put on weight, diabetes will be evident. As I have already pointed out, my meds have been significantly reduced because I have good control of my weight and my bs. When I get to my target weight, I hope that I will be able to get rid of the metformin and reduce my bp meds. However, very high bp runs in my family so this may not be an option. I will always test and weigh myself, to check that I'm not increasing in weight or my bs is going up. In my experience, when I have stopped weighing myself weekly, I have gradually put on weight. I cannot afford to do this again. Clothes are no guide. I know this by currently looking at the current variety of sizes in my wardrobe. I am different sizes, depending on the cut and the manufacturer.
 
Jeffretro80s said:
its not a life long condition, its reversable for over 90% of patients well proven many times, the problem is that most people dont take hard enough action to do it..most people are voluntarily stuck in the heath care system
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This is just wrong. It's certainly controllable for over 90% but this is very different to reversible. You quote that it's been well proven many times ? Unless you can back this up I would ask you to stop making these statements. You are basically saying 90% of our members are lazy or not trying hard enough ? Totally unacceptable. Be careful what you post please.

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mo1905 said:
This is just wrong. It's certainly controllable for over 90% but this is very different to reversible. You quote that it's been well proven many times ? Unless you can back this up I would ask you to stop making these statements. You are basically saying 90% of our members are lazy or not trying hard enough ? Totally unacceptable. Be careful what you post please.

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Bravo!
 
Jeffretro80s said:
its not a life long condition, its reversable for over 90% of patients well proven many times, the problem is that most people dont take hard enough action to do it..most people are voluntarily stuck in the heath care system
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What a sweeping statement. I have had T2 for over 10 years and yes I was a bit overweight at the start, but despite losing the extra weight and keeping strict control of my diet, I am still very much a diabetic. I even took part in an Almased low cal/crb trial for this organisation but although my BG control is good and my A1c being 6 or under most times, if I stray and eat what people would consider ordinary food, my levels spike. You can control diabetes but you cannot reverse it, not yet anyway.
 
I have got well from diabetes type 2 and for 20years now eat whatever I like.

I had at the time both diabetes and stage 4 cancer. There was nothing doctors could do for the cancer. However for the diabetes they gave me medication and told me to monitor my BGs. As it was the only thing I could do I took readings very regularly and some times even every half and hour.

I kept a diary in which I wrote all sorts of things about myself, issues etc., and I use to jot down the BGs on the side of the page, just to have a record.

Time passed and I needed to go through my diary looking for something, and as I did a very significant thing that my doctors did not tell me came to light. They told me to take readings before and after meals basically, and morning and before I went to bed. I took readings often. What I found was that any time I was angry or anxious my reading had gone up, so it wasn’t just after eating. This helped me in my recovery.

All I want to say is that taking readings does help.
Kyrani
 
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