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Help! Meter broken and away on holiday!

HoneyBea

Active Member
Messages
44
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi all,
My Aviva Expert Accu Check meter has stopped working! Changed batteries but it just won't turn on. I'm in Greece on holiday at the moment.. Anybody know what I can do??
Advice needed!!
B

Sent from my SM-G920F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 
I'd change everything, check the batteries are in right and there's no fluff in the battery compartment or anything obvious like that. Then try putting it off and on again (that works with my meter sometimes).

If nothing works, phone AccuChek to see if you can get answers. You might have to buy a new meter and strips if nothing can be done.
 
Here's the contact details for accucheck in Greece - https://www.accu-chek.gr/contact-us

But they measure blood sugar in mg/dL so you might as well just buy a cheap metre and strips from a local pharmacy to tide you over. And remember you will have to divide the mg/dL result by 18 to convert it into a mmol/l result.
 
If it wont turn on, thats curable. Pull out the copper or chrome bits in the battery compartment a bit.. do it gently you dont want to break them.
Then put batterys in and put cover on.. may have to do this a number of times..and sometimes just wiggle or do a large shaking action and it will work.

The batterys have always been a problem for changeover with the expert. Its perseverance, pulling out the metal buts and jiggling the thing with about 30 mins of playing around and frustration.

Majority of them will come back to life though.
 
Do not keep meter in sun or exposed to hot temperatures... keep it in shade..
 
Definitely a lesson to be learned here. When on holiday, especially abroad, take spares of everything (meters, cartridges, batteries, needles, pens, testing strips, etc etc). The unexpected always seems to happen.
 
Greeks use meters too. Just go to a store and buy one there. Heck Walmart here will sell you a meter and 100 strips for like $35. You'll spend that on a meal on holiday!
 
In Greece, try a pharmacy, they are the "shops" with the green and white cross logo. English is widely spoken, if in doubt, take your old meter with you to make it clear what you are talking about.
Sally
 
Hope you're doing okay, @HoneyBea . With it being an Aviva Expert meter with its ratio programming and bolus calculation functionality I would certainly very much be missing it in your position. Hope all's well and you're able to work around the problem.

Sending a hug!

When my Aviva Insight pump handset threw a wobbly I was desperate to get hold of an Aviva Expert meter because it does everything that the pump handset does in terms of the maths - I found I could only get hold of it from a hospital clinic (rather than just heading to Boots, I mean!). I ended up at my diabetes centre the day before Christmas Eve begging for their help! Fortunately they had one to give me.

It's amazing how reliant one becomes on one's own specific gadgetry.

 
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