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Just used my SD Codefree for the 1st time

tigerlily72

Well-Known Member
Messages
517
Location
South West, England UK
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi

I managed to buy an SD Codefree via Ebay at a good price before xmas. The seller had been given a meter by their GP and no longer had a need for it. I had to buy lancets and test strips but I've saved a bit of money on initial outlay by doing it this way

Hubby has not long tested me (I'm needle phobic but hoping in time I may be able to do it myself). He tested himself first so he could check what depth to set the clicker pen at and he came out as 9.3 (he set the clicker to "4"). He isn't diabetic but hadn't really eaten other than leftover xmas nibbles - Pringles!

He set mine at "2" but it didn't draw enough blood so he reset to "3". I had eaten (had brunch - boiled eggs and toast) and I'd also had a couple of miniature Green & Black chocolate bars and a mug of (ground) coffee made with semi skimmed milk approx 45-60 mins prior to testing. My reading was 132mg/dL - 7.3 so I'm happy with that

 
Thanks Brunneria

I plan to do a fasting one, probably next weekend. I'm sure the stress of having an actual blood test at the Drs surgery pushes it up! I want to see what it comes out with doing it at home.
 
Hi and well done. I have mine set at 2 with a new lancet, and 2.5 after a few jabs with same lancet.

Next time you test a meal, test immediately before you eat and again 2 hours after your first bite. Write down what you have eaten, including portion sizes, and record your readings alongside. Then you can look back and compare.

When doing a fasting test, try to test as soon as you get up and before pottering about. (don't forget to wash your hands first)
 

Thanks for the advice. I will try to remember to test before a meal and then 2hrs after eating it. I'm really hoping I can get the fasting one down to below 7 as it's ranged from 7.2-7.4 when I've been tested at the Drs surgery.
 
9.3 is very high. How many Pringles did he eat and how long after did he test?
 
Hi beardie

Once he pops he can't stop!!! I think he ate almost a whole (full size) tub and probably tested about an hour after eating them but it may have been 90 mins or a bit more. He ISN'T diabetic but I've told him if he isn't careful he could end up heading that way and before I end up with a T2 diagnosis!!!

Both of our mothers are T2's and I think it shocked him a bit to find he was higher than me, although I'd eaten more (not Pringles I hasten to add) during the day than he had.

The meter is really for me as I have been told I have impaired glucose tolerance and am now classed as pre diabetic but I think I will get hubby to test occasionally with me.

I'm really starting to look at the carbs in what I eat and it makes a LOT of sense! I think a whole full sized tub of Pringles has something ridiculous like almost 100g of carbs in them
 
hI @tigerlily72 , I'ts good to see you are been proactive.

I was diagnosed as Pre Diabetic and did not realize how serious it was with regards reducing the carbs. My diet was pretty good lots of fish lot of veg but I did have lot of bread although mainly brown and started having fruit and picked dates as the main one 'majool'.

I suppose I ate very similar to the NHS Eat Well plate except for the deserts.
Within 9 months I was classed as in the diabetic range fortunately I'm just over the borderline.

Now I have followed very much a Low Carb moderate Fat & Testing, I have really got my figure down and although I had been loosing weight I have lost much more on this diet.

This was just to say if you can follow whats on here it should keep you from moving into that diabetic range, I believe my feet have been slightly affected even though I was classed as pre, because I think for a short time I generated some very high numbers without realizing it.

Neil
 
Hi there @daddys1

I just need to psych myself up and summon up all the willpower I can. Luckily I love fish and have a real thing for salmon at the moment. So tonight for my evening meal it was a salmon fillet, broccoli and cauliflower and some mushrooms. I had soup for my lunch which is a LOT better than my usual shop bought sandwich, crisps and chocolate! I allowed myself a very small bar of dark chocolate during my afternoon break at work.

My hubby "gave up" smoking on 9 Jan last year. I say "gave up" as he uses an e-cig and has come down from I think 24mls of nicotine so around 7mls. He's said it hasn't been easy so if he can quit smoking then I can try my hardest to cut carbs, lose weight, feel better and stop this in it's tracks.
 
Hi Tigerlily72,
I'm sure you do like fish and there is a lot to choose from Fresh Mackerel Grilled with veg & Mayo there also the vacuum packed plain peppered or flavored, I like hot, Tuna steaks just seared so slightly rare inside is the best way, Cod of course, haddock, Trout and many others.

So I would say the salmon is fine why not try samphire or spinach or even curly kale, all excellent vegs. The soup you have to watch unless home made as there could be thickeners, or lot of potatoes which will raise blood sugars and unless you are testing what the levels are, I had a Pea & Ham soup shot me up to 14 so I am wary now.

The dark chocolate really has to be 70% plus on the cocoa and only one or two pieces at a time.

The reason you have been classed as Pre Diabetic is because your numbers go into the Diabetic range from time to time when you have certain high sugar (chocolate) which would include high carbohydrate (Toast possibly the soup) foods.

There is no escaping that you need to test to ensure you are not pushing you numbers into the diabetic range. I know you are needle phobic, but so was I, I used to faint when I had blood tests but I have now got used to it.

You really need to test just before eating, and then at least 2 hrs after your meal, so you see how the food has affected you. 1 hour after the meal would also help you to get even a better idea of how you are affected.

If you don't test you will not know until you go back to the doctors do you really want to waste that time or get it right now.

Neil
 
@daddys1 - I've never had samphire but certainly willing to give it a go. Ashamed to say I had to google it to see what it actually was but had a look on Asda website to check approx price. My only concern about it is, do I need to watch the salt content?

Your mention of tuna steaks, cod and haddock has made me hungry again!

Re: shop bought soups - I am looking at the labels before putting them in the basket and selecting those with both low carbs and low sugar. Totally avoiding the ones with potatoes i.e. veg soup to avoid pushing my carbs up.

Re: the chocolate - it IS 70% - we usually shop at Aldi and I have a Moser Roth which contains five 25g bars and I also bought a 74% cocoa from Tesco and I only have 1 small bar of the Moser Roth left. So that's my treat when I crave a chocolate fix.

It's really early days for me and all I can think about is FOOD, FOOD, FOOD at the moment and carbs, sugar content etc.

I'm making other small steps to make a difference like walking up a few flights of stairs to the office rest room and my locker rather than get in the lift. I do this about 5 times a day as our lockers are also on the top floor so it's the first place I go at the beginning and end of the day. My hubby says that it may seem like a small thing but if I keep doing them then it will start to add up (or rather decrease my numbers/readings. waistline and dress size)!
 
Hi, @tigerlily72 From what you have said it appears that you are doing most things right on the food front.

If I was you I wouldn't be too afraid of the fat either, small amounts does fill you, up makes you less hungry, things like cheese etc . I had programmed myself over the years not to eat fatty stuff. but I am now managing to get back to eat fat again, like having butter instead of the spreads. I'm having a lot more eggs also, to what I would have had in the past.

I agree with you OH all those small bits of exercise will add up and help in getting those numbers down.

I do notice however what you seem to have omitted is the self testing of your blood sugars, if you can do it it will be a real boon for you, when you know you have everything under control, it's so easy to think you are eating healthily only to find your sugars have gone up. I can only eat 1/2 an apple, I only know that by testing, cannot eat granola only found out by testing. Now I have found I can eat 2 x slices of Seed Sensations bread.

Pleased to see you doing most things well.
Neil

 
It's a bit of a shock when you first use the meter but I believe it is essential if you are determined to reduce your blood sugar level.
My GP said it was not necessary to do the prick tests to just stick to the diet, but I waved this idea because I wanted to know which foods put my blood sugar up and testing is the only way to find out. Then you know the ones you need to avoid.
Test before a meal and again within two hours after the meal.
Because I read in the forum that you can test high first thing in a morning I occasionally test then but it as always been below 6.
I need to avoid potatoes, parsnips,sweetcorn, white bread and white rice to just mention a few and I have to be very careful with eating fruit, a fresh fruit salad puts me way up there so I would only have something like this on special occasions.
My last test at the GPs which looks at a 3 month period showed I was now within a normal range. He does the test once a year so fingers crossed for my next test in a few weeks time.
I was loosing weight which I didn't need to do so have started adding some of the foods I avoided except the ones mentioned above to try and maintain my weight. but it's not easy having to take into account all my health issues.
Finding the right food for you is time consuming but so worth it in the end if you can avoid this terrible disease.
 
Do you mean he isn't diabetic based on fasting blood glucose and HBA1c lab test results? Or do you mean as far as you both know he isn't diabetic? Just curious.
 
NoCrbs4Me said:
Do you mean he isn't diabetic based on fasting blood glucose and HBA1c lab test results? Or do you mean as far as you both know he isn't diabetic? Just curious.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I didn't make this very clear. To clarify - it's as far as we both know he isn't diabetic. We've been through a very stressful period in the last 6 months (personal circs) but this is almost over. I'm going to persuade him to book a health MOT at the Drs soon and get him to ask for a full blood test so we get a fuller picture and confirm whether he may be, or whether he's heading down the same path as me!

I'm hoping he'll do it, although I can't make him. I will just use the argument he presented me with when I was recalled after my annual finger prick test in November last year. I wasn't looking forward to the prospect of a full blood test and he told me I had to do it.
 
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