• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Should I buy a monitor

maggie b

maggie b

Active Member
Messages
31
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Hi I'm going on holiday on Saturday & was just wondering if I should buy a monitor to take with me nurse said I don't need one & if I do she will supply it. I was only diagnosed on Monday with type 2 don't need medication but want to enjoy myself & scared incase I take a hypo anyone help with this please I'm terrified being abroad with this is there any do's & dont's I do enjoy a little alcohol when on holiday but again scared incase I get a hypo.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
A hypo? What do you mean? I wouldn't worry about becoming hypoglycemic if you are type 2 and no meds. However, holidays or not you should get a blood glucose meter so you can see what foods in what amounts spike your blood sugar too high.
 
The chances are low that you'd go hypo if your not on medication. But you should have a meter regardless to monitor your own levels so you know what foods spike you badly n how your body in general response to various things is (stress, working out, missing regular meals, etc. ) How else are you to control your Diabetes if u don't test I'll never understand. My mom was T2 for 40 odd years n she tested at odd points in the day for 30 odd years till her control was enough that a random test always came back normal (she never was on insulin or medication till her dying day).
 
Hypoglycaemia? You don't appear to be taking any medication that would cause this..
There's more chance of being hit by a meteorite..!

Yes, get a meter. It's the blood sugar highs that need to be monitored which causes the long term damage.
Check out what some of the other type2's are doing regarding the reduction of carb & sugar in the diet to reduce the risk..

Have a great holiday!
 
@maggie b
You say your nurse would supply one if you want.
My advice would be to ask for one ASAP as the cheaper meter are by mail order and take time (strips ~£7/50 as opposed pharmacy ~£25/50)
and then obtain one such as the codefree soon!
As the risk of serious hypos will be low , but as a T2 on no meds you can go hypo at times (I do !) it will provide a bit of reassurance of how quicly you recover and the use of testing strips will help you help control your BG by diet.
Enjoy your holiday, and if you don't get the meter in time, don't worry, you'll be OK!
 
@FergusCrawford the nurse said I don't need one at the moment but if/when I do not to buy one as they provide them free of charge. Still going to enjoy my holiday I don't eat much carbs & was only told to cut out biscuits & cakes which I don't eat a lot of & just to try & get my weight down which I am doing.
 
@maggie b ,

Did yer nurse also mention anything about natural sugars in fruit & such derivative..? Or the starchy carbs in potatoes?
Bread, pasta..??

I would be inclined to agree with @FergusCrawford on the meter. But in regards to seeing what your diet is doing to drive your blood sugars high.. ;)
 
@Jaylee
The only thing the nurse told me was to cut out sugar in tea which i don't take any way i use sweeteners was told that's fine told to cut out cakes & biscuits which i don't really eat much of so can easily cut them out all together. She asked if i eat much pasta,rice & potatoes again i don't i eat lots of chicken & salad (Love salad) even on holiday i eat chicken most nights with salad. I only drink alcohol when on holiday or at a social function which isn't often been told to use sugar free juice in my drink which i do not like so just a bit worried this would be a problem which is why i was asking about the monitor. Just so scary going to a foreign country after just been diagnosed on Monday as I'm not sure what i should be looking out for so really don't know what to do for the best.
 
Hi. No need to worry at all. You won't have a hypo with no meds. Just keep the carbs down on holiday as you would at home. The meter will guide you on what foods are affecting you. Alcohol is OK as it has little effect on blood sugar, so have a great holiday.
 
maggie b said:
@Jaylee
The only thing the nurse told me was to cut out sugar in tea which i don't take any way i use sweeteners was told that's fine told to cut out cakes & biscuits which i don't really eat much of so can easily cut them out all together. She asked if i eat much pasta,rice & potatoes again i don't i eat lots of chicken & salad (Love salad) even on holiday i eat chicken most nights with salad. I only drink alcohol when on holiday or at a social function which isn't often been told to use sugar free juice in my drink which i do not like so just a bit worried this would be a problem which is why i was asking about the monitor. Just so scary going to a foreign country after just been diagnosed on Monday as I'm not sure what i should be looking out for so really don't know what to do for the best.
Click to expand...

OK, sounds like standard no no's from nursie... ;)
Yer doin' well..! Still sugars in unsweetened fruit juice..

Alcohol? your on holiday, enjoy...

Think of the meter is a gauge as to what the carbs, sugars are doing to your blood levels.. It can help you get a better short term understanding day to day to how you react to certain foods, so when checkup time comes around you'll have a healthier HbA1c armed with this short term information... :cool:
 
Some people DO have hypos when they aren't diabetic, and are not on medication. But it is incredibly rare, and usually associated with something called reactive hypoglycaemia.

Basically, if you haven't ALREADY had a hypo, then you won't get one on holiday. :)

Just relax, enjoy yourself and eat sensibly (no sugar, cake, biscuits, deserts, and small portions of bread, potato, rice, pasta and fruit). You can fill up on veg, meat, fish, eggs, cheese instead, so you still feel full and don't feel you are missing out.

Enjoy your holiday.
 
Back
Top