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Testing blood

Blessedarethecheesemakers

Well-Known Member
Messages
161
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi, I'm newly diagnosed type 2 and have been low carbing since diagnosis in early October and feel great on it. Today I had my first diabetes check with the nurse in my GP practice and it went ok (my hba1c was down from 5.9 to 5.7 although my cholesterol is a bit high; my feet were fine). But - she pretty much scoffed at the fact that I fingerprick test my blood. She asked how often I do it and i explained I do it occasionally in the morning to see how my fasting glucose is doing (It was 6.2 on my postnatal GTT but is now between 4.8 and 5.5) and then sometimes 2 hours after meals (like I did in pregnancy) in order to see what effect different foods have. She said that it was people on insulin that needed to test, and when I explained about trying t work out what foods worked for me she said "but that only gives you your blood sugar at that one moment". Which is of course true, but i'm testing at that one money for a reason. I found this all quite unconstructive given I am actively trying to keep my sugars low through diet. Am I wrong to be testing? (I bought the codefree meter btw, following links on here - I'm not prescribed it or strips).
 
No keep testing is the simple answer. Obviously it only gives a snapshot but enough of those snapshots allows you to control your diabetes rather than vice versa. I don't get the snapshot argument as someone on insulin unless on CGM is just getting one too , surely? I find it disingenuous to be told no need to test at same time as berating type 2s for poor control.
 
Hi, welcome. You're right, she's wrong. Keep doing what you're doing.
 
I agree. Keep testing out your meals. Your nurse is wrong and what she said is totally illogical.

Welcome to the forum by the way! You seem to be doing very well.
 
You need to test. Simply ignore nursey and test. Your right. Your future health and well-being will benefit from good control of your bg
 
the UK cost savings sounds like they are becoming a belief, here is australia, a T2 is told to and encouraged to test.
it's a cheap, cost:benefit for those that do.
9 mths down the road I'm testing 25-30 times a month, to check on things..a few of a morning, a few before tea and the rest testing meals
 
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Whenever I reduce or stop testing, my BG numbers start to rise. Only a bit. But it is cumulative.
Carb creep.

Stick with it.
You'll thank yourself in years to come.
 
Thank you all so much for your comments - I feel gratified that I'm on the right track with what I'm doing. I'll keep testing!
 
Blessedarethecheesemakers said:
Thank you all so much for your comments - I feel gratified that I'm on the right track with what I'm doing. I'll keep testing!
Click to expand...
Sadly It's an alarmingly common theme, some diabetic nurses are very pompous and pious. They have guidelines to work to, which is without doubt in my mind delaying sufferers from getting to grips with their condition.

Definitely keep testing, maybe you will test less after you know what affects you, but in the meantime it is the consensus of many sufferers and many forum members to "eat to your meter" ...it works.
 
I have been told not to test,the nurse tells me I dont need to,she is not a diabetic nurse,and is not intrested in listening to anything,I only see her to get my results
I have got all my information and help from this forum,and I have gone from 58 to 46 since June.
Testing has motivated me to eat to my meter,and it dosent take long to find out what you can and cant eat,pasta is a realy bad one for me.
Welcome to the forum.
 
Yes - if I wasn't testing I wouldn't have been able to work out that pasta (or indeed anything grain based, however small the quantities) is a disaster for me, whereas potato isn't bad. (I'm still avoiding potato but it's good to know that it doesn't do too much harm).
 

That's brilliant, " if you can see it you can manage it"

Similarly and Oddly enough I can get away with half a portion of chippy chips, battered haddock, and or 2 medium well roasted spuds but not boiled, mashed, or any pasta, grain, rice etc . bread I can do x1 thin slice, Breakfast cereal in any serving size spikes me. Chocolate a max of 15g at higher than 75%which is a shame, because I'm not keen on dark chocolate.

I only know this because I took notice of what members said on here and bought a code free meter. Im only only saying it again in the hope someone else notices.
 
Through using my meter religiously, I know I can manage a few chips, a battered chippy fish (no chips with it), 2 roast spuds, one slice of seeded bread but not two slices, and a portion of mushy peas or garden peas. It has meant that rather than cutting out all my favourite foods and feeling deprived (therefore likely to fall off the waggon), I can manage some of them with portion control and am much more likely to sustain this diet for life, which is the aim.
 
You're a cheap meal out then Mrs B
 
Hi blessed, I have to admit it's my meter that keeps me on the safe and narrow. I still test even if I already know if certain foods are okay. I think once I stop testing things will slide..... That said I have also found that combinations of food are important also... I can't eat bread in any form without spiking but I have found that a slice of fried bread is okay.... so it's lovely to have a treat like that ocassionally
 
Ooh fried bread... Y I remember when I first had gestational diabetes, I could eat 2 slices of burgen bread piled with soft cheese and smoked salmon without problems, but I couldn't eat the same bread with just bitter. And I remember the consultant at the hospital diabetic clinic being surprised at this, which made me realise I really did need to take matters into my own hands.
 
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