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Type 2 Life

@debrasue - Wow, that is disgusting! You know what I would do - buy a new meter every time I ran out of test strips which included test strips at that price. Amazon.co.uk are pretty decent for this. As I explained to @Cumberland I had bought my Contour Next as I could put in Insulin etc, and I just git test strips/Lancets on prescription (free), but then over a year ago got letter from my practise saying that I would have to buy my strips/lancets OR use their GlucoRx Nexus and get free strips/lancets - so I accepted theirs. But, that's only because I use Insulin (and Metformin too) that I got offered it. William x
 
Yes, I did ask, but unfortunately my practice won't prescribe a meter, strips or anything else. The GP I see is the senior one at the practice and I think he took a very dim view of my decision not to accept his Rx for Metformin upon my diagnosis, hence his decision not to prescribe the testing equipment.
He told me that I don't need to test anyway, If you're not on medication you're certainly a very low priority at my practice! (He hasn't bothered referring me to the dietician or any of the other services available yet - 3½ months since my diagnosis. But that's OK, as I don't want them anyway.)
 
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@debrasue - I can see an awful lot of type 2 Diabetic's not buying meters etc because of the cost, and their diabetes getting out of control through not testing and then it will cost the NHS for treatments of complications. William x
 
I remember when I was in hospital the first time after my diabetes diagnosis, the nurses were shocked that I didn't regularly test my blood. But how do you know if your diabetes is under control? was the common question. My surgery only do a routine HbA1c once yearly and I'm certainly not going to wait that long to see if my control is good. Back then I hadn't found this forum, was following nhs advice to eat carbs with every meal, was gaining weight and felt lethargic a lot of the time. Now I know why! I couldn't be without my meter(s)
 
@debrasue - Can I ask why you refused Metformin? But you do have some very good fasting blood sugars on a morning. And are they just as good during the day too? William x
 
liam1955 said:
@debrasue - I can see an awful lot of type 2 Diabetic's not buying meters etc because of the cost, and their diabetes getting out of control through not testing and then it will cost the NHS for treatments of complications. William x
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I totally agree with you, William.
I know that I'm privileged to be able to afford to buy the testing equipment myself, but there are many others who are not so fortunate. As you rightly say, that's going to put them in jeopardy and the NHS under considerable strain in the future. With all the hype in the media about a rising diabetes 'epidemic', it's alarming to consider where this is leading.......
 
@debrasue - @13lizanne - Anna, when I was diagnosed 16 years ago I was not given a Meter. It was some 4 months later when I attended a 1 day lecture at the Hospital ran by a Specialist Diabetic Nurse and was told there is no such thing as 'borderline' diabetes and WE ALL should be testing blood sugars and I bought my first meter then and it cost £10.00 complete with 25 test strips and 25 Lancets and the codes to have them on repeat prescription and free.
My Mother had Type 2 for 20 years and it was only when I cared for her for the 9 years that I got a meter on prescription and her Diabetes was better controlled than it had ever been. A meter is an absolute must and the most important and vital piece of any Diabetics kit. And this is what I always say to any newbie that joins this forum = get a meter and take control. William xx
 
liam1955 said:
@debrasue - Can I ask why you refused Metformin? But you do have some very good fasting blood sugars on a morning. And are they just as good during the day too? William x
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I refused it because I already take meds for a couple of other conditions (arthritis and high blood pressure) and I didn't want to simply add to my daily chemical intake without trying other options first (such as diet).
I was fortunate to find this website very quickly after my diagnosis - within 24 hours - so I wanted to give LCHF a try before meekly swallowing a drug which my research was telling me had some very undesirable side-effects! (I need little provocation to lapse into 'the trots' at the best of times!! )
And I'm very glad I discovered LCHF, because my BG levels responded amazingly quickly - within just a few days - and have remained pretty stable in the 5s and mid-6s ever since. My highest level since adopting LCHF has been an 8.1, and that was from "testing" a piece of chocolate cake during our family Birthday Week holiday in March. ('Testing', my ar*e! I was determined to have it and to hell with the consequences! )
 
debrasue said:
Is it only 90 days? My readings seem to go back to number 300 or more...........
And do you know of any way of switching it off before you have to go back through them all, Ron? Thanks!
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You can install the app and download the readings to your PC

I printed out the graph (first page of print results) for the doc ... he was well impressed
 
I agree with this 100%, William.
How on earth can you 'control' anything if you have no means of testing what it is you're trying to control?
Ludicrous.......
 
@magsiesss - Hello - please do join in the topic of conversation. What is your views?
 
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I have to admit to being compliant with the meds and diet advice given when I was diagnosed in 2006 Back then that was the procedure, people weren't offered 3 months to try to reduce BS It was straight on to the meds. My doc thinks my type 2 was caused by years of cortisol flooding my body I.e the stresses of looking after a profoundly disabled child 24/7 including interrupted/ lack of sufficient sleep. I wasn't particularly overweight and no genetic indicators. I didn't read anything on diabetes then because of aforementioned looking after child and just followed the party line. What a revelation when I found this forum and started to study diabetes here and online generally. I can't believe I ate carbs for all of these years without my type 2 becoming worse. I count myself blessed
 
Whereas I believe Heredity did play a part in my Diabetes: Both Grandmothers had Type 2 for 20 years, my Mother had Type 2 for 20 years, my younger Brother who is 50 has had it 20 years and then me for 16 years. But, I also think? Because I used Steriod based creams for 25 years on my skin for Psoriasis, use Steroid based Inhalers for Asthma these must have contributed to it coming out in me. William xx
Right, so now I am going to move my lazy a**e and get on with chores, will chat with you later on.
 
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I prefer accu-chek. I trust their result compared to how I'm feeling.
 
In my view the NHS don't give you meters because they want to control you they want to be the ones telling you what to do when to do it and so on.
 
I'm wondering if they plan on giving ALL diabetics that meter to make it fair.
I would share my meter if it would help someone but you carnt share the strips.
They aren't 100% accurate anyway.
I would forfeit my prefered meter if ALL diabetics were going to be offered strips.
Afterall we're in it together.
 

I bought a codefree as my GP said only to do 3 spot checks a week which I don't think is anything like enough for me particularly as GP wanted me to experiment with a much wider range of foods. Yes the codefree did give higher readings but I chose to keep going with it. I've just had one totally rouge reading last night, 2 hours after food 2.3 so washed hands again and retested 4.9 which I felt was normal for me. With the test strips a third of the price I feel comfortable in experimenting.
 
tina_marie said:
In my view the NHS don't give you meters because they want to control you they want to be the ones telling you what to do when to do it and so on.
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I think some gps are like that. Mine isn't. He likes me independant and making a difference. Dn knows how independant I am but she is there if I need her.
I only bother hospital if I'm in danger. They have sooo many patients who know nothing. I gleem her advice and knowledge of her years and years of seeing others improve or get worse. Test strips carnt do that. Like these forums are more valuable than test strips but without my test strips I'd be relying on my feelings and size of my pupil. Yes. My pupil being enlarged is a sign of high sugar. Small pupil is low sugar. For me.
Now that only works on the principle of what your body feels is a high sugar and your not looking at your pupil in bright light or dark room. (Normal/ average daylight or artifical light.
Have a look for yourself.
 
I use a bayer contour next usb meter as I have used all the rest of the meters and this one is more accurate and I got it free from Bayer you get 25 test strips and 25 lancets and it has a rechargeable battery inside it and you can order the plug for it and you get everything else off the Internet that you need and the battery life is around 6 months or so with a memory of 2000 tests and you can log insulin and carbs with it as well and you can even do night testing with the night light that is built in
 
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