Any diabetics on Yaris World?

[fluke_boy]

Originally Posted by jjonrofl

Have you tried meters with smaller blood samples? that way, you can subsequently use a lighter prick and not "milk" as much for blood.

Or, have you tried in your arm? I tried once. Didn't work for me, but works for others

Sorry for this late reply - I was informed by a nurse that they discourage blood sampling from the arm as it isn't "accurate" enough. As for meters with smaller blood samples - like which ones? And are the meters and strips cheap or cheaper?

As an aside, I've noticed that the skin on my right fingertips seem to be thicker than on the left fingertips so I tend to click on 4 out of the 1 to 5 settings on the pin pricker. Any less and I draw no blood or just too less of an amount to test.

[127.0.0.1]

Originally Posted by fluke_boy

Sorry for this late reply - I was informed by a nurse that they discourage blood sampling from the arm as it isn't "accurate" enough. As for meters with smaller blood samples - like which ones? And are the meters and strips cheap or cheaper?

As an aside, I've noticed that the skin on my right fingertips seem to be thicker than on the left fingertips so I tend to click on 4 out of the 1 to 5 settings on the pin pricker. Any less and I draw no blood or just too less of an amount to test.

1) arm isn't accurate enough for 'brittle' diabetics whose blood sugar can fluctuate rapidly and wildly.
fingertips have more circulation...hence, more accurate gauge of current blood load and what you just ate.
many nurses (I find) don't know a lot though unless they are (1) diabetic and (2) have an A1c like mine. YOU need
to teach yourself what works for YOU.

how do I know this ? If I listened to, and did what the nurses told me initially, I'd have complications by now and an
A1c of 8 or higher. certain doom. Instead, I read books and test myself, and now all anyone can say to me
is: keep doing whatever it is you are doing, and by the way need any prescriptions filled ?

2) you can get a cheap 18 dollar one-touch meter that takes a tiny sample
and reports results in 5 seconds. you can also buy a 100 dollar one-touch meter.
all you need is the number, so go with the cheap meter. the strip is the thing
calculating glucose, the meter just displays the number based on the galvanic reading
from ferrocyanide.

3) NO strips are cheap. average price is 80 bucks for box of 100. that is just how it is.
there is 'science' going on in the strip, not the meter.

4) all strips are 'somewhat' inaccurate. the closer to normal your blood glucose is, the more accurate the strip will be. if you get a wild reading you might need to wipe and dry the finger and squeeze another drop and use another strip to be sure, and if that 2nd reading is different, burn a 3rd strip.

yes it costs to use strips, but it is cheaper than dialysis later in life, knowwhutImean ?

5) the pinkies seem to have the best blood flow. I use the sides of my pinkies after washing in warm water. max blood. ring finger next. some nutbags use the other side of the finger, below the fingernail and above the knuckle. you get blood there but I am not poking that side. to each his own.

6) some medical plans pay the most for the strips (mine does) so I can get prescribed 6-8 test strips a day, doesn't cost me much, get a boatload of boxes of strips in the mail, and I can test my self to death if I want I will never run out. That is how I can run 5.6 A1c. I test a lot.

------
All anyone who is diabetic really needs to worry about is 4 things:
have test strips, have insulin, have needle tips, have lancets.

oh yes you bet it is more complicated than that, but once you get
the routine down, it becomes second nature and then all you worry about
are the 4 things above.

***type 2 may be different. taking any other drug(s)
other than the steroid 'insulin' throws a huge monkey wrench in the mix
and how to manage it and whatnot...hopefully hard exercise can get
you normalized.

[jjonrofl]

127.0.0.1- wow, your A1cs are seriously in the 5s? Are you low like, always?

[127.0.0.1]

Originally Posted by jjonrofl

127.0.0.1- wow, your A1cs are seriously in the 5s? Are you low like, always?

my a1c's are as stated
----
low ?
yes no maybe sorta

I hit the 50's at lot if I don't eat all day, and need to top off

it is common for me wake up at night and have to munch 3 or 4 tabs
usually after a killer bike ride (I race bicycles)

I'd rather do that than have an a1c any higher.
want to live a long time and be a cranky old fart
I got the cranky, the fart, I want to increase the 'old'

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by jjonrofl

127.0.0.1- wow, your A1cs are seriously in the 5s? Are you low like, always?

There are two calibration methods for measuring blood sugar one is where 5-7 is considered normal the other where 100-120 is considered normal.Up here in Montreal the 5-7 is the measurement is used,down in Florida my Dad has the 100-120 measurement system

[CTScott]

Have any of you type 1's tried continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)? My wife uses a MiniMed pump and in December started using their CGM system. It requires you to insert a second device (a sensor which sends data wirelessly to the pump). It takes a reading every 5 minutes and alarms when you are over or under user settable alarm values. She was finding it to be pretty accurate (within 10 points of her meter value as long as she wasn't rising or dropping too quickly). Unfortunately though last week she decided to stop using it, since within 8 hours of inserting the sensor, her site would get unbearably itchy.

[POORSHA]

Checking in type 2 found out 4 years ago. Med and lifestyle seem to keep it in check.

[127.0.0.1]

If i popped a 6 or higher I would freak out and do anything and everything to make it lower.
6 is far too high in my opinion. -I- -do- -not- -want- complications later in life.

[SAV912]

Originally Posted by 127.0.0.1

If i popped a 6 or higher I would freak out and do anything and everything to make it lower.
6 is far too high in my opinion. -I- -do- -not- -want- complications later in life.

Six is not anywhere near too high. Hell, the avg human with a perfectly normal pancreas usually hovers between high 5s and low 6s. When I was diagnosed and brought into the ER, my fasting BG was 978. When a normal human is suppose to be anywhere between 80-120, THAT'S scary.

-SAV

[Thirty-Nine]

Type 2 here; diagnosed in 1999.

[BailOut]

Just to add to 127.0.0.1's great explanation of the different types of diabetes on page 1, obesity will inevitably lead to diabetes type II.

This is because the human pancreas completes its growth late in the teen years and never grows any more. It can only produce so much insulin during each 24 hour period. Yet as you gain weight your body's "container" continues to grow and contains more blood. The more blood you have the more diluted the insulin is within it, and the less effective it is. The more carbohydrates (sugar is a carbohydrate, for those that don't know) one intakes each day the more this problem is compounded exponentially.

The good news is that it is correctable and much of the damage this does to your body's systems is reversible.

Of course, the much better option is to avoid getting into that position in the first place.

[127.0.0.1]

Originally Posted by BailOut

Just to add to 127.0.0.1's great explanation of the different types of diabetes on page 1, obesity will inevitably lead to diabetes type II.

incorrect. it is not inevitable. it is due to a genetic pre-disposition.

a very large number of obese people are completely non-diabetic and never will be.

in fact, the majority will never have a diabetes problem.

the large majority of type 2 are obese, however

[Thirty-Nine]

Originally Posted by 127.0.0.1

incorrect. it is not inevitable. it is due to a genetic pre-disposition.

a very large number of obese people are completely non-diabetic and never will be.

in fact, the majority will never have a diabetes problem.

the large majority of type 2 are obese, however

Since realizing I had diabetes, I lost about 35 lbs. (went from 185/180 to 150/145-ish).

As of late, one of the more frustrating things has been a higher blood sugar reading in the morning. I've been around 120-130 most mornings. Most of my other readings are between 80-120, though. (I'm not on insulin or meds; just diet/exercise)

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by Thirty-Nine

Since realizing I had diabetes, I lost about 35 lbs. (went from 185/180 to 150/145-ish).

As of late, one of the more frustrating things has been a higher blood sugar reading in the morning. I've been around 120-130 most mornings. Most of my other readings are between 80-120, though. (I'm not on insulin or meds; just diet/exercise)

It's amazing what diet/exercise can do for a type 2. I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic two years ago, as my fasting BG was 114-120. Shortly thereafter, I started taking Tang Soo Do Karate classes 4 days per week with my daughter. With just adding that exercise (and not changing my diet), within six months my fasting BG was under 100.

[127.0.0.1]

Originally Posted by CTScott

It's amazing what diet/exercise can do for a type 2. I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic two years ago, as my fasting BG was 114-120. Shortly thereafter, I started taking Tang Soo Do Karate classes 4 days per week with my daughter. With just adding that exercise (and not changing my diet), within six months my fasting BG was under 100.

for some type 1 like I have... I don't ride the bike for a week, my morning FBS may be 100

I ride like I normally do, morning FBS is usually 70-84

[Thirty-Nine]

Originally Posted by CTScott

It's amazing what diet/exercise can do for a type 2. I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic two years ago, as my fasting BG was 114-120. Shortly thereafter, I started taking Tang Soo Do Karate classes 4 days per week with my daughter. With just adding that exercise (and not changing my diet), within six months my fasting BG was under 100.

Absolutely 100% spot on. Which is one reason I need to get out from behind this computer and go for a run.

[jjonrofl]

Originally Posted by BailOut

Just to add to 127.0.0.1's great explanation of the different types of diabetes on page 1, obesity will inevitably lead to diabetes type II.

Ignorant comment. Not everyone who is obese is a type 2 diabetic; not everyone who is obese will be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. One is at a much higher risk level if he is overweight or has a sedentary life style, but it is often genetic predispositions which are the key factor in a diagnosis.

[MUSKOKA800]

Type II, diagnosed 11 years ago at age 43.
I've tidied up my diet and take a cocktail of pills to control my sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol. Current thinking is that all should have the numbers of a healthy 18 year old, hence the low dosages of blood pressure and cholesterol med’s.
Thank goodness we have two drug plans. I deplete the $1000.00 per year on mine around Sept. then switch over to my wife’s plan for the balance of the year.