Comments on: Why Testing Matters (Use It or Lose It)

By: Shaking my fist at diabetes « My journey with AIDS

Shaking my fist at diabetes « My journey with AIDS — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:55:48 +0000

[...] P.S. Suspicious as I am of potential spam, I’m pleased to say that I found a very useful article on the rationale for glucose monitoring by following the first comment here to Amy’s site. [...]

By: Kenn Chaplin

Kenn Chaplin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:50:11 +0000

I appreciate this information so much. I have been in the habit of testing first thing in the morning, taking my meds, and ignoring my meter until the next morning – so I like the idea of checking to see how my snack and meal choices affect my levels. The way you put it makes so much sense (but I’m glad I’m not the only one who has had a huge question mark over my head)

By: Bonny C Damocles

Bonny C Damocles — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:02:44 +0000

Testing does not matter to me anymore. It used to when I was newly-diagnosed as a t2d in July 1991. My diagnosis fasting sugar reading was 468 mg/dl.

My only t2d medication has always been exercise. Of course, I have to eat only heart-healthy foods, mostly carbohydrates. And I must always make sure that I strictly follow healthy habits, like having enough sleep, drinking adequate clean water, seeing our family physician, family dentist, family opthalmologist, and cardiologist on a regular basis.

After more than 16 years using exercise as my only t2d medication, I am seeing great improvement in my health. Every time I test which is on average about once every 3 days (have to use up 25 strips in 90 days) I get a normal reading.

By: Gene

Gene — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:30:49 +0000

I have to agree with Jillian here. It seems to be a very small study with little value. What were the endpoints of this study–feelings of “intrusiveness”?? Well, those little lancets can be a tab intrusive, I suppose.

Drawing meaningful conclusions from this study for the diabetic population as a whole would be obvious folly.

By: Anna

Anna — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 07:05:39 +0000

Nice post

By: whimsy2

whimsy2 — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:57:42 +0000

Excellent post, Amy!

I’ve had type 1 LADA for 10+years now and I still need to test 10x every day — before each meal so I know how much insulin to take (I don’t pump but I use the same system – insulin matched to carbs with fast-acting insulin). And I test 1 and 2 hours afterwards to see how I did. That way, next time I have that meal I’ll know if an adjustment needs to be made.

Then of course I DO test before and after exercise. And before I go to bed. And when I get up in the a.m. And if I feel funny. I use an average of 10 strips a day and thank goodness for my job which covers 90% of strips cost. I think more people would test more often if strips weren’t so exhorbitant. And if more people were told what to do with the results of their BG test, as you so aptly blogged.

By: Glucoholic

Glucoholic — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:25:18 +0000

I think that doctors dealing with newly diagnosed Type 2s see such a hard road to getting patients to do the most basic of things that it might lead them to say “If testing makes the patient somehow feel they have failed, and that feeling leads to less compliance in other areas, then I’ll take my chances with less testing.”

My physician asks me first thing every four months “Are you taking your medications?” I sometimes ask why he needs to do this every single time and he relates to me that large numbers of his patients do not take their prescribed medications.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:14:46 +0000

Yeah. Doctors who haven’t lived with diabetes can miss the real story. I’ve been type 1 for 24 years now, and there was a period of 6-7 years (adolescence) where I didn’t test much. It’s just soooooooo soooooo so obvious to me that life with glucose regulation via frequent testing is the only way to go. It’s not even worth studying. Yeah, there were times when it wasn’t easy, when the obsessing and worrying over all my BGs made me unhappy, but that’s just a temporary phase. How many great piano players or doctors or whatever didn’t go through some level of frustration with their training? It’s just part of growing.

Ask any type 1 what it’s like to go for a jog with a blood sugar of 100, 200, or 300. We don’t need a controlled study to know what feels right for the body. Of course, someone who is chronically 200 wouldn’t know what it’s like, because they have no idea what ‘normal’ is supposed to feel like.

The body can get used to the feeling of chronically high blood sugars, in the same way that it can get used to the feeling of always having alcohol in it’s system. Getting your blood sugars in good control is like getting clean, and it’s likely to be just as much of a struggle to get to that point.

By: Felix Kasza

Felix Kasza — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:53:27 +0000

The study dealth with type 2 NIDDM — treatment was through diet, exercise, and oral meds.

It is absolutely true that BG monitoring at home is perfectly useless in this scenario; it’s not as if one could pop another pill if one’s BG were too high.

I don’t see what all the hue and cry is about.

Cheers,
Felix.

By: carol

carol — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:51:12 +0000

I was a late (slow) onset Type 1. They tried me on oral meds, which worked for about 6 months (now I know that was the honeymoon). During that time I didn’t check my blood sugar very often either because it seemed there was nothing I could do about it. Now, I make decisions many times a day based on my readings (using my insulin pump), and would feel naked without my meter. All depends on what you do with the info, if anything. BG numbers, like any other numbers are pointless unless used to make decisions.