• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

blood sugar monitoring

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Natalie123

Natalie123

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Pronouns
She/They
Hi All, just a little question based on a post I added to another thread earlier. I am feeling really guilty today and rather panicky for some reason. I just want to run away and hide, all because of my blood sugars and this rather minor problem:

I am rubbish at recording my sugar levels, I test 4 - 10 times a day but rarely write them down because I hate spending time dwelling over my sugar levels. I tend to remember my levels over a couple of days and adjust my doses in my head which isn't really very sensible - it is usually a guessing game! I keep trying to motivate myself but the most I manage is a week but usually only a few days before I get annoyed and give up to "take a break" and then never get back into it again.

The other reason I don't bother is that my diary is very basic and hasn't got enough room for all the info I need. It has before meals and 2 hours after meals. I tend to spike at 1/2 hr - 1hr and I don't check at set times after meals so I need a diary that is bigger and more flexible. I have tried making my own but just over complicate things and tie myself in knots, get upset and give up! Does any one have a spreadsheet or a diary that they could send me / recommend?

I feel really guilty going to get a cgm fitted tomorrow because I don't feel I deserve it so I really need to turn over a new leaf!
 
Can you not just plug your meter into your computer? Most meters have software for this purpose 🙂
 
Yeah, I've tried that but it gets confused with which readings are pre and post meal etc and it makes me very confused!! I am thinking about getting a new meter with better software. I also don't have a printer so can't print things out!
 
Natalie, do you have an iPhone/iTouch or any other smartphone? Luke has a nice little app which he got for free on his iPhone that made putting in his results very easy. We had a rubbish book too, and didn't have enough space for everything. Granted he doesn't use the app everytime (as with my thread about this lack of testing) but it definitely made life easier over writing.
 
I use a my own spreadsheet, its catered toward dafne, so recording things like QA (quick acting-bolus dose), BI (slow acting - basal dose, CP (carb portions).......

It quite straight forward.......I unit of insulin deals with 10 g of carbs, then you can apply the insulin carb ratio to that.....

do you want me to send it..........
 
novorapidboi, is the 1 unit for 10g carbs a general rule or is that just for how your body processes the carbs and insulin?
 
We have an A5 note book so we can use as much space as we need.

You could maybe get an A5 or A4 page a day desk diary and just fill in things at whatever tiem you do them.

Rob
 
Novo- If you could send it to me that would be great! Thanks. I will pm you my email address
 
Ren said:
novorapidboi, is the 1 unit for 10g carbs a general rule or is that just for how your body processes the carbs and insulin?
Click to expand...

I believe its a general rule...........however...........insulin resistance effect this too.....

For breakfast, I need 3 units for every 10g, therefore giving me a ratio of 3:1.......the remainder of the day I need 1.5 units for every 10g......

So the 10g is basically the starting point for anyone just starting off with carb counting.......
 
Ren said:
Natalie, do you have an iPhone/iTouch or any other smartphone? Luke has a nice little app which he got for free on his iPhone that made putting in his results very easy. We had a rubbish book too, and didn't have enough space for everything. Granted he doesn't use the app everytime (as with my thread about this lack of testing) but it definitely made life easier over writing.
Click to expand...
Ren, I don't have one :( My boyfriend has an ipod that he can get apps on, do you think I could get it on there or does it need to be an iphone?
 
Natalie123 said:
Novo- If you could send it to me that would be great! Thanks. I will pm you my email address
Click to expand...

Ok, it suits me fine but might not suit you......if you have any problems just let me know........
 
I will do, thanks 🙂
 
I made a spreadsheet for myself as well, so I could record all the details I wanted. The meter upload software I have keeps records of the BGs just fine, but that's all and I wanted to record food and exercise as well, amongst other things.
 
I use a diary that I get free from Accuchek - got a whole collection of them now! They also allow me to note down all sorts of stuff in addition to the levels and insulin doses, as described in my Blog Week entry 'Dear Diary' 🙂

http://diabetespoetry.blogspot.com/2011/05/diabetes-blog-week-day-2-dear-diary.html

Definitely worth getting into the habit, and writing things down is the quickest and easiest way - no technology needed except a working ballpoint pen! You can also look through it quickly at a glance - no loading things up or menus etc. In addition, I periodically upload my readings to the computer so I can see longer term trends.
 
its the only way to go really, in order to make the right adjustment to insulin you need to know when carbs have went in, as well as insulin, times of exercise, so on and so forth...........:D
 
Okay, I just wondered because Luke has insulin sensitivity. I can't recall the numeber we estimated was his for carb counting, have to look through the books again.

If your boyfriend has the ability to put apps on his iPod it will be an iTouch and this means you can put some fantastic free diabetes apps onto there. Hay, you could even get the Carbs & Cals app (?3.99), which is so handy.
 
Ren said:
Okay, I just wondered because Luke has insulin sensitivity. I can't recall the numeber we estimated was his for carb counting, have to look through the books again.

If your boyfriend has the ability to put apps on his iPod it will be an iTouch and this means you can put some fantastic free diabetes apps onto there. Hay, you could even get the Carbs & Cals app (?3.99), which is so handy.
Click to expand...

In an ideal world everyone would need 1 unit of analogue insulin to process 10g, but that's not the case sadly, I do know some people on a 1:1 all day, and even less than that, 0.5 units for every 10g.

Luke may well be on something different from the 1:1 but he may also have different ratios throughout the day that he may not be aware of.....

There are lots of good apps out there for the apple devices, DAFNE have one which is really good, possibly coming to android soon, but for me personally, writing it down is the only way to make effective decisions when they are needed most, I can then transfer my numbers online and print them off all neat and tidy for the nurses/consultants.......
 
I figured as much. We'll just have to do some more experimentation. Thanks for the help!

Natalie, you could also wait until the Diabetes UK app comes out, looks like it'll do everything you need it to.
 
where can you find out info on the diabetes uk app.....
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top