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First time user(SD Codefree Meter)

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

wiseowl

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Good morning I have my first meter and want to do my firat test could you help please,I have my first 3 month assestment on thursday but would like to begin testing to day,I am very nervouse and suffer from chronic anxiety,what has prevented me from doing this before is that I am worried that my original blood test hasn't changed with my low carb diet and exercise,it is the SD codefree neter full of bits and pieces ,Thank you

Capture.JPG Meter.JPG

Sorry about the questions but is this worth buying.

capture-jpg.21501
 
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wiseowl said:
Good morning I have my first meter and want to do my firat test could you help please,I have my first 3 month assestment on thursday but would like to begin testing to day,I am very nervouse and suffer from chronic anxiety,what has prevented me from doing this before is that I am worried that my original blood test hasn't changed with my low carb diet and exercise,it is the SD codefree neter full of bits and pieces ,Thank you

Sorry about the questions but is this worth buying.

me
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Hi Wise Owl...I would say the SD Codefree Meter is really simple to use...and much more economical than the one you have featured above (Accu-Check)...the cost of testing strips is about £8 for fifty...as opposed to others which can cost as much as £20-25 ...try this link thttps://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose ...it sounds like you are doing all the right things to manage your diabetes...understandable you will be nervous...particularly with your first review coming up...but...you can only do your best...and your test will give you an average of your blood sugars over the last two to three months... I use the meter daily to check on my BG levels...which gives me an indication of how the foods I eat/my activity affect my blood sugars...it has helped me manage my diabetes more effectively...once you start testing...you'll be amazed at how simple it is to use...it is a matter of personal choice...many health care professionals do not recommend testing for T2 diabetes and do not supply meters...I would say testing and the advice I have received on this forum has been invaluable in the management of my diabetes...good luck...and keep us updated.
 
Hi Wiseowl The downside I can see for the Accu check is that the cassettes of 50 test strips cost around £29 , compared to around £8 for the SD Codefree strips .
It is perfectly normal to be concerned about your first few reviews especially when you've had no guidence from regular daily testing.
You've cut your carbs and exersized , I would be exceedingly supprised if your Hb1ac had not greatly improved.
 
Thank you all I keep getting is E-! error
 
wiseowl said:
Thank you all I keep getting is E-! error
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If I remember correctly, there's a section in the instruction book that tells you what all the error codes mean, that might help tell you what's going wrong. (Sorry can't be more help, I'd look it up only I'm not in the same place as my meter instructions at the moment.)
 
An error usually occurs if you don't have enough blood on the test strip.
 
I get E1 if not enough blood on strip. It's annoying to waste one but it happens.
 
Have just done a test am a little dissapointed after 3 months diet and exercise it reads 10.1
 
Did you wash your hands first.
Also you really don't know what your levels were running at before you started testing today, they could well have been much higher.
 
Morning all my friends and thank you for all your kind and friendly support,I forgot that as every morning I had porridge and bluberries about 2 hours before that,and I have already used 7 strips(6 messed up) and only have 3 left what a plonker I am.
 
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Thank you @Ljc I have just taken another test and the reading was 5.1(1pm)
 
wiseowl said:
Thank you @Ljc I have just taken another test and the reading was 5.1(1pm)
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That's an excellent reading. It sounds like you may need to reassess your breakfast porridge, it's a food that tends to divide people, some tolerate it well, and others have to steer clear of it because it raises their levels too much.
 
wiseowl said:
Thank you @Ljc I have just taken another test and the reading was 5.1(1pm)
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Wow...good number wiseowl...spot on.!!...agree with Robin...maybe ditch the porridge.
 
When I got mine CodeFree I got a pack of 50 strips at the same time. I got errors on some. Not enough blood I think.
 
wiseowl said:
Have just done a test am a little dissapointed after 3 months diet and exercise it reads 10.1
Click to expand...
Hi Wiseowl. I had two hba1c tests three months apart (different to the one you have done which is the fasting blood glucose) and mine went from 42 to 43. I had cut the carbs and thought I had done really well and was terribly disappointed.

I was put on a Diabetes Prevention Programme and had it tested again in september to see if I was eligible (i.e. not diabetic as I would have had to have been sent back to my GP) and it the hba1c had reduced. Maybe three months is not that long and things will improve later if you persevere.

I should add though that I am not yet diabetic, just deemed as "high risk." We will have to wait and see what happens when they check again in April.

Good luck, hope things improve for you.
 
Good afternoon @Robin I will ditch the porridge but the only other breakfast I like is 1 poached egg on 1 slice wholemeal toast,I shall have to find something else to chew over🙂
 
You could try Burgen bread. It's a seeded wholemeal sliced loaf but lower carb than regular wholemeal.
 
I wasted so many strips when I first started testing too! Judging the right amount of blood needed is still challenging to me. A pin head is amount to aim for and warm hands help a quicker flow.

Getting a 5 is great, it shows your diet control is working. As others said your porridge was overload so experiment as you can now test. Try a smaller portion of plain porridge, porridge made with full fat milk, porridge made with soya or hazelnut milk etc. It maybe the combination of berries, porridge and generous portion is overload. I usually have boiled eggs or cooked breakfast as I dislike porridge and ordinary cereals are too sugary.

I sometimes do fasting so don't eat after lunch till the next day. I have found it surprisingly easy!!!
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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