Blood glucose testing

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Type 1 toddler

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Type 1
Okay so here goes.
Yesterday at the clinic we were given a new accu-chek metre for our daughter which can tell the insulin required instead of a sheet but we still have to use the freestyle metre to check ketones if her levels are too high has anyone else had this? It's new and quite annoying but I think because it is new it's quite daunting but is it nessarry as I do feel I was doing fine with the way we were checking blood before?
 
It's new to you, but by no means new, it saves you the trouble of doing the mental arithmetic - I mean if eg something is 43.7g carb and your ratio is 1u to 13g it's easier to let the Accu-Chek Expert meter do the maths rather than get the calculator out. The carb ratio and target range is pre-programed into the meter by you or your clinic, so if you need an adjustment of insulin up or down to cater for too high or too low BG pre eating, it calculates how much more or less you'll need - hence it's FAR more accurate.

I don't know what 'sheet' you are referring to unless it was something temporary that the hospital gave you to tide you over until you got into dose adjustment for the appropriate carb amounts

Because blood glucose and blood ketones are entirely different things, the same meter can't test them both or even if it can, there is one that does, you still have to use entirely different strips to do it.
 
trophywench said:
It's new to you, but by no means new, it saves you the trouble of doing the mental arithmetic - I mean if eg something is 43.7g carb and your ratio is 1u to 13g it's easier to let the Accu-Chek Expert meter do the maths rather than get the calculator out. The carb ratio and target range is pre-programed into the meter by you or your clinic, so if you need an adjustment of insulin up or down to cater for too high or too low BG pre eating, it calculates how much more or less you'll need - hence it's FAR more accurate.

I don't know what 'sheet' you are referring to unless it was something temporary that the hospital gave you to tide you over until you got into dose adjustment for the appropriate carb amounts

Because blood glucose and blood ketones are entirely different things, the same meter can't test them both or even if it can, there is one that does, you still have to use entirely different strips to do it.
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Which metre is it that does both would you happen to know @trophywench? And you are so amazing with the re assurance you give thank you maybe my brain is so foggy with preganancy or I'm just very slow either way everything new is very daunting in relation to diabetes and would u know anyone who has had a newborn with a recently diagnosed child I'm am so worried rn! Thank you for everything
 
Sorry, it's one I've never used whereas I have used the 'Expert' and the Freestyle ketone one.

I don't mix much with young mums I'm afraid - I'm a Great Grandma by now!

There is a specialist Facebook group - Google 'Children with diabetes' to find it, quite possibly some of those mums either are or will have been pregnant at the same time as having their toddler diagnosed T1.

Plus - have you bought the Ragnar Hanas book? Because you need to, it's not a medical textbook and it will answer quite a lot for all of you.
 
The Freestyle meter will check glucose as well, but you have to get different strips (in the blue wrappers). I don't think it has a bolus wizard though, the Accu-Chek makes it so much quicker to work out your doses because it does all the calculations for you. We've got both and find them very easy to use. Please try to persevere, you probably just don't like the change, it's a lot to take in! But if you can stick with it I think you will find it helpful.
 
I have the GlucoMen areo 2 k, which does both BG and Blood Ketones using separate strips.
 
In comparison to the number of times we have to test BG, unless we're ill or something else untoward is happening, we don't use ketone meters all that often, do we though?
 
We only test for ketones if blood sugar goes into the 20s, if there are ketones too then it's a good indication that the problem is pump or cannula related, if ketones are trace or only very mildly raised then it's probably just a random high that will come down again with a correction dose. Other than that only if daughter has got a tummy bug or something. So before we had the Libre we didn't habitually carry a ketone meter around with us, just used to leave it at home if we were only out for the day!
 
Thank you guys for your advice @Sally71 you are right I can't stand change I'm so ocd about things it makes life harder.
Because my daughter is three we were advised to check her ketones if her bloods are 14 or over and this happens quite a bit at night time last night it was 18 had to give a correction whilst she slept amazingly she didn't wake up I think it was what she ate and the time she took eating because her ketones were 0.
Plus all the fiddly cases and bits I've just put everything into a make up bag
 
trophywench said:
Sorry, it's one I've never used whereas I have used the 'Expert' and the Freestyle ketone one.

I don't mix much with young mums I'm afraid - I'm a Great Grandma by now!

There is a specialist Facebook group - Google 'Children with diabetes' to find it, quite possibly some of those mums either are or will have been pregnant at the same time as having their toddler diagnosed T1.

Plus - have you bought the Ragnar Hanas book? Because you need to, it's not a medical textbook and it will answer quite a lot for all of you.
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Yes I have the book the problem is not having time to read it I have scanned through a couple of pages
 
We’ve always had a separate a keytone meter. It’s just something else that is awkward at first, but soon becomes second nature.
 
@Bronco Billy Billy - tell me honestly, cos I do not know, about how frequently a small child ever strays into ketone territory, when he hasn't got a temperature, started scratching as the first spots of eg measles, rubella, chicken pox start to appear, just broken a bone etc?
 
Type 1 toddler said:
Okay so here goes.
Yesterday at the clinic we were given a new accu-chek metre for our daughter which can tell the insulin required instead of a sheet but we still have to use the freestyle metre to check ketones if her levels are too high has anyone else had this? It's new and quite annoying but I think because it is new it's quite daunting but is it nessarry as I do feel I was doing fine with the way we were checking blood before?
Click to expand...

One thought on this. The meters that are linked to our pumps have a Bolus wizard and it was easy for me to switch from the Injections to a pump as I was already used to the Avila Expert. I would encourage you to persevere and, not only could it make the calculations easier at the meal, but the meter also takes account of any insulin that is still active from an earlier injection. This avoids stacking of insulin.
 
Type 1 toddler said:
Okay so here goes.
Yesterday at the clinic we were given a new accu-chek metre for our daughter which can tell the insulin required instead of a sheet but we still have to use the freestyle metre to check ketones if her levels are too high has anyone else had this? It's new and quite annoying but I think because it is new it's quite daunting but is it nessarry as I do feel I was doing fine with the way we were checking blood before?
Click to expand...
Thanks for this. I had not realised that I could use my Freestyle to measure ketones.
I will follow this up.
 
SB2015 said:
One thought on this. The meters that are linked to our pumps have a Bolus wizard and it was easy for me to switch from the Injections to a pump as I was already used to the Avila Expert. I would encourage you to persevere and, not only could it make the calculations easier at the meal, but the meter also takes account of any insulin that is still active from an earlier injection. This avoids stacking of insulin.
Click to expand...
It is quite annoying at first as we were injecting her after her food initially and it seemed easier but rushing her to eat within 15 minutes was a nightmare. Now it's okay ish it's just knowing what to eat and waddling around to cook. Yes u can test ketones with the purple strips in the same metre and u can log your insulin too into the metre
 
Bronco Billy said:
We’ve always had a separate a keytone meter. It’s just something else that is awkward at first, but soon becomes second nature.
Click to expand...
I can't wait for everything to become kind of normal again everything I do holds a memory and sets me off into a emotional mess going to the park and remembering our picnics and lying in the sun with our daughter without bloodtests and insulin got me feeling so horrible that I had to get out of the park even going to my mums house was horrible couldn't stop crying evn after I left I feel like we lost alot of freedom @Bronco Billy referring back to your old posts I don't mind you showing the post to your wife at all and I know I'm more scared of having another child to look after whilst struggling to care for this one
I have joined many of the groups you offered havent had much luck speaking to other parents apart from yourself really. The thing is that's getting to me the most is the cooking really I'm struggling to do 3 meals a day and especially with evening my mind just runs out of ideas and I feel like I'm. Constantly feeding my daughter the same things and focused in her eating and feeling good I forget about me and my partner
 
trophywench said:
@Bronco Billy Billy - tell me honestly, cos I do not know, about how frequently a small child ever strays into ketone territory, when he hasn't got a temperature, started scratching as the first spots of eg measles, rubella, chicken pox start to appear, just broken a bone etc?
Click to expand...


As far as our two are concerned, we only test for keytones if they go into the 20s and stay there. If there is a brief sojourn to that level and the reason is obvious, we don’t test for keytones. Fortunately, this is quite rare, perhaps once a month. However, I feel I should add that this is what we do and others are different. Some parents will check when their child is in the high teens, and this can happen more often. One missed injection/bolus and whoosh!
 
Type 1 toddler said:
I can't wait for everything to become kind of normal again everything I do holds a memory and sets me off into a emotional mess going to the park and remembering our picnics and lying in the sun with our daughter without bloodtests and insulin got me feeling so horrible that I had to get out of the park even going to my mums house was horrible couldn't stop crying evn after I left I feel like we lost alot of freedom @Bronco Billy referring back to your old posts I don't mind you showing the post to your wife at all and I know I'm more scared of having another child to look after whilst struggling to care for this one
I have joined many of the groups you offered havent had much luck speaking to other parents apart from yourself really. The thing is that's getting to me the most is the cooking really I'm struggling to do 3 meals a day and especially with evening my mind just runs out of ideas and I feel like I'm. Constantly feeding my daughter the same things and focused in her eating and feeling good I forget about me and my partner
Click to expand...


I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before (it’s on oversight on my part if I haven’t) but when our daughter was diagnosed, we had another daughter who was one year old at the time. Was it difficult? Absolutely! Did we cope? Yes, even though it was a struggle sometimes. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your mum, friends (a new baby always brings friends out of the woodwork) and your partner. You need to lower expectation levels in terms of getting things done. Accept that the floor might not get hoovered, the washing might not be put away today etc. etc. You won’t move forward psychologically until you accept that your daughter has type 1 and life is different now. You can still have picnics in the park under the sun. Your daughter still has the freedom other children have in terms of what she can do. it’s just that you and she need to plan a bit more than other parents and children do. The only limit is what you are prepared to do. Have you sought help for how you are feeling?

Don’t worry about being original and varied with the meals, we don’t. Needs must and then same things crop up on our weekly meal plan. I’m starting to look like tuna pasta!
 
LOL - my first husband nearly turned into tuna pasta at one time Billy!
 
I see all these mums on YouTube home Baking and making all sorts of foods and there's me with frozen food and quick meals I feel so lousy tuna pasta is great to go to and so simple
 
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