Getting There...

[Gildersleeve]

I have finally seemed to have worked out how to use a glucose monitor I was kindly given.

A few minutes ago I got a very high reading. That was scary. 180mg/dl

I tried again and think that I did it correctly.

122mg/dl still hignormalI understand normal readings for people are 70-100 so that looks more promising.

Still learning when to test. How often.

I am eating the correct foods. Not over eating. Small portions etc...

I still have a fair few strips left. I haven't wasted too many whilst learning.

The next issue? Looking on a well known site. The design of replacement strips look as though they have changed? I wonder if they will work with my monitor.

Have to buy another?

If other strips from other companies will work?

 

[rebrascora]

Where did you get your meter from? Does it not have a facility to change it to read mmols/litre instead of mg/dl which is the US and possibly European units. You will find it much easier to understand what the rest of us and your medical professionals are talking about if you use the same units as we are, assuming you are in the UK yourself??

Which meter have you got?

 

[Leadinglights]

I have finally seemed to have worked out how to use a glucose monitor I was kindly given.

A few minutes ago I got a very high reading. That was scary. 180mg/dl

I tried again and think that I did it correctly.

122mg/dl still hignormalI understand normal readings for people are 70-100 so that looks more promising.

Still learning when to test. How often.

I am eating the correct foods. Not over eating. Small portions etc...

I still have a fair few strips left. I haven't wasted too many whilst learning.

The next issue? Looking on a well known site. The design of replacement strips look as though they have changed? I wonder if they will work with my monitor.

Have to buy another?

If other strips from other companies will work?

NO the strips are very specific to the monitor. If you are in the UK we use mmol/l not mg/dl as the standard so all the ranges for blood glucose from a finger prick will be in mmol/l. To convert from mg/dl divide by 18. So what you are aiming at in UK units would be 4-7 mmol/l before meals and fasting and no more than 8-8.5 2 hours post meal.
Your reading converts to 6.7mmol/l.
If in the UK make sure the monitor you buy reads in mmol/l. Gluconavii, TEE2 and Contour Blue are ones with the cheaper strips.
Don't get confused with the HbA1C test which is in mmol/mol and anything over 47mmol/mol is a diabetes diagnosis.

 

[Gildersleeve]

Where did you get your meter from? Does it not have a facility to change it to read mmols/litre instead of mg/dl which is the US and possibly European units. You will find it much easier to understand what the rest of us and your medical professionals are talking about if you use the same units as we are, assuming you are in the UK yourself??

Which meter have you got?

Thank you Barbara. We could be neighbours. Same county
Cannot seem to change the readings. All I can see is it is called a My Life Aveo Blood Glucose Monitoring System. Since my post appeared. The kind person who sent me it says I can buy the replacement strips directly on the manufacturer's website.

 

[rebrascora]

Oh Wow! Not many people on the forum in County Durham. I am near Consett.

Who or where did you get it from? You might be better buying a new one like the Spirit Tee2 or the Gluco Navii as they will give you the UK units which will save a lot of confusion and they are reliable and economical to use for those self testing. I have 5 BG meters but the test strips for the 2 I don't use are expensive so it wouldn't be cost effective to pass them on to you as you would spend more buying test strips for them than you would buying a cheaper meter like the Tee2 and test strips for it. Some manufacturers give the meters away because they make all their money on the test strips, particularly the fancy ones, hence part of the reason I come to have 5.

 

[Gildersleeve]

Cheers. More to look into What to buy. Where to buy it. Online or at a retailer like Boots. I feel a little better seeing Leading Lights conversion of one of my readings. 6.7mmol The mention of 47 would fit in with the test at the Dr's surgery where they said 48 is diabetic. You are 43. As in pre diabetic.

Information and support has been quite negligible at my Dr's. A couple of thin leaflets given. And told they'll test me again in a years time.

(I live near Darlington/Bishop Auckland)

 

[rebrascora]

I used to live at Willington so know that area reasonably well.

Sadly there is little understanding of diabetes or the benefits of home testing at Primary Care (GP preactice) level, so your experience is pretty typical and may be partly why people are not motivated to improve their diabetes management. If you get very little support or feel that you are being told off or made to feel guilty when you go for a review, it is little wonder that people come away feeling resentful rather than inspired.
Thankfully you have found this forum where there are lots of inspirational stories and knowledgeable people who also understand the difficulties and frustrations and just how hard it can be, so we know that encouragement and support is far more important than criticism.

 

[Leadinglights]

Cheers. More to look into What to buy. Where to buy it. Online or at a retailer like Boots. I feel a little better seeing Leading Lights conversion of one of my readings. 6.7mmol The mention of 47 would fit in with the test at the Dr's surgery where they said 48 is diabetic. You are 43. As in pre diabetic.

Information and support has been quite negligible at my Dr's. A couple of thin leaflets given. And told they'll test me again in a years time.

(I live near Darlington/Bishop Auckland)

You will almost certainly get better prices on line from Amazon or similar, but do consider the cost of the strips when making your decision they can vary by as much a 4 x for different monitors.
I have had my CodeFree the predecessor of the GlucoNavii for 9 years and it is still going strong, I still have my original box of lancets which is still nearly full as I reuse many times.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

The mention of 47 would fit in with the test at the Dr's surgery where they said 48 is diabetic. You are 43. As in pre diabetic.

Ah those are different units again! HbA1c is measured in mmol/mol and cannot directly be converted / compared with fingerstick glucose values as they are measuring very different things. HbA1c measures the number of red blood cells that have been permanently changed by exposure to glucose in the blood.

Fingerstick glucose meters measure plamsa glucose concentration (blood glucose is actually a slight misnomer!)

In the UK home glucose meters use mmol/l

In the US and some parts of Europe home glucose meters use mg/dl which gives fingerstick readings 18x higher than our mmol/l numbers.

It’s almost like they are out to confuse us!! 😛

 

[Gildersleeve]

Ah those are different units again! HbA1c is measured in mmol/mol and cannot directly be converted / compared with fingerstick glucose values as they are measuring very different things. HbA1c measures the number of red blood cells that have been permanently changed by exposure to glucose in the blood.

Fingerstick glucose meters measure plamsa glucose concentration (blood glucose is actually a slight misnomer!)

In the UK home glucose meters use mmol/l

In the US and some parts of Europe home glucose meters use mg/dl which gives fingerstick readings 18x higher than our mmol/l numbers.

It’s almost like they are out to confuse us!! 😛

100% today having converted to the British measurement. Having eaten carefully. Mostly a fasting day this Sunday my reading is 7.9. Then again that's approx 35 points better than my reading 3 weeks ago at the Dr's surgery. And approx 40 points below what they said they would class as diabetic.

So I guess I should still see this as a positive sign.

 

[silentsquirrel]

100% today having converted to the British measurement. Having eaten carefully. Mostly a fasting day this Sunday my reading is 7.9. Then again that's approx 35 points better than my reading 3 weeks ago at the Dr's surgery. And approx 40 points below what they said they would class as diabetic.

So I guess I should still see this as a positive sign.

Sorry, still muddling finger prick readings (7.9) with HbA1c readings 42, 47)! You can't compare them, different units and they measure different things.

 

[Gildersleeve]

I think that I am understanding the numbers now...I hope that I am. Using images online to help with comparing my readings.

Whatever I eat. Whether I fast. I cannot seem to lower my numbers but equally they are not seemingly increasing.

My heart rate and blood pressure readings continue to be good. I am within my ideal weight range but managing to lose a little more so that's always good.

If I have my readings correct they are currently...

*128mg/dl 6.5mm/ol 6.7hba1c they are approx because except for the first one* because the first is the reading on my monitor. But most images jump up in broad segments. As an example 115mg/dl and the next is 150mg/dl

But hey I am still only learning. Reading and researching.

My diet is still as it always was mainly fruit(berries)fish, chicken, salad, veg, nuts, grains. Watching the carbs.

 

[Leadinglights]

I think that I am understanding the numbers now...I hope that I am. Using images online to help with comparing my readings.

Whatever I eat. Whether I fast. I cannot seem to lower my numbers but equally they are not seemingly increasing.

My heart rate and blood pressure readings continue to be good. I am within my ideal weight range but managing to lose a little more so that's always good.

If I have my readings correct they are currently...

*128mg/dl 6.5mm/ol 6.7hba1c they are approx because except for the first one* because the first is the reading on my monitor. But most images jump up in broad segments. As an example 115mg/dl and the next is 150mg/dl

But hey I am still only learning. Reading and researching.

My diet is still as it always was mainly fruit(berries)fish, chicken, salad, veg, nuts, grains. Watching the carbs.

I think you are still getting confused. The readings you are getting from your monitor whether they be in mg/dl or mmol/l are a moment in time and do not directly relate to your HbA1C which is basically the average over the previous 3 months and is in mmol/mol. I would forget about that at the moment until you have your next blood test at the GP.
Just concentrate on the readings from your monitor, if it is in mg/dl divide by 18 to get the equivalent in mmol/l which is what we use in the UK. You are aiming at 4-7mmol/l fasting and before meals and no more than 8-8.5mmol/l 2 hours after eating.
Random testing tells you nothing much so stick to a regular regime as that will be more useful.