Glucose meter

[Anbemcc]

Hiya I have just received my meter, should I wait till first thing in the morning to test Ta

 

[EllsBells]

Totally up to you. I couldn't wait and got stuck right in - but before a meal or exercise better for a slightly less random base reading. Also vary fingers for testing - but not thumb/index.

 

[Anbemcc]

It looks like an instrument of torture lol.

 

[EllsBells]

What did you buy?!

 

[Anbemcc]

Gluco navii hopefully it does what I need, I don't intend to be type 2 on meds for long, I'm an optimist

 

[EllsBells]

Fingers crossed!

 

[Anbemcc]

Just did my first reading ouch, 7.3 is that good xx

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Just did my first reading ouch, 7.3 is that good xx

You should be able to vary the depth of the finger pricker? Generally you should hardly feel it.

This post might help too: Painless Pricks, by Alan S

The recommended range for T2 always used to be 4-7 before meals and no higher than 8.5 by 2hrs after meals.

But blood glucose levels change throughout the day, so it’s important to take any reading in context of what has been happening, and what you plan to do next 🙂

 

[Anbemcc]

So I did it before dinner will do at 9 so to be non diabetic it needs to be under 4

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

So I did it before dinner will do at 9 so to be non diabetic it needs to be under 4

Under 4 too low. ‘4 is the floor’ is the old saying 🙂 Ideally somewhere between 4 and 7 most of the time, but ‘nonnies’ get up to the 8s and 9s too.

In the beginning, when checking around meals in some senses the numbers themselves are less important than the before-after differences. If you can aim for a rise of 2-3mmol/L from your starting number at the 2hr mark, then your overall levels will gradually come down into range, because they aren’t rising so much with food.

Gentle changes over a more sustained period are easier on the fine blood vessels - your eyes and kidneys will thank you for it 🙂

 

[Anbemcc]

Thanks this is all so new, I wasn't told by my nurse I needed a meter, but thought I would take my journey in my own hands

 

[Leadinglights]

Thanks this is all so new, I wasn't told by my nurse I needed a meter, but thought I would take my journey in my own hands

Very good idea as it puts you in control. You need a strategy for testing enough to gain some useful information but not just randomly when it will not tell you anything very much.
Initially you could choose I or 2 meals a day and test before you eat and after 2 hours recording the result with a note of what and how much you ate and if the increase is no more than 3mmol/l then it was Ok if more than that then you need to reduce the portion of the high carb components for next time and test that meal again. If you have tested a meal a couple of times you should be safe with that. You might then find you will need to substitute some of the higher carb foods and bulk out with more green leafy veg or salad.
Finger pricking should not be painful if you get the technique right, you need the minutest drop of blood for the strip, about the size of a pin head is enough.

 

[Anbemcc]

Ty yes I will I was curious, I'm looking FWD to seeing my results at 9

 

[Anbemcc]

7.3 to 8.1 that's ok ? I'm happy enough with that thanks for all your help

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

7.3 to 8.1 that's ok ? I'm happy enough with that thanks for all your help

That’s great! A rise of 0.8 - so whatever you ate suited your body very well 🙂

 

[Anbemcc]

Doing a happy dance lol I know it's just the beginning but it gives me hope that I will conquer this