Help!

[niblikblue]

Hello, I am new to the site. My mum has been diabetic for a few years and needs to have 2 cataracts removed. Recently they were unable to go ahead with the operation as her blood sugar was 23!

Until she gets her blood sugar below 10, they will not operate. I discovered that although she injects herself 3/4 times daily she doesn't check her blood sugar with the machine as she can not get enough blood out of her thumb to test, due to poor circulation.

Does anyone have any suggestions or know of an alternative method of testing?

Many thanks


Julia

 

[AlanJardine]

Some meters will allow you to test from alternative sites like the forearm.

I don't have a comprehensive list, but Onetouch meters come with an alternative top for the lancing device that will allow to to use the forearm.

 

[Proudspirit]

i have a accuchek nano and i can get blood for the pads on my hands. has she tried keeping fingers in hot water for a while before trying to take blood?

Sorry cant be more help

Julie x

 

[Copepod]

Index finger and thumb are not recommended for finger prick tests - sides of all other fingers or base of thumb. May be necessary to experiment with lancing devices, lancets, depth of stab etc.
When they say your Mum needs to get her blood sugar below 10, do they mean her HbA1c (measured by taking blood from vein & testing in lab, giving a rough average of blood sugars over previous approx 8 weeks, currently measures in %, but changing over to mmol/mol) or her capilliary blood glucose level, measured by home testing meter in mmol/l)? There's more detail at http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to...ng/Blood_glucose/Blood-glucose-target-ranges/ (home blood glucose testing target ranges) and http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to.../Glycated_haemoglobin_HbA1c_and_fructosamine/ (HbA1c) and http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to..._glucose/Finger-pricking-devices-and-lancets/ (lancets & finger pricking devices)