Hi

[Sheila12]

Hi everyone. My name is Sheila and I have diabetes type 2.i live in a care home and just recently started to do my insulin myself. I have 3 shots of nova rapid in the day and a different one for overnight. I also have a patch. So that I can scan my blood sugars independently

I need to get in right, but I'm not sure when i should take reading. Some say it doesn't matter if before or after food. Some say 1 hr before and 1 hr after. What do you think I should do

 

[Thomas DUK]

Hi @Sheila12

It's great to have you here in the forum! Managing diabetes can indeed feel a bit confusing at times, but you're taking a positive step by learning more about it and it's great that you're now doing your insulin injections and using the blood sugar patch.

If you're unsure about when to take your readings, I would highly recommend reaching out to the Diabetes UK Helpline at 0345 123 2399. They can provide advice and guidance for queries like this one.

Remember, you're not alone in this journey. The diabetes community is here to support you, and seeking advice from professionals will give you the confidence to manage your diabetes effectively.

Keep up the good work, Sheila! We're here to help whenever you need it.

 

[Inka]

Hi everyone. My name is Sheila and I have diabetes type 2.i live in a care home and just recently started to do my insulin myself. I have 3 shots of nova rapid in the day and a different one for overnight. I also have a patch. So that I can scan my blood sugars independently

I need to get in right, but I'm not sure when i should take reading. Some say it doesn't matter if before or after food. Some say 1 hr before and 1 hr after. What do you think I should do

Welcome @Sheila12 If you have a Libre sensor (the patch?) you can scan it as often as you like. The Libre will record your blood sugars even if you don’t scan it, but at a minimum I’d be scanning first thing in the morning, before each meal, last thing at night, before exercise, and if you feel ill.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Sheila12

Well done on starting to do your own insulin!

Is it a Libre you have? That you swipe to get your glucose levels?

Those can be really helpful, because you can see your level as often as you like, but also because the sensor stores 8 hours of levels so even if you haven’t scanned recently you can see what has happened in the previous 8 hours, meaning that you’ll see what happens around meals in real detail.

Hope you find the level of detail helpful. Many people here like to take a reading immediately before a meal and again 2hrs after the first bite - that way they can see how the meal has affected their glucose levels by seeing the difference between the two readings 🙂