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kellie01

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Type 1.5 LADA
Hi all, i am a newly diagnosed diabetic. Was in hospital for 5 days while thry tried to get my blood glucose and insulin under control. I am really struggling with the finger prick tests and have used so many needles since Tuesday evening that i had to buy more. I get error 4 a lot and am getting really frustrated when i do the tests as is not as easy as they say. Any tips or hints to help a newbie out please ? Thank you x
 
Welcome @kellie01

I got the error on my Tee2 when I first started using it. Try keeping the strip verticle to your finger where the blood is.

The error means you've not got enough blood on the strip.

Best of luck.
 
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Welcome @kellie01 🙂 What meter and finger-pricker have you got? Some are definitely better than others!
 
Welcome to the forum @kellie01 .Glad that you have found us.

Sorry to hear that you are struggling with your finger pricker. It is very understandable at the start to be using lots of strips as you get used to things. Do you know what the error message you are getting means for your meter? It is different with different meters. Is there a manual with a list, or can you find out online. If you let us know what meter you are using we can help.

if you have a lack of blood when you have done the finger prick, you could try changing the depth of the pricker. There is often a scale set on it. Mine is set on 3 but it goes up to 5, so still some depth to go if I need it. I also find warming up my hand before (opposite armpit works well ) and holding my arm down once I have done the finger prick.

The strips often suck up the blood into a chanel. Once the strip is in the machine you can offer the end of the strip up to the blob on the end of your finger.

Other problems? Just ask.
 
RichardsUsername said:
Welcome @kellie01

I got the error on my Tee2 when I first started using it. Try keeping the strip verticle to your finger where the blood is.

The error means you've not got enough blood on the strip.

Best of luck.
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Hi, yeah it is normally error 4 which is not enough blood, even though it is running down my finger lol. Just getting frustrated and annoyed with myself when it looks so easy on the videos.
 
kellie01 said:
Hi, yeah it is normally error 4 which is not enough blood, even though it is running down my finger lol. Just getting frustrated and annoyed with myself when it looks so easy on the videos.
Click to expand...

What fingerpricker are you using? Have you adjusted it (if your blood is running down your finger)? What meter are you using @kellie01 ?
 
kellie01 said:
Hi, yeah it is normally error 4 which is not enough blood, even though it is running down my finger lol. Just getting frustrated and annoyed with myself when it looks so easy on the videos.
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It would have helped me if the gp's surgery showed me how to use it when they gave it to me. Like a lot of people I'm guessing.
 
Inka said:
What fingerpricker are you using? Have you adjusted it (if your blood is running down your finger)? What meter are you using @kellie01 ?
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It is the accu-chek fast clix, the blood running down isn't all the time as sometimes my fingers just don't want to give up the blood. Had a little cry tonight as was just so frustrated with it. I guess i just need more practice x
 
RichardsUsername said:
It would have helped me if the gp's surgery showed me how to use it when they gave it to me. Like a lot of people I'm guessing.
Click to expand...
I was shown roughly how to use it just once, but then as i was in hospital at the time the nurses were testing for me all the time and so now am not sure what i am doing wrong.
 
RichardsUsername said:
It would have helped me if the gp's surgery showed me how to use it when they gave it to me. Like a lot of people I'm guessing.
Click to expand...
YouTube has videos on how to use all kind of meters
 
kellie01 said:
I was shown roughly how to use it just once, but then as i was in hospital at the time the nurses were testing for me all the time and so now am not sure what i am doing wrong.
Click to expand...
There's definitely a knack to it. You may just not be hitting the blood full on.
 
kellie01 said:
I was shown roughly how to use it just once, but then as i was in hospital at the time the nurses were testing for me all the time and so now am not sure what i am doing wrong.
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When I was in hospital the technique they used was far more painful that what I do as they pricked right on the end of my finger.
I find the best place is just to the side of the pad, if you put your thumb on the pad and prick just to the side of it and use your thumb to press gently the drop of blood should appear, then just touch the strip onto it and it will be sucked into the reservoir in the strip not on the strip. As soon as it is full then take it away or it will overfill.
Massaging the finger towards the end and making sure your hands are warm helps as well.
 
Leadinglights said:
When I was in hospital the technique they used was far more painful that what I do as they pricked right on the end of my finger.
I find the best place is just to the side of the pad, if you put your thumb on the pad and prick just to the side of it and use your thumb to press gently the drop of blood should appear, then just touch the strip onto it and it will be sucked into the reservoir in the strip not on the strip. As soon as it is full then take it away or it will overfill.
Massaging the finger towards the end and making sure your hands are warm helps as well.
Click to expand...
I agree about them making it more painful, especially when i was having it done every hour and doing my ketones too, am due to do another one in a bit, so will see how i go. Only been doing it myself since Tuesday night so still new to it x
 
kellie01 said:
It is the accu-chek fast clix, the blood running down isn't all the time as sometimes my fingers just don't want to give up the blood. Had a little cry tonight as was just so frustrated with it. I guess i just need more practice x
Click to expand...

Ok, well that’s a good pricker. Start off on a very low number for the depth. When you prick your finger, just hold it against your finger rather than pressing it in hard.

So - do you have the AccuChek meter? If so, there’s a knack to getting the blood on @kellie01 I have that meter - is that what you’ve got? I keep asking because each meter has its foibles that you only get to know with experience. If you say what meter you have, you’ll get tips to make the testing easy @kellie01
 
Inka said:
Ok, well that’s a good pricker. Start off on a very low number for the depth. When you prick your finger, just hold it against your finger rather than pressing it in hard.

So - do you have the AccuChek meter? If so, there’s a knack to getting the blood on @kellie01 I have that meter - is that what you’ve got? I keep asking because each meter has its foibles that you only get to know with experience. If you say what meter you have, you’ll get tips to make the testing easy.
Click to expand...
Yes i do have the accu-chek meter x
 
kellie01 said:
Yes i do have the accu-chek meter x
Click to expand...

Ok 🙂 Then if it’s the AccuChek Mobile that comes with the Fastclix pricker, finger-positioning is everything. What I did when I first got that meter was hold it flat but hold it up so I could see where my finger was going. You don’t need a lot of blood. If you have too much it won’t form a drop and you need a drop sitting on your finger so that the correct amount of blood can be sucked up by the meter. Prick your finger with your finger flat, then carefully turn the finger and touch to the meter. It needs to touch in the centre where you can see a bit of white. Don’t press it on to the white, just hold it close and the blood will be sucked up.
 
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