T2's - do you find you test less since diagnosis?

[Carina1962]

hello all you T2's - was just wondering if you now tend to test less since first diagnosed? i find now that i am quite happy to test twice a day (or a bit more if i have anything different to eat or go out for meals, drinks etc) but it have got into a settled pattern now and more or less eat the same things and know what i should avoid - do you find the same?

 

[am64]

yes carina im testing am amd pm now and only if i feel strange x🙂 like you i am more aware of what sends me high x

 

[Caroline Wilson]

I tests about the same ammount, but I try to keep a variety in my diet. Also test if I am feeling a bit strange or odd.

 

[gail2]

i to test morning and night more if im not feeling right

 

[lyndasw]

Yes I am testing less. I find the stripes so expensive, so I test only for new foods, if I don't feel 'right; and then once a day either fasting or before bed. I have only just started doing this in the last two weeks though.

 

[hotchop]

Im finding im probably testing more. This is probably relating to my insulin doses as I self manage and adjust myself... with the docs approval

 

[ukjohn]

I test 5/6 times a day so that I can adjust my insulin doses as required

 

[Andy HB]

Being diet and exercise controlled only, I'm only testing once per week or when I eat something different (which is quite rare now).

Andy

 

[scarletangel]

when i first found out i got given a test kit, and was told to keep an eye on it. So i started testing in the morning and evenings, i did this until i had my first review and to be honest,it caused me a great deal of stress.
i was getting hign readings and low readings and i had nothing to compare them with. It was causing me a great deal of stress and upset. So when i went for my review i seen a diff nursr in my practise and she told me that i should only test it once a week, or if i feel un well.
this has certainly made a diff to me.

 

[VBH]

I tested quite intensively for the first 3 months, backed off a bit for the following 3 months and it kind of tailed off after that. As others have mentioned, once you have learned what the effect is of a particular meal, you are likely to find the meals which work for you and what to avoid.

So as others above I don't test all that often since it wouldnt tell me anything I don't already know. It is handy from time to time just to confirm that my experience is still correct or perhaps things have changed a little since I last tested a particular meal. But I think we all tend to eat fairly consistently anyway.

New meals, new foods, new circumstances and of course illness mean more testing, but most of the time I don't test much. Weetabix for breakfast pushed my BG up by 7mmol when I was diagnosed 6 years ago. An omelette pushes it up by 1mmol. Neither of those numbers have changed over time so I don't need to keep confirming it.

And they reckon diabetes is progressive lol


Scarlet, the reason you were getting stressed is that you were not testing for any real reason. It looks as if the advice you were given on testing is the same nonsense that many of us are given at first. So testing seems pointless and stressful because nothing changes. But....

....used properly testing is the most effective tool for a T2 in controlling diabetes. It also puts all the power and control in your hands. Instead of just hoping that the advised diet and exercise suggestions of your medical team will work, you can see what really DOES work for you - and everyone reacts slightly differently to the same foods and exercise. YOU learn what works for you and what does not. YOU decide what your (blood glucose) BG is likely to be an hour after the meal. Its not "hit and hope". The power is in your hands.

Have a read of this, try it with just breakfasts for a week and see how much difference it can make to you:

Test before eating and an hour after. Then look at the difference between the two.

Hint: My nurse, doc and dietitian all recommended weetabix and porridge. Give those a try. However I now have omelettes, bacon, eggs and other protein-based foods. So try those too and see the difference

Once you've tried that an seen how much difference it can make, have a read of this:
http://diabetesforum.org.uk/jennifers-advice