1950s diabetes testing

Who said there wasn’t good testing in in the 1950s. This proves it.
I don’t know how they filled those urine bottles however.

Oh the good old days.

Dx 1959

I wonder what testing was like when Richard was dx.

I had it easier in the mid-60s. Collected urine in cup first, then eye dropper to put X drops of water, Y drops urine into test tube. Then drop in the tablet, watch it bubble up (and get HOT!), then compare color to chart. Unfortunately, we were told to just log results to review at next doctors appointment, at which dr usually said to add 1 more unit Lente to my single day dose.

My recollection is we were instructed to test first thing in morning, once a week.

Times have changed!!! Soon tes-tape was available, and was quick and no hot test tubes!

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All I could think watching that video was that I hoped they had a special pee pot!

I’m scared to sleep now without CGM, even though I’ve only been on it like 18 months. I find it truly miraculous so many survived those early days. I came home from the hospital with a brand spanking new OneTouch and never knew a diabetic day without blood testing.

I started with the strips that you wiped the blood off and timed it. And timed again then compared to a color chart.
The automated machines came soon after. My first one was an exact tech. It was a pen with strips that were wrapped in foil.
It was mind blowing

image

I had that too, but I think the accu-chek was my first meter. Did visual read Chemstrips, cutting them in half to get twice the strips, and less blood required.

Amazing but true, my first job out of college denied coverage of my “pre-existing” diabetes related stuff for first 2 years. Fortunately, insulin, syringes and urine testing were pretty low cost.

Robyn, I tested my urine for more than 22 yrs. It is surprising to me too that I am doing well at 70. After almost dying at eight yrs old, when it was discovered that I had diabetes, I was in the hospital for only 3 days. My parents were given very little diabetic education. My doctor believed that being free of sugar once a day was enough.

By the time I came along we just used testape, although I think the diabetes education books still had the copper sulfate instructions in them. I was diagnosed in the ER when they dipped the TesTape in my urine and it turned jet black immediately.

Women who were diagnosed in the 1950’s-1980’s got a special funnel too - I cannot find a picture of it but they were commonplace and sold by the urine test companies back then.

Below is a vintage test kit in pristine like new condition.

Yeah, the good old days! I had the second set up. One in each bathroom and one in the nurses office at school. I had to test before each meal and before bed. Urine strips and test tape came later. Test tape was great when going out & came in handy when at a restaurant to make sure the diet pop was really diet. (Can’t tell you how often that happened before diet pop was more main stream).
I never had the little glass bottle for my urine. I’m sure that is just props for movie making. We just used a disposable plastic cup that I’m sure my Mom got from the doctors office.
Blood testing didn’t come into my life until the early 80’s. Haven’t looked back! And I thank goodness I don’t have to wait for the darn test tube to turn bright orange which it usually did back in the day of one injection per day.
I just love my technology now. Life is so much easier now! How my parents survived this nightmare, I will never know!! I thank God everyday for them & miss them dearly!

In the 80s I used to drink diet soda. I would go to McDonald’s and those kinds of places.
Back then you didn’t fill your own cups like now.
I would say 20 percent of the time there was sugar in my drink.
I had old fashioned one touch strips that turned purple. I would use them to test my drinks a lot back then.

Recently I got a coffee at Starbucks and I tasted it and it was crazy sweet. I told the woman that I walked for no sugar.
She replied there is no sugar only syrup.

That really happened.

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My mom was a Coke (soft drink!) fiend. She was my “test tape”. If she gagged on a sip of my drink, it was good for me! LOL

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