I check my blood sugar at least 14 times a day…or more lol…perhaps it goes along with my anxiety with this disease haha… but if i come to find that I only have a only a few strips left i’ll get REALLLLY anxious. My boyfriend and mother are always on my back about testing too often, but I just want that peace of mind do you know what I mean?
I wish testing wasn’t such an expense along with all of the other supplies
Unless they are Type 1 AND have an amazing A1C, I wouldn’t listen to ANYTHING they have to say about this topic. Not the endo, the nurse, the CDE, NO ONE.
I test at least ten times a day. My A1C has stayed below 6 in this past year since diagnosis. Do what works for you.
Can you get your insurance to write you for more? I really hate that we don’t get to decide how to manage this disease ourselves. I remember before I got my Endo to write my prescription for more (“you know you really don’t have to test that many times” Thanks for the advice. Please write it for me. This is MY BODY.) I would feel that panic and anxiety as I was getting to the bottom of a tube. One time I went to pick up my prescription and they couldn’t fill it all because someone stole a box off the shelf. Times are tough. Gotta do what you gotta do.
Go to Wal-Mart and pick up their Reli-On meter. It costs 9 dollars. The test strips are really cheap too, something like 35-40 cents a strip, although they are rather inconveniently packaged. Each strip is in its own foil wrap. This is what I do to cover the extra testing my insurance doesn’t cover.
My doc thinks I’m obsessive. I’m T2 and test an average of 5-6x/day. More when doing something active or unusual, less when I’m home and being lazy.
I told my past GP , that I test 10-12 x daily and he asked me if that is not excessive …I am now seeing another Doc !!
In the 26 years of type 1 diabetes never had to go to hospital because of diabetes …did finger poking pay off ?? I would say so . I have only tested up to 14 times , when there were concerns . Since wearing CGMS an ave. of 8-9 . I seem to be more relaxed about living with diabetes.
Is the NF Government covering your strips , Jill ?
Type 1 for 42 years and going from working in the dark and no meters and one shot a day, to MDI and now pumping for 7 years I could not exist without testing at least that much. If you are bolusing for food and it is such a every day is different disease, I don’t think there is any other option. I also suffer from hypoglycemic unawareness so I am sometimes driving with a bgs of 60 and don’t know it, so I need to test everytime I get behind the wheel.
There is no other way.
Good for you, Tmana! I know Type 2s who rarely test & their doctors haven’t encouraged them to test at all. A good friend’s husband is Type 2 & I had to tell him his test strips expired because that’s how infrequently he tests.
Jill, test all you want & then some. What is with some doctors who have patients who want to be healthy & work hard toward that goal!
I had my internist write me prescriptions for testing 10x & also for more syringes. Was easier to get through to him than my endo. Imagine my surprise the first time I went to refill the syringe Rx & was told I couldn’t have any more. Yep, I’m injecting for fun & profit. Thankfully, they’re cheap so I just paid for them out of pocket.
I test a lot - my prescription was for 10x day but I just had them change it to 12 (I figured if my insurance won’t pay for my CGMS then they better pay for more strips) - I started testing long before it was common - I read about the strips when they were still new & had to have my pharmacist special order them - no insurance payment at all at that time - but they were color coded & you could cut them in half to double the number - and I was very accurate - probably more so than the meters we use today.
I refuse to test more then six strips a day, but then again i don’t have the money to cover anything extra… But anymore makes me feel tied down. I don’t care if i’m high i’ll correct it later, if i’m low i usually feel it. I’d rather spend my extra time NOT thinking about diabetes.
try the newer meter, i keep on seeing ads for it around here. It’s on the reli on website http://www.relion.com/ it’s called a micro, and the test strips aren’t indiviually wrapped. OR you could go with a key note by wavesense, who i love and support but yet i don’t get paid for all this publicity yet (hence the mention for the other meter). Hate the true track, the one touch is expensive, and there are even weirder off brands out there.
I think my insurance covers for a very small portion, if even that, otherwise its like… 100$ a week its horrible haha
Thanks for the advice going out this morning and getting one.
i buy extras on eBay…there are a bunch of lame diabetics who don’t test and sell em around 50% off retail. One mans trash is another mans treasure…just make sure they’re not expired.
Wow - I can’t believe some of your doctors saying that your testing is excessive - if it keeps you in good control of your BG’s more power to you! My endo has never questioned me about my BG testing. I test about 8-10 times a day - would like to do more - but finding the time to do it is another story. I know that’s a stupid excuse. My strips are covered by my husbands private insurance at work. I’m not sure if I ever went onto government plan here in Quebec - if you would be restricted to how many times you can test - or if it’s based on what your prescription says. I find since joining up to diabetic forums - which are mainly American based - that your system of medical has opened my eyes up alot to the pros and cons of what we have here in Canada. Based on what I know of Canadian medical system - I sometimes would be scared to move to the US if our work took us there.
Problem for me is I don’t feel my lows any longer, oooo to have the shakiness and sweats back!! 
I check my bs more than the number of times recommended by my doctor, but I try not to pay out of pocket to do so. Each time my treatment is changed, I get obsessive about testing until I’m comfortable that I’m not going to go too low or too high–and then I check less than recommended to make up for my excessive use of strips. I need peace of mind too. So, I can be a bs testing addict at times.
Right now, I only test twice a week, or if I feel like my blood sugar is high. If I feel a bit low, I just eat something that has 15 carb grams. I’m not on insulin yet, so I test just to see where I’m headed. I also have the A1C test every 3 months. I think you should test as often as you like, if it helps you. I don’t think I will be a testing a lot because I absolutely hate poking my fingers.
Twice a week…Goodness.
I’m not excessive. I usually test around 7-9 times a day. I do get Very nervous if I forgot to call my strips in and I only have a couple left. Or if we went somewhere and I took the almost empty strip container by mistake. :[
You know, surely, we can convince diabetics to give the strips away instead of selling them on Ebay. I do have extra strips, but you know so many folks don’t have any. I really wish those with more would be more responsiible than to sell them. Now if they do, I suppose there is nothng wrong with buying them, but as a community we need to encourage donations.
So sayeth the great OZ LOL
rick phillips
it’s uber cute meter, i just like keynote better because the test strips are cheaper, cheaper then walmart!