Does your doctor have a clue?

Gonna rant now, your choice to read or ignore me :slight_smile:

In July, I was dx’d T2. My A1c was 6.8 and I failed the fasting glucose test pretty badly. My fasting numbers were 100-120, but my life being a total wreck, had me eating nothing but junk food, which was really comfort food for a depressed man. Still, I felt lucky that 6.8 was not so bad, and maybe it was caught early.

So, I buckled up, and dropped all the junk food instantly, and haven’t looked back. Only thing I have had to drink since that day in early July is water. No candy, cookies, ice cream, pasta, bread, etc as I was determined to see how far I could move my A1c. After three months, and my very best effort, along with a whole lot of reading, and testing, testing testing, lost 21 pounds, and A1c is 5.5. Morning numbers are low 80’s, sometimes high 70’s. No meds, just diet and exercise.

Now, this made me feel good, but I also don’t think I can maintain it because of circumstances in my life, not that I am going to go back up into the 6’s. I was depressed before the diabetes came to light, and all the changes haven’t really done much for that problem, but one thing at a time.

Here is the rub. My doctor was very pleased, and as we talked, he acted like I was cured, which is silly
I asked him if there was a way to tell if a person was insulin resistant, or simply not making enough, and he said no, but that based on my 5.5, I am making plenty of insulin.

I thought that a kind of stupid observation, since I have been so low carb for three+ months, my body isn’t necessarily making a lot of insulin…

Originally, I had to fight him to get enough strips to test four times a day, and with careful planning, I tested just about everything I ate in order to find foods that wouldn’t spike me. I found food I could eat safely, and that was all I ate for the three months, over, and over, and over. No restaurants, no untested foods, just the same boring rabbit food for the most part. The testing was incessant. When I was hungry, I would test my BG and see if I had “room” for any carbs, and often noted I should not eat or I would go above 140, which is my ceiling, in my mind.

So anyway, my doctor said he was going to cut my strips down to one a day. He said someone with an A1c like mine, should only have to test a few times a week, so it was like he was doing me a favor to give me one a day. I fought him about as hard as I thought I should, since at my age, I am due for some uncomfortable, embarrassing tests, and I really don’t want my doctor mad at me :slight_smile: I have a psuedo insurance that doesn’t give me any choice of physician beyond him, so it was a mild fight. He said he would leave me with four a day, but if January showed an A1c like this 5.5, he would basically cut me off of the strips.

What does it take to convince someone that the reason I am 5.5 is from testing and testing and testing? He thinks its a waste of money, and this healthcare crap in DC seems to have trickled down into the clinic and all the doctors. I told him I think all the testing now, would help me avoid meds and even insulin down the road, and without the testing, I would end up with higher numbers, and then a real need for test strips, and major health issues.

I guess after January, I will have to go and buy my own strips. Ouch! but by the same token, if my A1c is still down, or even better, I may just buy my strips, and do the home A1c tests, and forget about my doctor. Its wrong to have all this research and technology at our fingertips (pun intended ) and not be able to use it to keep ourselves healthy unless we are willing to spend $100 a month on strips. I don’t want free medical care, but I do wish doctors, especially GP’s would realize that they cannot know everything, and that many of us use the information available to us to treat and control our diseases, and all we need from them, is the allowance to use the tools our insurance is willing to pay for. He kept saying the insurance company would eventually come after him because of my 5.5, but when I called them, they said they routinely allow up to 200 per month, for anyone diagnosed as diabetic.

So, I am kind of upset, and frustrated, and backsliding a bit because of it. On the other hand, I have lost over 20 pounds, and feel better from having kicked up my exercise routines. Still, not all the problems with healthcare are listed in the 2000 pages of “solution” we are being threatened with.

That’s my story, and I am sticking to it :slight_smile: If you read this far, wow, you must really be bored lol!

John

My doc has no freakin’ flippin’ clue whatsoever. I just go to him to renew my prescriptions and get labs. I could cite endless examples but I need to go to bed and don’t want to do so all riled up.

Hi John,

Not bored at all. Whenever I hear stories like yours, I see red. Utterly infuriating! You don’t need more strips because you’re doing well because of testing. Staggering logic there. Hey, get sick so you’re eligible for more strips. We need D advocates to cut through this kind of crap.

Google free meters & get as many as you can. Or, contact the companies & ask for freebies. They all give away meters. Not great to use different brands, but they come with strips. Helps some. Home A1c tests aren’t as accurate as lab tests, but I hear ya.

Any possibilty you can see an endo, or another doctor?

Oh please, the insurance company is going to come after him. What a weenie. Tell him that you’re saving the insurance co money by staying off meds & can you trade this for strips:)

There’s a test to see how much insulin you’re producing. It’s a C-peptide test, but clearly this wonderful doctor wouldn’t order one since he believes strips are a luxury.

On a more positive note, awesome work taking control & achieving what you have! You have every right to be angry & frustrated, but revel in your wonderful success. You’re strong, you’re healthy, you’re motivated.

It is really frustrating. You hear about all the complaints of diabetic who are non-compliant and won’t take care of themselves and then you come along and do wonderfully. What does the doctor do? Deny you access to the tools you need to do a good job of managing his diabetes. I feel for John. I’ve often felt the same way. My doctors have often told me to my face that as long as my HbA1c as like 7-8%, then I am doing fine and no further aggressive action is required. When I repeatedly work towards getting my HbA1c below 6% I get labelled obsessive and get a referral to a psychiatrist.

This diabetes, this is your condition. The doctor is your advisor. You already have the solution to this dilema in your hands. You can fire this doctor and look for another, or you can change your relationship with him. You were already told that you were allowed by insurance up to 200 test strips a month. Ask for a written preauthorization. And firmly request the strips. Call your insurance, ask for an advice nurse. Insurance would much prefer you prevent complications and many companies will actually advocate on your behalf. Obtain the insurance company policies on diabetes and quote them to the doctor. If your doctor becomes aware that you have involved the insurance company questioning his treatment, you will get more dilligent attention. No doctor wants to be flagged by an insurance company as providing less than appropriate care.

What really pisses me off in my dealings with Drs. is that it seems to get attention and action for more aggressive treatment I must demonstrate a loss of blood sugar control. If I wish to target my blood sugar control to be less than 6% because research says that reduces complications (and I already have complications) why can’t the medical establishment get with the plan? Why do I have to be self destructive to get action?

I wish you luck with your battles.

John if you need a way to test but can’t afford the $100+ a month for strips you might want to look into the Sidekick. It is available at Walmart, Walgreen’s, and CVS. It is a container of 50 strips that has a meter built into the cap and runs about $20. You use the strips, toss the container and get a new one. You do need to remember to retrieve your data and record it. It isn’t as convenient as other meters but is a more affordable alternative than not testing. I recommend it to all my patients that don’t have insurance. Before I got my minis I used to keep one in my purse so that I always had access to a meter.

First off, your doc works for you. If you want or need test strips, he should be providing some to you. I think there are probably other places you could get some at little or no cost, but I’ve actually never investigated this. My insurance covers them.

Good for you for really taking the bull by the horns with your health. Your doc should be bending over backwards for you since you’re doing so well, and I know testing your blood sugar helps you keep tabs on whats going on. Is the guy selling the strips on the black market? He’s full of crap about anyone coming after him about test strips. Companies are finally realizing being proactive about your health is what you need to do, not chase your tail afterwards.

Stick to your guns and demand the test strips. And continued good luck on how well you are doing with your diabetes. You’re a great example of what can be done!

First, before I play devil’s advocate and probably anger a lot of people, I want to say congrats on improving your own health through changes that YOU have made. From your story, it sounds like almost all of your improvements have come from changes that you have made independent of any health-care practitioner.

And now the hard part…

The guidelines for BG testing for T2 diabetes are very confusing and not very standardized. In T1, because insulin is used to make quick adjustments in glucose trends, it makes sense for T1s to test frequently throughout the day. In T2 however, because of the nature of oral diabetes medication, there is less consistent support for multiple daily testing. Some evidence suggests that there may be no benefit to testing more than once per day (or multple times one day per week). Now that everyone is angry, here is the rationale. Please consider the following even if you disagree:

When someone (T1 or T2) is on MDI insulin and they test and they are hyperglycemic what do they do? They give themselves a bolus to bring their sugar back down. If I test and my sugar is trending too low, I can suspend my pump or decrease my basal.

When a T2 on oral meds (metformin + whatever second agent) tests their BG, there is no medication to adjust. So, the argument then is, “well, now I have the information and can change what ever I did/ate/didn’t eat so next time my sugar is in control.” I agree with this statement, but once you’ve learned the “pattern” is there any benefit to continue to test? Some experts (http://tr.im/EkW2) recommend testing one day per week, but 4 times during that day. This seems reasonable.

Ultimately, what you’re doing seems to be controlling your sugar quite well. I think you may be incorrectly attributing your excellent control to BG testing, when you should be attributing your success to the fantastic changes that you’ve made in your life.

Test as often as you think you should, but be aware that there isn’t a lot of evidence to suggest that it’s useful in controlling your BG. If your A1C is at (below in your case) goal, what is the benefit of more frequent testing?

I know that there are MANY people who disagree with me. To those folks, please feel free to try and convince me that I’m wrong! I am open to any evidence.

Here are some links:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/blood-sugar/DA00007
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/bmj.39526.674873.BE
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/bmj.39534.571644.BE

Tell the doctor exactly what you said here - the REASON your bg is so low is BECAUSE you test four times a day.

Would he take you off high blood pressure medication because your blood pressure came down?
Would he take you off lipitor because your cholesterol came down?
Would he advice you to stop taking your antibiotics because your fever went away?

He is your health consultant, not your boss. Ask HIM to justify why he is denying you access to an obviously efficacious medical test that will help you prevent serious complications and even more expensive treatment in the future.

And don’t worry about angering him. Unless he’s a complete a**hole, he is not going to harm you in your upcoming tests and exams. Do you not have the option of switching to another doctor within the practice, asking for a second opinion or referral to a specialist? Take advantage of all these options, which ought to be available in your plan.

Good luck,

Terry

Fascinating. and informative.

Terry, the difference between the examples that you use above and BG testing is that the examples above are TREATMENTS for those conditions. BG testing is not a treatment, it simply provides information.

I also agree with you on talking with your doctor. The doc should be open to your concerns and should explain in detail his rationale for any decision he/she makes about your care plan.

Good post Tim - I agree with what you’ve said whole heartedly!

Tim, it simply provides the information an insulin resistant PWD (T1 or T2) needs to manage his/her BG. That is critical!

Barrie, but that’s my point. Most T2s don’t make management decisions based on hour-by-hour BG readings. Diet and exercise changes do not have the same immediate, or predictable effects on BG that insulin does. I’m not saying don’t test at all, I’m just suggesting that there is no benefit to testing all the time.

I’m not sure what you’re basing that on. I decide what to eat based on where I am. If I start the day below 85, I MIGHT include a little starchy carb in my breakfast. If I start the day at 107, like I did today, it’s strictly protein & fat.

There’s a HUGE benefit to testing all the time. Initially, as you pointed out, one should do it to find out which foods cause your spikes. But, conditions change, too, & we are all affected by sickness, stress, etc.

When I started a pretty low carb diet, I tested 8 times a day, every day. I was also trying to get a medicine regimen that worked for me. My endo needed that information then.

Now, I’m down to usually 4 or 5 times a day … but, there are plenty of occasions when I don’t feel well, am planning my exercise for the day, etc. … that I need to know where I am.

So, I respectfully disagree.

Barrie, I don’t necessarily disagree with what you’re saying. You are an example of someone who is using this information to actively manage their diabetes with success. But, I would also say that this doesn’t PROVE that frequently BG testing improves control.

For example, if I take meds to lower my BP and I watch my sodium intake, will my BP control improve if I test my blood pressure 6 times per day? My BP certainly changes throughout the day depending on what I eat and how much I exercise. I could argue that I test my BP all the time and eat more or less sodium based on the readings, but no one would suggest that testing my BP 6 times per day improves my long-term outcome, because that’s not how it works! For MOST T2 diabetics, its the same thing. There may be times when your sugar is a little higher than other times, but there is NO evidence to suggest that having this information improves long-term control or outcomes.

Sorry for the long example, but I think its important that we not make decisions based on what we “think” works but based on what we know will improve our health.

Now, if your insurance pays for you to test 8 times per day, go for it! But, if someone is in a situation where they are forced to spend ridiculous amounts of money to pay for test strips because they think it will improve their health, I think that they maybe wasting their time and money. For the amount of money it costs to do all this extra testing someone could join a gym, or hire a trainer at the gym they already attend, or pay for a nutritionist, or take cooking lessons to improve their diet, etc. All things which have to potential to improve BG control and overall health in PROVEN ways.

Even my great Endocrinologist and CDE have told me not to work so hard at controlling my D. I have seen the same two women the whole time. It makes me mad because over the years I got lazier and lazier, and didn’t keep up on information, eventually stopped testing much… Not getting insulin doses adjusted to improve results… etc. etc.

I may have had “burnout” eventually anyway, but they basically gave me permission to slack off, and that pisses me off!! I might have continued testing so much, and adjusting my insulin accordingly without the “take it easy” type of feedback from them.

I have an Endo and nurse who are very kind and forgiving, bless them, but I wish they had kicked my butt instead. Now it is much harder, 7 years later.

We as patients have to be assertive to get the help we need.

what kind of monitor do you use… i’ll send you a bunch of strips
]

Wow, thanks for all the replies, comments, and suggestions. I appreciate the support and just having someplace to discuss all this. Gets kind of lonely wandering the house, talking to myself, even though I am wonderful, intelligent company :slight_smile:

Tim said:
"Test as often as you think you should, but be aware that there isn’t a lot of evidence to suggest that it’s useful in controlling your BG. If your A1C is at (below in your case) goal, what is the benefit of more frequent testing?

I know that there are MANY people who disagree with me. To those folks, please feel free to try and convince me that I’m wrong! I am open to any evidence."

I like your playing the devil’s advocate, and I will accommodate you with my reasoning, using more details.

First of all, of course the actual act of testing won’t do anything to control BG levels. My point/perspective is that reading is a tool, and I like tools. In order to explain, I will abbreviate my story so far with Diabetes, and it is not an argument directed at you. I just read all I wrote, and thought I better let you know that <.g>

First thing: what can I eat? My doctor and his nurse told me to just cut down a little on my portions, water down my juice, and only eat half as much “junk food” as I had been doing. They said I could eat an apple and not worry about it. My BS detector went off big time when I heard that.

Well, it didn’t take long to read and research to find out that there is no standard answer to the question of diet. There is the general info about lower carbs, and the obvious things to avoid, but here I was with no medical support, and out doing this on my own.

My first step was no carbs, while I figured out what to do. Not a week into the, basically no carbs mode, and my fasting numbers plummeted, so I knew I wasn’t completely broken, and felt like I could proceed with adding more foods. The goal was to find a day’s food supply, that didn’t spike my numbers past 140. How to find what that is? Test strips. How to use the test strips? Well, my doctor said I didn’t need to test before I ate, only two hours after I finished. Baloney. If I don’t know where I am when I start, how do I know how high the meal pushed my numbers?

So, it takes three strips to find a meal that works,and if I decide to alter that meal, three more strips, more than once to verify. Took about a week to come up with a day’s worth, and that is what I ate for about a month. Booorrring. Water only. Salad, veggies, bacon, eggs, and walnuts or peanuts. Now that I have food to eat and won’t die of starvation, its time to try other things.

I need chocolate!!! Instant, non fat chocolate pudding, with non fat milk. Very low carb, not too many calories, and light whipped topping only adds a few carbs. Test, test, test. This is what I found out. Jello brand jumps my numbers a whole lot (I don’t have them memorized, they are in my journal) which bummed me out, but then I tried Walmart’s brand, and even tho the numbers on the box, and the ingredients are almost identical, the wally mart pudding barely touches my numbers, as in less than 10 pts. Without the strips to test and test, I would not have found that out… Good tools.

Some folks suggested dark chocolate, and gave me the brand. I tried it, and rang the bell on the old meter. So, some can, and some can’t. If I just assumed, I would be eating a small piece of that chocolate every day or so, and my A1c would begin to rise. To not be able to test and verify, locks a person into a set menu, and any variation can be disastrous.

Then I read about how some people have trouble in the morning with carbs, so I started testing in that direction. It was a suprise to me to find out that a meal which normally bumps my numbers about 25 pts in the evening, sent me soaring in the AM almost 80 pts. Without testing, I would have naively assumed I could eat the same foods, any time of the day. Now I only eat bacon and eggs, and alternate with salads in the morning. Without that knowledge, my A1c would have taken a hit over time.

Three months later, A1c maybe jumped back up to 6, and I would have no idea which foods did me in, and what to do about it, and would have to go back to the original, boring, and bland same menu every day, for the rest of my life. hardly a reasonable option, if you ask me. Life is for living, and I don’t have to eat out every night, or eat junk food to be happy, but I like to have options that are pleasing to my pallet and make me feel satisfied. Without always testing, I cannot have that.

We are all different, but I am better off exercising after I eat, while others I know, work out, then eat. How did I find that out? Test, test, test. Now the next question, should I exercise in the AM, afternoon, or at night? Test, test, test, and I have learned what works best for me. What is best for my fasting numbers, regarding snacks, and working out in the evening? Test, test, test. Will those results always apply throughout the rest of my life, or do I have to check now and again to make sure I am not progressing quickly into worse condition? I think that is what the strips are for.

Sometimes, I don’t eat, which for me doesn’t seem to present a problem (although its a bad idea for anyone) with going low or anything, at least not yet, but other times, I really want to eat, but I am not sure if I can, so, I test, and if my numbers are down around fasting, or the 80’s, I will eat a bit more than I might otherwise. No strips, no way to tell. Sometimes, I want a granola bar, and if I test and I am good, I will have it, other times, my BG is up still, so I stay away. If I am ambivalent about dinner, I test, and good numbers will allow me to have one kind of meal, and higher numbers will dictate that I have a salad. That is how I got from 6.8, to 5.5 in three months. If I was testing once a day, or four times a day once a week, I don’t think that 6.8 would have moved very much.

Now that I did my three months of boot camp doing just the basics, and essentially the same foods over and over, I have to expand my options or go insane. For three months, I never ate anything but food at home. How on earth can I go out to eat (I do get a date every now and then

Two days ago, I went to lunch at what was my favorite food court that has the greatest baked ziti on earth. Pasta is bad, by all accounts, but I gave it a shot. These numbers I recall. I was 90 when I sat down to eat. I didn’t have the garlic bread, and drank plain old water. An hour later, I was 110, two hours 100, and three hours 85. Who said pasta was bad for me? Most is, but this particular recipe/ingredients, seemed to agree with me.

Its very important to me because now I have a place where I can occasionally go out for lunch and have something that I really enjoy. I have to do it a few more times with the testing to be sure I am good, but it really gives me a boost emotionally to know I can have it.

My friend always stops at Wendy’s, so I have to test, test, test, and have found what I can, and cannot eat there. No buns, just naked burgers, or chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, and even the chili are okay. If I didn’t have the ability to test, I would either have to stay away, or I would be destroying my A1c number eating things I think I can have, but that I cannot.

The list of foods I can eat that many other T2’s have to avoid is pretty long, and I am sure, vice versa applies.

Test strips help me emotionally, as well as physically. I know I am not hurting myself, and that matters. We all know how devastating the diagnosis was, and the fear and anger that follows as we have to give up so many foods that we like. Well, what if my testing strips show me that I can eat someone’s brand of Pizza (which is what they call that crap here in Utah ) That makes a difference in my life, and my overall attitude.

So much of life is wrapped around eating. Its an amazingly huge portion of our social life as most here will attest.

Strips are like crutches. You could walk on a broken ankle without them, but it hurts, and the ankle will heal faster and more completely, if you use the crutch.

If I am cursed to live long enough (I am 54) I assume this disease will continue to debilitate my system, and cause problems in spite of my greatest efforts. If I live ten more years, and can’t eat anything new because I cannot be sure its okay with my system, that will be ten awful years. If I can test new foods to keep things “fresh” then there is a good chance, I won’t need insulin, and maybe not even meds. Without the vigilance, I could end up on insulin, testing 8 times a day. It seems stupid not to be able to test whenever I need to, now, rather than having to test even if I don’t want to, ten years from now. The idea of healthcare is to avoid the illness and its consequences, not just roll along, hoping for the best, knowing that if things do fall apart, there is always insulin and constant test strip usage.

I use a scale to track my weight loss, because frankly, I don’t see where the 20+ pounds came from, but they are gone. If I didn’t have the scale, I would not know if I am losing weight or not. If I cannot test my BG, I do not know if I am spiking too high, and screwing up my A1c.

If the ultimate goal is the lowest A1c possible, then testing randomly, four times a day once a week, is a complete waste of time and money. The only time my numbers will move, is when I take in food, and that is when I need to test. If Walmart discontinues their non-fat pudding or I move away from access to walmart (which I think may be impossible to do lol!) then I have to do the testing all over again, including time of day, and relative to exercise. Walmart also sells wheat tortillas that are 8 carbs. Saved me for sure because I can’t eat a sandwich based on big chunks of lettuce, and bread sends me soaring. These tortillas are fine with me. Of course, if they disappear, or I can no longer find a store that sells them, I am hosed if I cannot do all the testing with whatever I decide to use instead.

So many variables that there is no way to keep A1c at its min, without testing, and monitoring daily, imo.

Some others commented, but I am locked into this doctor because of the kind of insurance I have, and there is no coverage for any support, or dietician. I am out of work, and cannot afford to go to any other doctor or professional, and so I do what I can while I can.

That was way too long :slight_smile: but I figured I would explain, and see if it makes sense to anyone. To just prescribe the strips, and not use them, is indeed a waste. However, if they keep my spirits up because I know I am doing well, and they help keep my kidneys, eyes, and other organs working into my older years, it seems a small investment, as I assume insulin and meds would cost a whole lot more than the strips I use in the manner I use them. Looks expensive short term, but seems like an investment in the future, to me.

Whew…I am all out of words, and that doesn’t happy very often

Thanks to all who read and wrote and commented.

John

FWIW, his rationale was that he would get into trouble with the insurance company, and his bosses who run the clinic, if he prescribed strips for someone whose numbers are so low.

As I kind of touched on, he referred more than once to all the healthcare stuff flying around DC, and I think he is intimidated just a bit by the fact that he is about to have his job turned upside down, and will soon have G-men inspecting his files, his shorts, his car, and every word he types into his work PC. Just another side effect of socialized medicine we will soon learn to despise He is not a bad guy, and has been my doctor for over a decade. This is a new side of him that I am sure is being forced upon him from the outside.

Shoot, first prescription he called in, was for 200 strips. Then the pharmacy screwed up, and when I got back to him, he had changed his mind, and reduced the number by half.

I’ll just let my A1c number go back up. That will show him! lol!

John

Well, just to keep it lively and moving along, joining a gym, hiring a trainer, or taking cooking lessons won’t lower my BG. There is no emperical data that proves that such things will lower or control BG levels.

For them to be effective, I would have to go, and use the membership, do what the trainer says, and learn to cook properly to get any value out of those things. That makes them a tool, and the tool itself has no effect on my numbers unless I use it. Strips are tools. Put the hammer next to the nails, and see if it can put them into the wall by itself. Take away either one, and you cannot even build the wall in the first place.
(sidebar)
I think it was Rita Rudnar who said she joined a gym for $600 a year, and was aghast to learn that she had to actually go, and exercise to get anything out of it :slight_smile: Then she said she had to spend work hard to bend, twist, reach up, pull, and strain, work up such a sweat, and get up and down a dozen times, so by the time she finally had her workout clothes on, the gym was closed

I am not advocating five and more tests every day, all the time on the same foods. I am saying that in the past, people who were T2 and had no meters, simply “gave it their best shot” and a lot of them lost limbs, eyesight, and kidney function for lack of a way to know what was good for them, and what was bad.

If a T2 doesn’t test everything he/she eats, then he is forced to eat a miserable diet that hardly qualifies as quality of life. I don’t mean that every time you eat the same meal, you have to test, but if you find a meal you like, and just think its good for you and its not, well, we know what the results are.

The A1c test is nice, but it doesn’t tell you which foods caused it to be high, or if your exercise is better done at night, or before you eat, it only says your average is X. There is no useful information in an A1c test to help you lower it. All it does is brand you with that scarlet D which means no health insurance for you, and life insurance is not very likely either. Oh, and lots of money for the healthcare industry.

People who don’t want to know there BG will fail anyway. People who know it from testing, will just have sore fingers to go with lower A1c numbers, and will probably be eating a whole lot better, and be more satisfied with what they can eat. Based on the testing I did for those three months, I calculated (best guess) my A1c would come in around 5.7, so hitting 5.5 was a bonus, but I learned a ton, and am still learning. I like to eat a lot of different food. I will not eat anything that I am unable to test, and make sure it doesn’t send my numbers rocketing.

It is an interesting debate. I think there is merit on both sides, but I prefer to err on the side of overkill. Better to die in a car wreck or some other accident, than to rot away in a hospital bed while some diseases eat away my internal organs and leave me blind.

Outside of the cost, which is a no brainer, I guess I would ask what I always ask when there are disagreements. What is the downside to testing too much?

Thanks,

John