So, my Freestyle Lite arrived yesterday as my surprise at work. I figured i’d have it shipped to work so it wouldn’t mysteriously disappear from the doorstep at home. 
I opened the box and marveled at all the bits and pieces. I have to admit that i’m a baby and I was most concerned about "stabbing’ (as I discovered on UK diabetes forums is what they called it and I like that… so brutal sounding that it scared me - Mr. Newbie - but got my girls excited last night) to get that tiny drop of blood.
A bit of background - i’m “only” pre-diabetic as my new doctor told me in November, and he wasn’t concerned with my 12-hr fast at 101, as that barely puts me in that category, but still it points out that my body isn’t working as it should be. Since then, i’ve begun exercising regularly by taking multiple long walks every week…and i’ve found that I enjoy walking so much that if I don’t do it at least 3-4x per week that I miss it so much. I mostly use it as a time to talk with God during the whole walk and find that quite enjoyable.
So, my getting a meter may have seemed “silly” to some folks, but since I was able to get it for free [yes, I know… it’s the strips, darn it, the strips! that they are getting rich off of] I decided that I should keep an occasional eye on my BG until I learn how my body works and if any of my changes are knocking the numbers below pre-diabetic 100+…
Unfortunately, it didn’t just “go away” like a little cold, as I briefly hoped for. I knew from reading that any count above 99 after fasting is pointing to our bodies starting to go awry. I believe that my early warning is a blessing in disguise as it’s brought me to this community and has given me a great awareness of my body. I have no weight to lose, so i’m a bit more limited (at least it feels that way) in being able to get this under control.
I initially wanted to get to stabbing to take the fear away… and it turned out that there is NO FEAR in it… because it barely even hurts. It’s almost fun milking that drop anyways and watching my girls get grossed out. HA HA HA!!! So my initial test yesterday evening, before dinner was 115, but my most important results Pre-D are after the 10-12 hr fast, so when I got 106 this morning after a 10-12 hour fast, I know this isn’t a dream or a fairytale, but a wake up call.
I’m looking forward to being able to share more and to get to know other Tu D’ers out here. I know that my pre-d levels seem so ridiculously low to most of you who are battling larger numbers, but to someone like myself it’s a big deal and i’m relieved that I can share with my new friends and ‘family’. Tu D is a FANTASTIC resource.
Keep warm everyone!
Stephen