So for the last 10 years or so of my D life I have been on a sliding scale of humalog. That means that say for breakfast if my blood sugar was between 0-50 I would take 3 units of humalog, 51-100 meant 4 units, and so on. For each meal there was a different scale associated with each range of blood sugar. Having switched in May to counting carbs and having a ratio for each meal and a correction factor for high blood sugars, it doesn't really matter what my blood sugar is (unless it is high), it is the number of carbs in the meal that dictates how much humalog I take. Problem is, breaking a 10 year old bad habit is almost impossible. I'm working on it, but still feel the need to check where I am at before taking humalog. It's probably not a bad thing except for the insurance company that recently authorized 12 strips a day. Funny thing is I am authorized by the insurance company for 12 strips a day and I get my strips in 90 day aliquots for a co-pay of $ 60.00. The mail order rx company has not gotten the authorizaton yet from the insurance company and it says my co-pay for 1100 FreeStyle Lite glucometer strips is
$ 1301.39 which I have to say is ridiculous and outright highway robbery. Thank goodness I don't actually have to pay any more than $ 60.00.
Since counting carbs on MDI from day 1 of dx, the sliding scale seems incomprehensible to me. So much less precise and no wonder you fingerstick so often. Maybe in another 10 years, you can have a new habit of "only" 6 a day!
Shawnmarie, thanks for the comments. I agree checking before meals is exactly what I do and exactly what the CDE advised doing. But if I get up at 6:30 and test but not eat breakfast until 8 then I check again before taking humalog. Then because my blood sugars have been so erratic on sliding scale, I can't get in the car without testing because that would be irresponsible and could be dangerous. So that is three strips before I'm even out the door in the morning. The habit I am actually trying to break is not testing before each meal, it is being so out of control that I need to. Sorry the blog didn't really describe what I truly meant to say. Except that I am working on it and eventually hope to use far less than the 12 strips a day I am now authorized to.
Hi, Clare!! if you have 12 strips daily authorized, use them! I can do three checks before I leave the house too. I am old-school long term diabetic(43 years) and also used sliding scales until about 10 years ago. It is not being out of control to have to/want to test frequently. Many of our TuDiabetes friends who are in excellent control and athletic ( say Acidrock, for example) test multiple times a day. That is just what you do to STAY in control. I have to make myself test more than 6-7 times a day, but I know I have to do that: I have lost weight since my father died this spring, and I have been very active this summer. Thus, my basal rates, insulin sensitivities, and I:C ratios all need adjustment. UGGH!! well know how to do it, but do not like doing it..but I have to, so I am pushing up my 6-7 times day to around 8-10..got to get in line. It is ok, more than ok: it is preferable to test a lot, unless you cannot get the strips for a reasonable amount of money. My co-pay was high and had to meet my deductible before getting assistance with strips for the first 7 months of this year, quite expensive to pay out of pocket for test strips...So I did not test as much as I needed to, kind of rationed them, during a stressful time. But I have enough strips now. and I am Getting back on the road to better control, which comes from testing A LOT!!!
Hope this helps. Have a great day. You and I,incidentally, think similarly about diabetes.. You are active and think of your self as "Clare" first; and "Clare who has diabetes" is just one your many other characteristics. That's me, too.. Living and Loving life gratefully and grand, as the Creator has graced me.
God bless,
Brunetta