Ok the reason I have all these meters from LEFT to RIGHT:
- Accu-Chek 1 - Got this when I left the hospital from my wonderful DKA and diagnoses run.
- Accu-Chek 2 - Got this because I broke the Lancet device from the first meter two days after getting it and asked to get another Lancet from the doctor and he just gave me the entire box again.
- Relion Meter - Got this when my insurance was still "working out" how many test strips a day they would pay for. By the way for those on a budget this meter works well for cheap strips. If you don't have insurance but still need to test more than a few times a day and need cheap strips look at Walmart for the Relion brand. They are good meters from what I found. I tested it against the Accu-chek and they were fairly close each time.
- Infopia Element Meter - Ok, changed insurance this year and they the new insurance had a cool FREE program for Diabetics to get test strips, meter, lancets, lancet device AS NEEDED even. I told them I was testing 8 times a day and boom they got it right out to me.
- Telcare BGM - This is my newest meter. In fact so new I just got it and thought "wow I have a lot of meters" so this one was sent when I called and requested the next set of strips this time. The nice lady on the phone said "we are going to send you new strips and a new type of meter" uhhh OK so I just got it today and It is charging. YEP charging. It is a cellular meter that uploads my test results vis cell connection to my personal web site that I can provide full access to or read only access so my doctor, wife, or whoever can see how my blood is doing at any time. Well I guess I can give this a try for a while so I will have to use it for a few days then check back in here and let you know how it goes.
I will have to do a little "review" of this meter once I have a few days of use under my belt. I still have to get all my stuff setup on the website tomorrow and then start uploading to it. then play with the charting and other features they provide with it.
The Telcare looks pretty awesome--you'll have to let us know how it goes
OK so after a day of using this new meter it is kind of cool and has some goofy things I don't like but can live with.
Likes:
1 - It has a shiney color screen that has nice things to say
2 - The meter is easy to use overall
3 - Cell phone uplink works easily
4 - seems to be accurate from what my normal numbers on other meters are (no real other way to test that after only one day of use but seems good)
5 - not the meter but related to it.... the test strips canister for it has desiccant in the lid so they don't get moist and go bad. COOL....
6 - MY INSURANCE PAYS %100 of this via this "test so you don't end up in the hospital" program they are working under. This is the main reason I even started down this meter madness road.
Dislikes:
1 - it is kinda big. Not so much I can't get over it but a little big. BUT it is a meter AND a cell device all in one.
2 - You have to turn it ON before you put the test strip in. My last couple of meters when you put the strip in that turned on the meter. Not a BAD thing really just not what I am used to yet and I keep putting the strip in then turning it on...ughh.
3 - if I turn the sound up on it the buttons all beep when working the menu but if I turn that volume down it turns off ALL sounds... should seperate keypad noise from BEEP for meter ready and ENOUGH BLOOD ON STRIP noises. Again not a deal breaker just different.
4 - when the test is done you remove the strip and it automatically sends the test result up to "THE MAN" but if there is no cell signal I have to go back manually and do it. There may be a way to auto-send them all later but I am not sure how yet. I travel a lot and have HORRIBLE cell coverage in some places so I don't want to sit and manually upload the testing for the day. Hmmm this seems it could be fixed with future firmware upgrades maybe.
Overall it is really kind of a cool meter and as you can see in the picture I posted of it my last reading today was my 8th so because I am setup on my prescription to test 8 times a day it told me how I did for that test and then left me a message for my overall testing today. It also knows how many strips I have been sent for a 3 month supply and when I get close to being out of strips it notifies me... wow... now all I need is to get it to cook dinner and clean the house.... haha
Oh yeah and it comes with a zip up pouch and that cool rubber cover you see in the picture. Makes it easy to hold while testing.
