I know to wash my hands before testing my BS. Yesterday I got lazy about it. I tested my BS with out washing my hands. My meter pops up a number. 386
WHAT? I knew this had to be wrong because I felt fine, When I hit 200 or up I feel sick. Then I remembered I grabbed three of my daughters animal crackers with icing. Residue from the icing must have been on my finger because after washing my hands and retesting I was 152.
So my laziness cost me an extra finger prick, that I didn't need.
Diabetes is a live and learn process and don't get lazy with it.
This happens to me sometimes. I have two words for that: alcohol wipes.
Unfortunately, using them on a regular basis can accelerate the formation of callouses. So I keep them in my meter case and only use them when I think I might need them. I also use a good hand cream to keep the callouses from getting bad.
If washing your hands is too inconvenient, you can use your spit to wash off the test site. Lick your finger and wipe it off on a tissue (or your clothing). It works. There is no carb in your saliva (as long as you don't do this while food is still in your mouth).
I found alcohol wipes too drying for my skin. Just wash my hands, after 20 years it is mostly routine. But once in a great while if I am rushing getting supper I my do the same thing. great reminder. Nancy
done the same thing after squeezing oranges even after rinsing my paws I was still over ten rechecked after a good wash all good
This problem likely happens to everyone sometimes. Just be glad you had enough sense to re-test before treating the hyper.
I had a frantic call from the school nurse the other day, telling me Eric was north of 400. I grabbed the insulin & syringe and went over to the school. When I got there, she said (somewhat shamefaced) she'd re-tested him and found him at 216, which was reasonable because he'd just had lunch, and they don't give him his bolus until they're sure what he's going to eat. She'd probably gotten an alcohol-wipe reading. I wasn't upset, though, because it turned out that this was the day of Eric's kindergarten concert, which started 10 minutes after I arrived, and I'd have missed it if she hadn't called me—I had totally forgotten about it!
After all the years and being lazy, I only wash my hands if I get a weird number. It is too much trouble--sitting in the car, at a luncheon, on a plane..... I just test and on the rare occasion when I feel the reading is off, I will then take the time to wash my hands and test again. Actually happens very, very rarely.
Jag1 has my number--lick the finger and test. I do it so automatically I forget.