I am getting sooo tired of my family saying “dont you think you over do it?” and my answer is. No. I dont think I “over do it” because I test 8-12 times a day. Sure I could test less, But I want to see what my sugar is doing. I dont want to be having fun, than 10 mins later passed out on the ground. I want to know where Im at as much as I can. Like Dino said to me at the TCOYD, " I think in order to be a good diabetic you need to test alot more than usual" and I agree 100% with that. I want my A1c to be GREAT I want to live a long healthy life. So why do my parents keep nagging me about that? ughh =/ I wish insurance would cover as many test strips I wanted! Dont we all. right? haha.
I test 10-12 times a day and all I have to do to get insurance coverage is document that I test that many times a day and send it in, then they have no problem covering it.
My daughter tests 8 times a day that is not a choice but at times we do test a little more so we can see where her numbers are.When she has a low she does not have any signs She can drop to 43 and no one knows it until they check her blood.Which is scary.we do check her extra on some days.But after a while you will know when you should check extra or when you will be ok.Your parents are probally upset because you are testing so much and they have to buy my strips out of pocket.They are expensive.I understand what you are saying about having good numbers and thats great you are doing this.But then with your parents point is these strips are expensive and you do not need to keep checking you blood.If you have symptoms when you are low then you really do not need to keep checking yourself.If you do not have symptoms then it would be wise to check your BG numbers more often.As a parent I understand how checking BG numbers often helps have a healthy life but on the other hand it is expensive to keep buying strips.But they never said being healthy was cheap.
I just keep a log on my computer on excel and print it out. Just have to show dates, times, and what your blood sugar is.
personally, I don’t think you can test “too much.” I was recently Dx’d (T2: 10/10/08) and have recently been testing alot more. I like to know what different foods do to my BG levels. it’s nice, for me, to understand what on thing does over another thing.
AND no one can or should be allowed to judge what makes you feel “in control” of your Diabetes or whatever makes you comfortable!!
Hey
I don’t think you can overdo the testing either. Yes, it’s hellishly expensive, but I don’t think I can put a price on my quality of life, and I feel better in both the long-term and short-term when I test often. I have met a T2 who tests once a day, but she lives a very scheduled and rigid lifestyle so it doesn’t vary much on a daily basis. On the other hand, I want to be able to go dancing just because I feel like it, or eat a bit of birthday cake with a friend, and the only way to do that safely (IMHO) is to test more often than they want you to. My insurance wants me to test once a day - and I have hypo unawareness!!
I test 8-12 times per day and I even have a CGMS (but I think once I’m used to it, I will test less). My insurance had a quantity limit of 200 strips per month. Since I use twice that each month, my endo and I fought it. Took about a month to get the kinks ironed out, but I got them to approve it.
You have a right to test more often and insurance should have to cover it.
For pump users, testing is recommended before and after meals, before and after exercise, before and after sleeping, and any time you feel symptoms of low or high blood sugar.
I was having that argument with my parents for months - they felt I was being too compulsive, etc. (about testing - appx 8 times a day - and carb restriction), especially since, as I’ve repeated ad nauseum elsewhere on this site, my sugars are normal without insulin. Then I got back my A1C (5.2) and fructosamine (somewhere around 250 - don’t recall the exact number.) Then my dad told me just keep doing what I was doing, and the next time he told me I was being too compulsive, just to remind him of my A1C.
I know that I needed to get a waiver to get more strips than the maximum covered by insurance, and since I was studying for the bar at the time, I just sicced my mom on the insurance company - I thought it would take me several hours I didn’t have with a week to go before “game day.” I think the administrative paperwork took them longer than the saying “yes” - and then I switched plans when I started work, so I suppose I need to do that all again.
Basically, do what you’re comfortable with. You are the master of your own diabetes. Doctors can advise you (and medicate you); your parents can support you; CDEs and dieticians can educate you; but YOU have to synthesize it into a plan that keeps you healthy. Were I in frank diabetes (what a silly term, eh?), I’d probably be testing every 15 minutes, even if it was just to allieviate boredom at work . . . .
Kenny-
I’m very proud of you! I’ve been T1 since age 2 1/2 and for YEARS my parents were the ones nagging me to test more. Now, when I started I used test tubes and urine – there were no blood testing machines on the market! YUCK! But, it wasn’t until I was in my 20’s and really started to pay close attention to MYSELF and MY diabetes that I started to test more. I test about 8 times a day. There are times it’s more and times it’s less.
I think you should do what feels best for you and don’t let ANYONE tell you otherwise. Someone else mentioned that you can get the insurance companies to approve more strips. Work with your doctor and do what’s best for you.
Congrats on taking care of you!!
Erin
Hey Kenny,
It is never too much. Test as often as you like. The more we test the better we can control our diabetes. We can notice trends and do something about it before it becomes an issue.
I think it is great that at your age you are on top of your health. I wish I could have said the same of myself at your age. Just keep doing as you do, and live a LOOOOOONNNNG and HEALTHY life!!!
Take care,
s
Insurance companies amaze me. The strips are cheaper that paying for treatments related to complications. They should reward you for wanting tighter control. Instead they tell you to keep moderate control unless you apply to get better control with a waiver. Hmmm if the strips were cheaper would they let you get more (things that make you say hmmmm…)
My insurance (Hungarian national insurance) covers 5 test strips a day. And my doctor is convinced that testing more than 5 times a day is “useless”.
So I also have to buy the extra strips that I use to test 7-10 times a day.
I don’t think people understand how quickly blood sugar can change, especially for insulin dependent diabetics. I also like to know where my blood sugar is!
Hope that your insurance will start to cover the extra strips! Your parents should be proud and you are so diligent!