The first prescription that I got from the doctor gave me the opportunity to test 5x a day. This was really good because I was getting the hang of what I can eat, so I had to test before and after meals. Which is really the only way that you can see how a particular meal is going to affect you, if you don’t have anything to work with besides diet and exercise.
Testing has been great for me because my average blood sugars have declined from 140 in February to around 108.
That prescription ran out, and the doctor just called in a new one, which apparently only provides for 3 tests a day. Given that, I am wondering
when are the best times to test, and also,
whether I should try to get more test strips.
I have pretty good insurance, so I don’t know why my doctor is lowballing my test strips, but I would guess it’s because the theory is that type 2 diabetics who are not on medication that causes them to go low don’t really gain anything by testing. Personally, I think that theory is wrong, but if it’s the theory that my doctor and insurance company subscribe to I don’t know how I would convince them otherwise. It seems like a bit of a raw deal to have this condition to deal with and then not have the tools to deal with it properly.
IMO, that theory sucks. I would definitely talk to your doctor about upping your script. My doc has me covered for 12 tests a day. My usual test regimen is 1 waking, 1 and 2 hours postprandial breakfast, before lunch, 1 and 2 hour postprandial, before dinner rinse repeat and one last test before bed. Basically i test at least 10 times a day. this leaves me a couple extra a day in case i have heavy workouts, or i can save up a few in case i try a new food and need to run a curve to see how i react to it.
The way my doc sees it, the testing helps me stay on top of my meals and exercise (if i mess up, i see it right away) so it helps in my overall management of my D. if your doc wont up your script, you might check out the Wal-mart Relion Ultima meter. Meter is like 5 bucks and the test strips are like 35 bucks for 100 strips, much cheaper than the better known name brands and the strips and meter are actually made by Abbott, maker of the freestyle brand of meters.
How about testing before and after a different meal every day. And then maybe at bedtime. I hope you can get the doctor to change this tho.
Do you need a prescription for the Relion stuff or is it over the counter?
Test equipment is over the counter in the US. you only need a prescription to have it covered by insurance.
I forgot to weigh in on the second part of your question and i would would agree with Kathyann although i would alway test waking, then mix up meal time testing (test lunch one day, dinner another) and do pre-meal and 2 hour postprandial tests.
Sorry to hear Judith. HMO’s suck! I’m on a PPO so my doc doesn’t really answer to my insurance company, or at least answers less to them 
I think its more sinister though then just thinking we are dumb. My take is, insurance companies just don’t care because there is no long term financial benefit for them. For example, when i quit smoking, my Chantix was 145 for a 1 month prescription (been on it for 7 months) and insurance covered 0, zilch, zip squat. And you say, but if i get cancer, they’ll pay for that, chemo, hospitals drugs. hundreds of thousands of dollars. But, more likely, my current insurance company wont. when it comes to health insurance, most people change jobs 3-5 years and with new job comes new insurance.So more than likely, i will be someone elses problem 15 years from now so they have no incentive to help provide a drug that can save the system in the long run. in the short term, they get out of paying a few thousand in prescription costs.
D is the same way, why pay for more strips now when by the time you develop complications, you’ll be someone else’s issue.
Ok, off my soap box…
Duck’s idea of checking ebay is good too, particularly if you don’t want to have a bunch of meters for different purposes.
If you are testing one needs to zero down what are you testing for. If you are eating high carbs then expect high numbers, then its kinda a waste of a test strip. Testing to me is for knowing what foods I can eat, tolerate, and keep in line on post meals. My morning fasting is also very important.
If you can only get three strips per day I would mix it up. Test one of your meals before and after and a night time or morning. Since you are not on medication or insulin and not in danger of a hypo as a T-2 you have alot more leeway on what you can do.
Wake up
1 hour before a meal and 1 1/2 hours after a meal is what I do.
You have to push them to rewrite that prescription. I’m a type 1 and I couldn’t imagine relying on three blood tests per day. That’s ridiculous. Seven to ten would be a more appropriate number.
I am thinking that you need an advocate on your side with your doc and with your insurance co. My CNP wanted me to test four times a day, so she knew where I was at, but only wrote the script for 25 strips, on container. I had to do the math and knew I had enough for a week. I went in and explained to her that this simply wouldn’t be enough for an accurate reading, and I would need at least 100 to get me through the month at her written instructions. This is your life, not your docs, not your insurance companies, you are the leader of this team and you need the proper supplies to do the job of taking care of yourself. I think in the area of supplies, meds, etc we need to be our own best advocates and go for what we pay for, either in services or equipment. If the doc or your insurance company don’t get it or won’t cooperate after your storming their offices, then it might be time for a new doc and insurance provider, OR contacting public health services. They often have more than enough strips and testing supplies to hand out some to people who need and want them.