Just curious as to whether or not you follow the recommended test times as determined by your doctor. Our Endocrinologist suggests morning (upon waking), lunch, dinner, and bedtime (9pm or so). My daughter was diagnosed 2 years ago, and at first we were VERY regimented in our routine. Tested at the same times everyday, no exceptions.
Now however, we are a bit more casual. It's the lunch test time that we've changed. Instead of testing right before lunch, we wait until just before afternoon snack time. We made this decision based on her hours at school - 8am to 2:30pm. This way she doesn't have to test at school (she's home at 2:35pm to test).
It's been very liberating.... just a little something that makes her feel a bit more normal.
Sarah tests pretty much before any meal or snack. So she usually tests three times during the school/after school program; morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack. She's still pretty up and down (mostly down) so we really need to know what her bg is in order to make sure she's taking the correct amount of insulin. Besides, I think it's a good habit to keep her in tight control to ensure long-term health.
I should add, my daughter takes injections, she isn't on a pump. My understanding is that you need to test more when you're on a pump. Correct? Also, the last year her A1C has remained very consistent at 8.0% Definitely room for improvement, but within good control range.
i go back and forth. i have a pump and also a cgm. on days i feel annoyed with diabetes i have a tendency to check a lot less (only the 2 times needed to calibrate the cgm) but on days i'm feeling pretty good, which are most days, i'll check anywhere from 6-15 times. usually every 1-2 hours i'm awake. before i had the cgm i would test - maybe - once or twice a day, and sometimes i would have periods where i didn't check for quite a few days. then i kicked myself in the ass and started checking every half hour - hour i was awake to get back in control and get rid of the wild swings between high and low.
i go through waves of "i hate bloodtesting" and "ok, it's not that bad". some days are better than others :o) i don't claim to be a good role model. i'm just honest about my care and how i feel about it.
a CGM is a continuous glucose monitor. it's worn similar to the pump where there's a small needle under the skin. it's checks the interstitial fluid every 5 minutes and gives a blood sugar reading on a little machine.
we test 8-12 times a day. anytime anything other than water in the mouth? TEST and if he feels weak we test...and he feels "extra silly" he will test and try to guess what his number is going to be...because he thinks it is going to be "high like a kite" lol...he's so goofy in the way he describes things sometimes.
i agree with michelle...it's a great habit to make while they are young...and hopefully it will stick when they are older.
I do think it's important to make your treatment work for you. That might mean deviating from specific instructions, to some extent.
I test 7 or 8 times a day (unless something is weird, then I'll test more), almost exactly as I was originally instructed by my CDEs, and always always always before giving myself a bolus of any kind. But as I understand it, a child's insulin regimen is pretty different from a typical adult's intensive insulin therapy. I think children are allowed to run a little higher, because lows are dangerous and children's BGs probably aren't as predictable (they're growing, playing, and possibly experiencing new hormones). It's important for me to test before bolusing because, if I'm a little lower than usual, I may need less insulin to keep from going TOO low (plus, I'd want to include a correction bolus if I'm high). If children are allowed to run higher, then that's less of a risk.
I'm more relaxed about the after-meal tests though, if the meal I had was predictible. I have a Dexcom that lets me keep track of the range I'm in and decide if a test might be needed. Oh, and I actually might bolus for a small snack without testing, provided Dexcom looks good, my last test wasn't too terribly long ago, and there's nothing unpredictible going on. Don't tell my CDEs that, though! :p
[quote user="JillinCalgary"]My understanding is that you need to test more when you're on a pump. Correct?[/quote]
Not in my own experience, after the first week of pumping. Someone with a pump might test more often because you can use all those numbers to adjust settings on your pump (for example, I'm testing like crazy this morning because I think I could use a slightly different basal rate in the first half of the mornings than I used in the second half). But once you have your pump settings about right, you don't really need to test any more often than you do on injections.
And actually, I tested more on injections. It was really hard to get my Lantus dose right, even after splitting it into two injections, so I tended to go low at certain times of the day. Plus, boluses aren't as accurate with injections as they are with the pump. With the pump, I've been able to really fine-tune my basal rates and get my boluses exactly right... so I don't have to worry nearly as much about going too low or high as I did on injections.
My 8 year old tests between 7 and 12 times per day. Always before any meal or snack, always before getting on the school bus to come home, always before gym class, almost always at midnight and 3am. If she is outside really playing hard (which is often) I will usually check her after about 1 1/2 hours. Bike riding and swimming are manditory every one hour checks if not more frequent because those activities make her low, quickly. She also plays soccer so we test frequently with that as well. My daughter's BS swings wildly sometimes so I would have no idea where she was at unless we tested frequently. I feel it's what's best for her. Every parent needs to decide what's best for thier child. We do the best we can with what we've got!
I usually test either when I wake up and do my lantus shot or wait til I'm at work an hour later to test. I then test whenever I eat lunch..which varies from day to day. Then I test at dinner, and sometimes before bed. I'll test between meals if I don't feel well or if I am having a snack. I try to do a 2hour test, but I don't do it on a regular basis throughout the day.
If your daughter is doing well and you're not being caught off guard by super high or low tests, then it sounds like you have a good system. In my experience it's best to find a way to make diabetes fit into real life, than to do things just because it's ideal.
Because I use a pump and am older, I test about 6-7 times a day (want to make sure I'm not having problems while driving a car or caring for my own child). That's what works for me, but it's different for everyone.
i usually test at least 8 times a day, or more if im feeling odd or just have a bad blood sugar day. like for instance i think i tested almost 20 times yesterday, my bs was all over the place so i wasnt feeling to great. I also test alot when i drink alcohol or if im exercising.
i always test when i get up, for meals and before bed. i also have been doing middle of the night tests, lately.
I test at breakfast, lunch, dinner, before bed (usually around 9:30 or 10:00), and my mom or dad test me around midnight. Add a few tests if I feel low because I am a very active person.
We test our son(8) at Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Bedtime, 3:00 a.m. and any other time he is acting or feeling off. At school he tests many times. Hunter often times has some difficulty figuring out if he is high or low....
It depends always before she eats so 3-5 times there. Then if she goes out to play or get in the shower or something she normally test before and almost always after playing. Right now I am working hard on her insulin dosing so she is testing every 3 hours between meals but she often does in between the 3 hour mark for one reason or another. On average 12 times a day right now. That includes over night testing too on a good night.
When I was on injections I tested at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedfime, at well as any time I felt off or when I was playing sports, etc.
On the pump I test before every meal (I aim for a reading within an hour of eating), after school, whenever I want to know where I am, before going to bed, and before tests, performances, etc. It usually ends up being 6-10 times per day.