G'day,
Just got back from my new Endo/Educator who recommended that I should cut back on my finger pricks to allow my fingers to recover and so I don't burn out. I have been testing before and after breakfast, lunch and dinner but will drop to before breakfast, before lunch and then before and after dinner.
Got to say I feel a bit anxious with dropping the testing but I suppose I need to relax a bit.
Anyway it got me thinking, how often does everyone else test their BGL?
Austen
....you SHOULD be testing before breakfast, two hours after.
before lunch, two hours after.
before dinner, two hours after.
AND anytime you're not feeling well/have a snack.
I didn't used to test 2hours after meals generally, cuz I always forgot..now that I have the pump which reminds me to test 2hours after bolusing, I do it before/after meals, whenever i don't feel good, before i have a snack, before i start drinking, before and after i exercise.
if you're having problems with your fingers, try using ones you don't use often and rotating more..like your pinky and such. if you have a meter that can do it, try using your forearm a bit too.
..I'm shocked, to say the least, that your endo is telling you to test LESS. my endo has always bugged me about testing MORE(since i wasn't testing 2hours after meals).
Thanks Batts, yeah I have been doing the regular before then 2 hours after meals...etc. I also rotate the fingers so they arn't too bad.
This is my second educator and the last one also suggested that I could cut down the testing. They suggested focusing on one double test a day, for me it is dinner (BB, LB then DB & DA) I will after a while then swap to breakfast. I do feel a bit naked without it but it is good to have a break, I will do the full range every so often though and when not well or getting hypos.
Definitly interested to hear what others do though.
if you're going to drop any of them(which seems insane to me), you should drop the after meals, not the before.
I have been diabetic for 23 years, and I test 7-8 times a day!! The advice of your endo seems a little odd to me as well, but there must be some reason we don't know that you and your endo do... using your forearm might be a good option, but you would need to keep in mind that those results tend to vary from what you'd get if you tested your fingers. At least, that's what my old endo told me.
I have the same problem for some odd reason my endo always says I test so much and it annoys me a lot!
I test 6 times a day, but if im out or drinking or whatever I will sometimes test every hour
some of my fingers u can def tell i test a lot on but ive had it for 23 years and I never got burnt out from over-testing!
That's strange that they are telling you to cute back. My dad and I have the same endo, which he's been seeing her for years! And she tells us to always check before meals, 2 hours after meals, before bed or if we're not feeling well. I guess I would say I test 7-9 times a day.
I test 7 times at the least, and average of about 10, and on the worst day i've ever had, 21. And sixteen of them were less than 80.
5-6 on a good day
Last day or so I haven't been testing as much have been annoying, feel anxious not knowing.
I often have meetings and the like with my work and sometimes the clash of times restricts testing so if I am feeling fine I wont test then. Generally I will stick to usual before and 2 hrs after and any other time I need to (like before big meetings or sick...etc).
Thanks for the feed back keep it coming.
That's really strange. I mean, you don't want to be checking unnecessarily and damaging your fingers more but it sounds like you aren't checking too much...I test anywhere from 6-12 times a day with an average of 7-8 times a day.
Since it's summer where you live, you may want to try using your toes to test. It gives results just as accurate as you would get from your finger, and would help give time for your fingers to recover. I had the same problem, and since I play the violin I was only using 5 fingers, so now when I am home I use my toes usually. And I always test six times per day, but of course it can get to 10 or even 12 with lows/highs.
10-12 tests per day
I test 8-10 days...here lately though and it's bad because I'm fixing to get on the pump I have been noticing myself forgetting to test. Like I will feel normal and it doesn't even hit me. And then I forget to do insulin too...I have had a bad D week. Between getting ready for Thanksgiving and cleaning the house and plus school work it's just kind of slipt my mind and of course when I remembered Im always super super high even with doing insulin and testing like I should
8-10 times a day...otherwise, I get sick as a dingo...:-p
Amanda,
Dude! I play the violin, too! Went to conservatory as well...lol...no left hand--no kidding on that one, seriously. The fingerboard becomes very painful to play otherwise. Never thought about toes...it scares my a bit insofar as it might lead to infection, but what the heck do I know as I have never tried it.
Also, I forget to bolus and end up sick...too often. Sigh. I forget to check as well...I finally gave up and turned on the alarms again...now it's back to beep, beep beep etc. Most of the time I heed them but sometimes, nope. My problem is that now that winter is finally kicking in, it's getting cold, so the fingers have to be stuck and restuck before they will give up the blood. RRRRrrrgh. It's a little funny though when i am sticking again and again and some non T1 is around. You know...they start glancing sideways and shifting...lol. I have a bad sense of humor.
The third position was always roughest when I did use my left hand. Go figure. I never learned how to play relaxed...
[quote user="Crochet Nut"]
Amanda,
Dude! I play the violin, too! Went to conservatory as well...lol...no left hand--no kidding on that one, seriously. The fingerboard becomes very painful to play otherwise. Never thought about toes...it scares my a bit insofar as it might lead to infection, but what the heck do I know as I have never tried it.
Also, I forget to bolus and end up sick...too often. Sigh. I forget to check as well...I finally gave up and turned on the alarms again...now it's back to beep, beep beep etc. Most of the time I heed them but sometimes, nope. My problem is that now that winter is finally kicking in, it's getting cold, so the fingers have to be stuck and restuck before they will give up the blood. RRRRrrrgh. It's a little funny though when i am sticking again and again and some non T1 is around. You know...they start glancing sideways and shifting...lol. I have a bad sense of humor.
The third position was always roughest when I did use my left hand. Go figure. I never learned how to play relaxed...
[/quote]
I know!! The strings kind of cut into your fingers anyway, especially the e string, and I guess when you test it makes your skin less thick... and it hurts. Only took me a day after dxd to realize I wouldn't be using my left hand.
I have gotten a lot of responses that people are worried about infection with toes, but if you use an alcohol swab beforehand, make sure your hands are clean, wash your feet well, etc. you really shouldn't have an issue (unless you're otherwise "prone" to infection). I check my toes every time I test on them to make sure none of the spots look inflamed, but in the 6 months I've been doing this I haven't had any trouble at all. Occasionally a small bruise will form but I just don't use that toe for a while (I mean, I've got 9 others still, which is great compared to 5 fingers!!)
And as you say, it is tough to get fingers to warm up and blood to come during the cold months, which is another reason why toes are great-- since they're at the lowest part of your body, it is much easier to get the blood to come. I totally understand about sticking over and over...people give me really weird looks, like "ok, shouldn't blood be spouting out of her by now???" And by sticking again and again you make your fingers harder and harder to use...a vicious cycle.
Can't comment on which position is hardest when testing on your left hand...but in general 2nd and 4th suck :-p lol
When I use my CGMS - probably 3 times a day for calibration and checking.
Otherwise 10 times a day
Anywhere from 5-8 times/day.
Amanda and Crochet Nut,
When I was at music camp this summer there was a type 1 violinist who used the area where your thumb attaches to your hand but is part of your palm, if that makes any sense. It seems like it would hurt and I don't know if it's as accurate as fingers/toes but I guess it's also an alternative.
What conservatory did you go to Crochet Nut?
I love meeting other musicians :)