I recently was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and I would like to
start monitoring my blood sugar level. I would like to know which
glucose monitor system is the least painful (I don’t like to prick my
finger, especially multiple time a day). Thanks.
22
Jul
which glucose monitor system is less painful
Mz. Tong wrote:
> I recently was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and I would like to
> start monitoring my blood sugar level. I would like to know which
> glucose monitor system is the least painful (I don’t like to prick my
> finger, especially multiple time a day). Thanks.
Well, it’s not the meter that hurts. It’s the jabby thing we stab our
fingers with. So you’re actually making two purchasing decisions: 1)
which is the best meter for you, and 2) which jabby thing do you like
the best. Unfortunately, they don’t always come together.
Everybody has a favorite meter. Basically, they’re all good. Every
meter is liked by somebody. The meters I like best, the LifeScan
meters, come with a torturous jabby thing. My first two years as a
diebetic were a testing hell. I dreaded every test and flinched with
every lancing. Some jabby things are adjustable. Some have dials you
can set, others have different caps that change the depth of penetration.
The jabby thing I’ve found that is miles better than any other jabby,
is the SoftClix lancing device which comes with the Accu-Chek meters.
They’re sold separately, but they’re expensive. SoftClix has a new
model out which costs between $20 and $.38, depending on where you shop.
However, they’re given away free when you buy one of the Accu-Chek
meters. The cheapest Accu-Chek is the Accu-Chek Active which you can
purchase for $15.99 at http://www.hocks.com; or for maybe $25.00 at your local
drugstore. I know the math on that is crazy, but it’s real.
If no-pain is your thing, go for the SoftClix. It’s definitely worth
$15.99. Go buy an Accu-Chek Active. Throw the meter away and keep the
Softclix. Or, what the hey, keep the Accu-Chek. You never, know, you
might like it.
E
Mz. Tong wrote:
> I recently was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and I would like to
> start monitoring my blood sugar level. I would like to know which
> glucose monitor system is the least painful (I don’t like to prick my
> finger, especially multiple time a day). Thanks.
Hi Mz…
Sorry you had to join our group… we know it can be a shock to get a
diagnosis of diabetes. And right now you have a lot of stuff running
around your head.
The good news is, you won’t keel over today, so you have some time to
figure out your plan of attack.
But.
You do have to figure out a plan of attack. This is a life threatening
disease. The complications that can arise out of not attacking your
Blood Glucose levels with every weapon you’ve got are nasty nasty nasty.
And the single most importan weapon is: Your meter. And poking your
fingers.
Sorry. There’s no way around it. No one "likes" to poke their
fingers… but we do it because we’re grown ups and we know we don’t
have a choice if we want to keep our eyesight, our limbs and our lives.
But there is good news. You will get used to it. Everyone does. I
promise.
As for which one… they’re all decent. I use the One Touch Ultra. It
uses the least amount of blood and it’s fast. If you’ve got friends
with diabetes, ask to test out their meters (change the lancet)…
As for a plan of attack… here’s the advice I give all newbies:
Sounds like you’re planning a move to take control of your diabetes… good
for you.
There is so much to absorb… you don’t have to rush into anything. Begin
by using your best weapon in this war, your meter. You won’t keel over
today, you have time to experiment, test, learn, test and figure out just
how your body and this disease are getting along. The most important
thing you can do to learn about yourself and diabetes is test test test.
The single biggest question a diabetic has to answer is:
What do I eat?
Unfortunately, the answer is pretty confusing.
What confounds us all is the fact that different diabetics can get great
results on wildly different food plans. Some of us here achieve
great blood glucose control eating a high complex carbohydrate diet.
Others find that anything over 75 – 100g of carbs a day is too
much. Still others are somewhere in between.
At the beginning all of us felt frustrated. We wanted to be handed
THE way to eat, to ensure our continued health. But we all
learned that there is no one way. Each of us had to find our own path,
using the experience of those that went before, but still having
to discover for ourselves how OUR bodies and this disease were coexisting.
Ask questions, but remember each of us discovered on our own what works best
for us. You can use our experiences as jumping off points, but eventually
you’ll work up a successful plan that is yours alone.
What you are looking to discover is how different foods affect you. As I’m
sure you’ve read, carbohydrates (sugars, wheat, rice… the things our
Grandmas called "starches") raise blood sugars the most rapidly. Protein
and fat do raise them, but not as high and much more slowly… so if you’re
a T2, generally the insulin your body still makes may take care of the rise.
You might want to try some experiments.
First: Eat whatever you’ve been
currently eating… but write it all down.
Test yourself at the following times:
Upon waking (fasting)
1 hour after each meal
2 hours after each meal
At bedtime
That means 8 x each day. What you will discover by this is how long
after a meal your highest reading comes… and how fast you return to
"normal". Also, you may see that a meal that included bread, fruit or
other carbs gives you a higher reading.
Then for the next few days, try to curb your carbs. Eliminate breads,
cereals, rices, beans, any wheat products, potato, corn, fruit… get all
your carbs from veggies. Test at the same schedule above.
If you try this for a few days, you may find some pretty damn good
readings. It’s worth a few days to discover.
Eventually you can slowly add back carbs until you see them affecting your
meter.
The thing about this disease… though we share much in common and we
need to
follow certain guidelines… in the end, each of our bodies dictate our
treatment and our success.
The closer we get to non-diabetic numbers, the greater chance we have of
avoiding horrible complications. The key here is AIM… I know that
everyone is at a different point in their disease… and it is progressive.
But, if we aim for the best numbers and do our best, we give ourselves the
best shot at heath we’ve got.
That’s all we can do.
Here’s my opinion on what numbers to aim for, they are non-diabetic numbers.
FBG under 110
One hour after meals under 140
Two hours after meals under 120
or for those in the mmol parts of the world:
Fasting Under 6
One hour after meals Under 8
Two hours after meals Under 6.5
Recent studies have indicated that the most important numbers are your
"after meal" numbers. They may be the most indicative of future
complications, especially heart problems.
Listen to your doctor, but you are the leader of your diabetic
care team. While his /her advice is learned, it is not absolute. You
will end up knowing much more about your body and how it’s handling
diabetes than your doctor will. Your meter is your best weapon.
Just remember, we’re not in a race or a competition with anyone but
ourselves… Play around with your food plan… TEST TEST TEST. Learn what
foods cause spikes, what foods cause cravings… Use your body as a science
experiment.
You’ll read about a lot of different ways people use to control their
diabetes… Many are diametrically opposed. After awhile you’ll learn that
there is no one size fits all around here. Take some time to experiment
and you’ll soon discover the plan that works for you.
Best of luck!
Jennifer
"Mz. Tong" <actionaler…@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:576af579.0407312006.662d20b0@posting.google.com…
> I recently was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and I would like to
> start monitoring my blood sugar level. I would like to know which
> glucose monitor system is the least painful (I don’t like to prick my
> finger, especially multiple time a day). Thanks.
I’m a newbie myself, so I don’t have any comparative information. However,
I am using the FreeStyle meter (by TheraSense). I like the meter and the
software available on their website for downloading to my computer. In
addition, the lancet (your actual question) is almost painless. It can be
set to different levels, and there have been times when I actually thought
it had not worked–until I checked for blood and found that it actually had
penetrated. I do know that some meters will read very small drops of blood
(FreeStyle is one of them), but I have also found that I can get more than
an adequate amount even from the tiny spot that I just described. If you do
get this lancet, note that it has two caps. The blue one should be used for
the fingers; the clear cap is for alternate locations.
MaryL
On Sat, 31 Jul 2004 21:49:46 -0700, Eldritch <TiredofSp…@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> The jabby thing I’ve found that is miles better than any other jabby,
>is the SoftClix lancing device which comes with the Accu-Chek meters.
I’ll support that. I’ve never had a different lancet, so I can’t
compare. But I did have trouble understanding why other people
complained about "pricking" themselves when I had no problems.
Accu-chek soft-clix.
Once you’ve bought one, come back for more advice on how to use it
painlessly.
Cheers, Alan, T2 d&e, Australia.
Remove weight and carbs to email.
—
Everything in Moderation – Except Laughter.
Mz. Tong <actionaler…@yahoo.com> wrote on 31 Jul 2004 21:06:36 -0700:
> I recently was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and I would like to
> start monitoring my blood sugar level. I would like to know which
> glucose monitor system is the least painful (I don’t like to prick my
> finger, especially multiple time a day). Thanks.
Then don’t prick your fingers! Use your forearm instead. There are
prickers around specifically intended for forearm use, so get one.
People’s sensitivity to pain cause by stabbing fingers varies widely. On
this group, for example, Beav barely feels it. To me finger stabbing is
barely speakable agony. I still have nightmarish memories of the
fortnight, a little less than twenty years ago, when I first tried out
finger stabbing. It was a fortnight envelopped in a haze of continual
pain, with steadily increasing apprehension and dread as the appointed
stabbing times approached. At the end of the fortnight I told my doc "no
way".
You may have a doctor whose attitute it is that blood sugar measurements
are "less accurate" on blood from the forearm. Although not totally
false, it’s an exaggerated problem – when your BS is rapidly changing,
whether upwards or downwards, the sugar level in the blood from your
forearm lags a bit further behind that change than that in your finger
blood.
You may also need your fingers for something special. I play the harp,
for example. It’s worth bearing in mind that no studies have been done
to investigate long term damage from finger stabbing.
–
Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)
Email: a…@muuc.dee; to decode, wherever there is a repeated letter
(like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
Jennifer <jenniferNOS…@earthlink.net> wrote on Sat, 31 Jul 2004
22:40:53 -0700:
Hi, Jennifer. I’ll have to take serious issue with you here.
> Mz. Tong wrote:
>> I recently was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and I would like to
>> start monitoring my blood sugar level. I would like to know which
>> glucose monitor system is the least painful (I don’t like to prick my
>> finger, especially multiple time a day). Thanks.
> Hi Mz…
> Sorry you had to join our group…
Yep!
> The good news is, you won’t keel over today, so you have some time to
> figure out your plan of attack.
> But.
> You do have to figure out a plan of attack.
Attack? Doesn’t seem like a good word to me, since the only object of
attack is Mz herself (?himself), who might just be feeling a tad delicate
right at the moment. I really don’t think "attack" is a good metaphor in
any event. What you attack, you either destroy or strengthen. No doubts
as to which way a fight against DM will go. And attacking absorbs
enormous amounts of energy. Far better, IMHO, to work cooperatively
_with_ the disease, reach a comfortable accomodation with it, until it is
no longer a threat.
> This is a life threatening disease. The complications that can arise
> out of not attacking your Blood Glucose levels with every weapon you’ve
> got are nasty nasty nasty.
I do wish you’d stop being so military about this. ;-( And putting that
weasel word "can" into the sentence doesn’t make it less outrageous. You
don’t use atomic bombs to quell minor riots.
> And the single most importan weapon is: Your meter. And poking your
> fingers.
> Sorry. There’s no way around it.
Wrong. You can get blood from other, less sensitive, bits of your body.
I use my forearm for this. I will _never_ again so brutally assault my
finger tips.
> No one "likes" to poke their fingers… but we do it because we’re
> grown ups and we know we don’t have a choice if we want to keep our
> eyesight, our limbs and our lives.
Oh dear! My mum used to say that sort of thing to me when she wanted me
to see or do things her way: "Act like your age!" "Grow up a bit,
Alan!". The implication here is that you’re only an adult if you yield
to the dictate of some authority person, be it doctor, policeman,
Jennifer, parent or priest, rather than forming your own judgement. ;-)
And these people frighten you into it, by telling you that the
_slightest_ deviation from their straight and narrow will result in utter
catastophe. Baloney!
I’ve had this thing for 39 years now (OK, I’ve got type 1 rather than
) There
type 2). I can still see, I’ve still got all my limbs and I’m still
alive. In fact, I am still free from physical side effects.
(Psychological side effects are quite something else, though.
weren’t any finger stabbing devices 39 years ago (thankfully). Somehow,
I’ve survived.
> But there is good news. You will get used to it [stabbing your
> fingers]. Everyone does. I promise.
Again, wrong. As a counterexample, I didn’t. Judging by the successful
marketing of prickers designed to stab other body parts, I’m far from
alone. And if you force yourself to pretend that the pain isn’t "real"
(whatever that might mean), you will damage yourself psychologically.
Also don’t forget, nobody has bothered to investigate the damage caused
by continually stabbing your fingers several times a day for several
decades. Damage there certainly will be.
That said, the results of frequent blood sugar measurements can be very
useful in treating diabetes. If you can do it, it is to be recommended.
[ .... ]
> Best of luck!
> Jennifer
–
Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)
Email: a…@muuc.dee; to decode, wherever there is a repeated letter
(like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
"Alan Mackenzie" <a…@muc.de> wrote in message news:ml2jec.67.ln@acm.acm…
> Mz. Tong <actionaler…@yahoo.com> wrote on 31 Jul 2004 21:06:36 -0700:
> Then don’t prick your fingers! Use your forearm instead. There are
> prickers around specifically intended for forearm use, so get one.
> People’s sensitivity to pain cause by stabbing fingers varies widely. On
> this group, for example, Beav barely feels it. To me finger stabbing is
> barely speakable agony. I still have nightmarish memories of the
> fortnight, a little less than twenty years ago, when I first tried out
> finger stabbing. It was a fortnight envelopped in a haze of continual
> pain, with steadily increasing apprehension and dread as the appointed
> stabbing times approached. At the end of the fortnight I told my doc "no
> way".
> —
> Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)
> Email: a…@muuc.dee; to decode, wherever there is a repeated letter
> (like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
Have you tried using your fingers recently? I am not trying to be obnoxious
here. The point is that you are discussing an incident from many years ago,
and the technology has changed. I was only recently diagnosed as Type 2,
and one of my first questions related to the pain of finger-sticking because
I also remembered the intense discomfort/pain when technicians would take
blood from my finger tips. I always much preferred to have blood drawn from
the arm — but I was also remembering how it was done years ago. Much to my
relief, I found that the lancet I am using has settings for depth of needle
entry. I have it set on 1 (the least invasive), and I was also told to use
the sides of my fingers — not the fingertips. I have not had any
difficulty at all doing this. (I also don’t give my fingers any type of
rigorous workout, unless typing on the computer counts. I might have
difficulty with that if I used the fingertips instead of the sides, but I
haven’t noticed anything at all so far.)
MaryL
On Sun, 1 Aug 2004 14:51:19 +0000, Alan Mackenzie <a…@muc.de> wrote:
>Again, wrong.
I won’t nit-pick every nit-pick there Alan.
What brought that on? Have you felt this way about Jennifer’s advice for
a while?
You were one of the first posters I read and respected when I arrived
here; Jennifer was another. You both helped me a lot, but following the
advice you just attacked was the single most important thing that helped
me develop a plan to control my type 2. And "attacked" is definitely the
correct word.
Whatever your feelings about the way it is presented, or differences of
opinion on where to test, that advice it has proven to be highly
effective for newby T2s – or for old ones who need to improve control.
So before I come back stronger, I’m asking again, hopefully as a friend,
what the hell brought that on?
Cheers, Alan, T2 d&e, Australia.
Remove weight and carbs to email.
—
Everything in Moderation – Except Laughter.
MaryL <carstan…@yahoo.comtake-out-the-litter> wrote on Sun, 1 Aug 2004
13:41:34 -0500:
> "Alan Mackenzie" <a…@muc.de> wrote in message news:ml2jec.67.ln@acm.acm…
>> Mz. Tong <actionaler…@yahoo.com> wrote on 31 Jul 2004 21:06:36 -0700:
>> Then don’t prick your fingers! Use your forearm instead. There are
>> prickers around specifically intended for forearm use, so get one.
>> People’s sensitivity to pain cause by stabbing fingers varies widely. On
>> this group, for example, Beav barely feels it. To me finger stabbing is
>> barely speakable agony. I still have nightmarish memories of the
>> fortnight, a little less than twenty years ago, when I first tried out
>> finger stabbing. It was a fortnight envelopped in a haze of continual
>> pain, with steadily increasing apprehension and dread as the appointed
>> stabbing times approached. At the end of the fortnight I told my doc "no
>> way".
> Have you tried using your fingers recently?
No.
> I am not trying to be obnoxious here.
> The point is that you are discussing an incident from many years ago,
> and the technology has changed.
Indeed it has. But by how much?
> I was only recently diagnosed as Type 2, and one of my first questions
> related to the pain of finger-sticking because I also remembered the
> intense discomfort/pain …..
Hey, we don’t need nurses’ euphemisms here. ;-)
> ….. when technicians would take blood from my finger tips. I always
> much preferred to have blood drawn from the arm — but I was also
> remembering how it was done years ago. Much to my relief, I found that
> the lancet I am using has settings for depth of needle entry. I have
> it set on 1 (the least invasive), and I was also told to use the sides
> of my fingers — not the fingertips. I have not had any difficulty at
> all doing this. (I also don’t give my fingers any type of rigorous
> workout, unless typing on the computer counts. I might have difficulty
> with that if I used the fingertips instead of the sides, but I haven’t
> noticed anything at all so far.)
Fair enough. You were diagnosed "recently" – A month ago? A year ago?
Do you have no concerns what your fingers will be like after ten or
twenty years? I play the harp, and I’m trying to imagine what the twinge
of pain would be like on plucking the strings, even if I "only" stabbed
the sides of my fingers. I’m also wondering whether, had I been stabbing
fingers for ten years, my firm sweet round tone quality would have been
degraded to a nasty raspy noise due to my fingers being coarsely
calloused. We’re talking blood and guts here, and I far prefer the
latter on my fingers.
The manufacturers of prickers aren’t exactly rushing to do clinical
trials. As I said, I’m thankful BS devices didn’t exist when I was a
young boy.
> MaryL
–
Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)
Email: a…@muuc.dee; to decode, wherever there is a repeated letter
(like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
Alan Mackenzie schrieb:
> Then don’t prick your fingers! Use your forearm instead. There are
> prickers around specifically intended for forearm use, so get one.
It also requires a meter capable of alternative site testing.
Anja
"Alan Mackenzie" <a…@muc.de> wrote in message news:5dojec.oh.ln@acm.acm…
> MaryL <carstan…@yahoo.comtake-out-the-litter> wrote on Sun, 1 Aug 2004
> 13:41:34 -0500:
> > "Alan Mackenzie" <a…@muc.de> wrote in message
news:ml2jec.67.ln@acm.acm…
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
> >> Mz. Tong <actionaler…@yahoo.com> wrote on 31 Jul 2004 21:06:36 -0700:
> >> Then don’t prick your fingers! Use your forearm instead. There are
> >> prickers around specifically intended for forearm use, so get one.
> >> People’s sensitivity to pain cause by stabbing fingers varies widely.
On
> >> this group, for example, Beav barely feels it. To me finger stabbing
is
> >> barely speakable agony. I still have nightmarish memories of the
> >> fortnight, a little less than twenty years ago, when I first tried out
> >> finger stabbing. It was a fortnight envelopped in a haze of continual
> >> pain, with steadily increasing apprehension and dread as the appointed
> >> stabbing times approached. At the end of the fortnight I told my doc
"no
> >> way".
> > Have you tried using your fingers recently?
> No.
> > I am not trying to be obnoxious here.
>
> > The point is that you are discussing an incident from many years ago,
> > and the technology has changed.
> Indeed it has. But by how much?
> > I was only recently diagnosed as Type 2, and one of my first questions
> > related to the pain of finger-sticking because I also remembered the
> > intense discomfort/pain …..
> Hey, we don’t need nurses’ euphemisms here. ;-)
> > ….. when technicians would take blood from my finger tips. I always
> > much preferred to have blood drawn from the arm — but I was also
> > remembering how it was done years ago. Much to my relief, I found that
> > the lancet I am using has settings for depth of needle entry. I have
> > it set on 1 (the least invasive), and I was also told to use the sides
> > of my fingers — not the fingertips. I have not had any difficulty at
> > all doing this. (I also don’t give my fingers any type of rigorous
> > workout, unless typing on the computer counts. I might have difficulty
> > with that if I used the fingertips instead of the sides, but I haven’t
> > noticed anything at all so far.)
> Fair enough. You were diagnosed "recently" – A month ago? A year ago?
> Do you have no concerns what your fingers will be like after ten or
> twenty years? I play the harp, and I’m trying to imagine what the twinge
> of pain would be like on plucking the strings, even if I "only" stabbed
> the sides of my fingers. I’m also wondering whether, had I been stabbing
> fingers for ten years, my firm sweet round tone quality would have been
> degraded to a nasty raspy noise due to my fingers being coarsely
> calloused. We’re talking blood and guts here, and I far prefer the
> latter on my fingers.
> The manufacturers of prickers aren’t exactly rushing to do clinical
> trials. As I said, I’m thankful BS devices didn’t exist when I was a
> young boy.
> > MaryL
> —
> Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)
> Email: a…@muuc.dee; to decode, wherever there is a repeated letter
> (like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
For my own money, my fingers are in such a state from fixing pcs, installing
If anything my fingers seem to be
car radios and generally being hands on that the small prick of those
testers barely even registers, even the softclick one i need to set on the
highest setting to even draw blood
doing better for being "bled" on a regular basis.
—
Patrick / Fester
Type 1 Diabetic. Dx’d 1993.
On 26u Lantus and whatever Novorapid my meter says i need.
I use an Ultra Soft One Touch in my forearm with no pain at all
"Mz. Tong" <actionaler…@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:576af579.0407312006.662d20b0@posting.google.com…
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
> I recently was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and I would like to
> start monitoring my blood sugar level. I would like to know which
> glucose monitor system is the least painful (I don’t like to prick my
> finger, especially multiple time a day). Thanks.
Alan <loralweightandca…@optusnet.com.au> wrote on Mon, 02 Aug 2004
08:00:50 +1000:
> On Sun, 1 Aug 2004 14:51:19 +0000, Alan Mackenzie <a…@muc.de> wrote:
>>Again, wrong.
> I won’t nit-pick every nit-pick there Alan.
> What brought that on? Have you felt this way about Jennifer’s advice
> for a while?
Because for the OP, this advice is about the most dispiriting and
unhelpful she(?) could have got.
> You were one of the first posters I read and respected when I arrived
> here; Jennifer was another. You both helped me a lot, but following the
> advice you just attacked was the single most important thing that helped
> me develop a plan to control my type 2. And "attacked" is definitely the
> correct word.
At least you recognise that it was the advice I was attacking, not its
writer. Yes, that advice is helpful to a lot of people. But not to Mz.
Tong.
> Whatever your feelings about the way it is presented, or differences of
> opinion on where to test, that advice it has proven to be highly
> effective for newby T2s – or for old ones who need to improve control.
I don’t doubt it. But for the OP it was worse than useless. She was
specifically looking for alternatives to finger stabbing. Jennifer told
her there aren’t any alternatives (which is untrue), a few more untruths
besides, and, in the context of the original post, was more than a little
overbearing. Now in a more general context, these inaccuracies can be
taken as artistic licence, a bit of exaggeration, and do no harm. But
for somebody asking the specific question of the OP, they’re cruel lies
indeed.
I’m not suggesting there was any ill will in Jeniffer in her post. In
fact, I’m pretty sure there wasn’t – merely thoughtlessness. Rather than
reading Mz.’s post and answering it sensitively, there seemed to be an
automatic trigger "Newby T2 => post standard text."
> So before I come back stronger, I’m asking again, hopefully as a friend,
> what the hell brought that on?
Well, I hope I’ve answered that: Basically concern for the wellbeing of
the OP. Apologies to Jeniffer and the group if I went over the top.
But there is another little point. It’s not a big secret on this
newsgroup that I don’t stab my fingers. So when somebody writes "But
there is good news. You will get used to it. Everyone does. I
promise." that is disparaging me. It is like saying I am a nobody, a
person of no account. It’s also a bit like being kicked in the shins by
the school bully, then being told "hey, that doesn’t _really_ hurt". You
can hardly blame me for taking slight exception to it.
Anyhow, there’s no bad feeling about this on my side, and I hope there
isn’t with you, or Jennifer, or anybody else.
> Alan
–
Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)
Email: a…@muuc.dee; to decode, wherever there is a repeated letter
(like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
Hairy Antelope <47oc0h…@sneakgnuemail.com> wrote on Sun, 1 Aug 2004
18:14:08 +0200:
> On Sun, 1 Aug 2004 15:36:22 +0000, Alan Mackenzie wrote:
>> this group, for example, Beav barely feels it. To me finger stabbing is
>> barely speakable agony. I still have nightmarish memories of the
> You’ve got me wondering about this – I fall fairly close to the "barely
> feels it" end of the spectrum (My problems were more psychological wrt
> lancing my fingers rather than any significant degree of pain involved)
> Now Beav, as I recall, is a "mechanical fiddler" as in engines/bikes
> etc – which I am to a large extent as well …. and most people who
> mess with mechanical things are used to getting small jabs and scrapes
> on their hands.
I used to be more of a mechanic than I am. And yes, every now and then
I’d put something sharp, like the torn thread of a screw, into a thumb
and teach the neighbourhood kids some new words. I’d wash the wound, and
in a few days it’d be back to normal. But that is very different from
deliberately causing similar (if smaller) wounds several times a day.
> It might be vaguely interesting to correlate lancet pain experienced vs
> the uses people put their hands to ….
Indeed.
–
Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)
Email: a…@muuc.dee; to decode, wherever there is a repeated letter
(like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
Hi Anja. Long time, no chat!
Anja Länge <anja.lae…@gmx.de> wrote on Mon, 02 Aug 2004 02:05:34 +0200:
> Alan Mackenzie schrieb:
>> Then don’t prick your fingers! Use your forearm instead. There are
>> prickers around specifically intended for forearm use, so get one.
> It also requires a meter capable of alternative site testing.
"Capable"? Are there any blood sugar meters INcapable of testing on
"alternative" sites? Or do you really mean "approved for" rather than
"capable of"?
> Anja
–
Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)
Email: a…@muuc.dee; to decode, wherever there is a repeated letter
(like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
On Mon, 2 Aug 2004 19:01:46 +0000, Alan Mackenzie <a…@muc.de> wrote:
<snipped for brevity>
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
>Well, I hope I’ve answered that: Basically concern for the wellbeing of
>the OP. Apologies to Jeniffer and the group if I went over the top.
>But there is another little point. It’s not a big secret on this
>newsgroup that I don’t stab my fingers. So when somebody writes "But
>there is good news. You will get used to it. Everyone does. I
>promise." that is disparaging me. It is like saying I am a nobody, a
>person of no account. It’s also a bit like being kicked in the shins by
>the school bully, then being told "hey, that doesn’t _really_ hurt". You
>can hardly blame me for taking slight exception to it.
>Anyhow, there’s no bad feeling about this on my side, and I hope there
>isn’t with you, or Jennifer, or anybody else.
>–
>Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)
Hullo Alan
I read your other posts on your problems twenty years ago and your need
for undamaged fingers as a harpist.
I think those qualifications have coloured your thinking here. I did
re-read the OP’s post:
"I recently was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and I would like to
start monitoring my blood sugar level. I would like to know which
glucose monitor system is the least painful (I don’t like to prick my
finger, especially multiple time a day). Thanks."
You have concentrated exclusively on the final sentence; Jennifer
answered with her standard response to the first sentence. Where we
differ here is that I can easily see ways to answer her fears on
finger-sticking without attacking Jennifer’s response.
I make no secret of my support for Jennifer’s advice to ALL new Type 2 –
whether or not they fear the "pain" of testing.
You have a unique situation as a harpist; even then, the advances in
technology in lancets over the past twenty years, such as the soft-clix
properly used, may pleasantly surprise you.
I don’t want to continue an argument with someone I respect, but I was
disappointed with that response.
Cheers, Alan
—
On 31 Jul 2004 21:06:36 -0700, actionaler…@yahoo.com (Mz. Tong) wrote:
>I recently was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and I would like to
>start monitoring my blood sugar level. I would like to know which
>glucose monitor system is the least painful (I don’t like to prick my
>finger, especially multiple time a day). Thanks.
Hi Mz Tong
By now you’ll have noticed that we don’t all agree on everything here
all the time:-)
However, I’ll try a little advice that might help with multiple daily
testing. Others advise alternatives to fingers; I don’t do that, but if
you use your fingers I hope this will help.
Okay. Here’s my version of testing 101:
You will find, as time goes on and you get experienced, you’ll get blase
and drop some of this.
Take a deep breath, calm down and try to relax.
The only way to face this fear is to tackle it head on until it becomes
a routine.
I know it’s hard to believe, but once you learn how to do it properly,
you will find it becomes routine and usually painless. At least I have.
Practice at home the first few times.
Wash your hands in warm water first, and shake them to get the
circulation going. Check your lancet – that’s the thing that pricks your
finger – it should be adjustable. I don’t know what is available to you
in your country, but I recommend the Accu-chek Soft-clix, made by Roche.
Start with the second lowest setting (1 or 1.5), hold it firmly against
your skin on the side of a finger near the tip. Don’t flinch when you
release the button. The button releases a spring-loaded tiny needle
which makes a tiny hole in your skin and instantly retracts.
Incidentally, using the sides has two advantages – there are less
nerve-ends than on the pads, and it doubles the number of test-points so
you can rotate through the positions.
Massage gently (milking a cow) until a drop of blood forms sufficient to
put on the test strip. If this setting doesn’t provide an adequate
quantity, move the lancet setting up one notch for the next one. If you
got a large sample and it hurt a little, go to the lower setting.
And that’s all there is to it. Sometimes it helps to shake your hands a
little more, or warm them up if it’s cold. The manufacturers advise
changing the lancet needle every time; I change mine when I remember or
if it gets a bit blunt – that’s about once a month or every 150 tests:-)
You do what you are comfortable with.
Good luck. Come back after the first time and tell us what happened.
As to how often to test, and what to do with the results, read again the
advice you received from Jennifer.
I know you can do it.
Cheers Alan, T2, Australia.
Remove weight and carbs to email.
—
dx May 2002 , A1C 8.2=>5.9, wt 117kg=>95kg,
Diet and not enough exercise.
I have no medical qualifications beyond my own experience.
Choose your advisers carefully, because experience can be
an expensive teacher.
Everything in Moderation – Except Laughter.
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
In article <u2ktg0l47bejm73f1dshqk7f1tpjs72…@4ax.com> you wrote:
> On Mon, 2 Aug 2004 19:01:46 +0000, Alan Mackenzie <a…@muc.de> wrote:
> <snipped for brevity>
>>Well, I hope I’ve answered that: Basically concern for the wellbeing of
>>the OP. Apologies to Jeniffer and the group if I went over the top.
>>But there is another little point. It’s not a big secret on this
>>newsgroup that I don’t stab my fingers. So when somebody writes "But
>>there is good news. You will get used to it. Everyone does. I
>>promise." that is disparaging me. It is like saying I am a nobody, a
>>person of no account. It’s also a bit like being kicked in the shins
>>by the school bully, then being told "hey, that doesn’t _really_ hurt".
>>You can hardly blame me for taking slight exception to it.
>>Anyhow, there’s no bad feeling about this on my side, and I hope there
>>isn’t with you, or Jennifer, or anybody else.
> Hullo Alan
> I read your other posts on your problems twenty years ago and your need
> for undamaged fingers as a harpist.
As a matter of interest, I’ve only been playing the harp for three years.
> I think those qualifications have coloured your thinking here.
I doubt it. My feelings about the matter haven’t noticeably changed,
these past three years.
> I did re-read the OP’s post:
> "I recently was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and I would like to
> start monitoring my blood sugar level. I would like to know which
> glucose monitor system is the least painful (I don’t like to prick my
> finger, especially multiple time a day). Thanks."
> You have concentrated exclusively on the final sentence; Jennifer
> answered with her standard response to the first sentence. Where we
> differ here is that I can easily see ways to answer her fears on
> finger-sticking without attacking Jennifer’s response.
Yes, I read your latest post directly addressing the OP’s concerns, and
it was excellent. :-)
But coming back to Jennifer’s post, The OP was seeking specific
information on a single specific topic. On that topic, J’s answer was
factually wrong and, to my eyes at least, overbearing. I think criticism
of it was entirely called for.
> I make no secret of my support for Jennifer’s advice to ALL new Type 2 –
> whether or not they fear the "pain" of testing.
"Pain" in quotes?
> You have a unique situation as a harpist;
Well thanks ;-(. Presumably all the other millions of people who avoid
finger stabbing likewise have unique situations.
> …. even then, the advances in technology in lancets over the past
> twenty years, such as the soft-clix properly used, may pleasantly
> surprise you.
Possibly. I’d be most interested in seeing a properly refereed report in
a reputable medical journal about such, complete with double-blind
testing (if such is possible here). Otherwise, logically regarded, how
do such advances differ from advances in the preparation of Noni juice,
or whatever?
> I don’t want to continue an argument with someone I respect, but I was
> disappointed with that response.
I was likewise disappointed with yours. You silently snipped the points
I made in my last post instead of addressing them.
Thanks for the responses anyway.
> Alan
–
Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)
Email: a…@muuc.dee; to decode, wherever there is a repeated letter
(like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a").
actionaler…@yahoo.com (Mz. Tong) wrote in message <news:576af579.0407312006.662d20b0@posting.google.com>…
> I recently was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and I would like to
> start monitoring my blood sugar level. I would like to know which
> glucose monitor system is the least painful (I don’t like to prick my
> finger, especially multiple time a day). Thanks.
I have both the Accu-chek softclick pen and the one that came with my
Freestyle. The Freestyle one is much less painful and the meter uses
such a tiny amount of blood that I never have to try twice. I’d use
only the Freestyle except I’m in a study that uses the Accu-chek, so I
check twice a day with the Accu-chek softclick (AM and 2 hours after
lunch) and all other times with the Freestyle.
–pc