For the past month or so I have been grappling with how to test
my glucose level and use insulin to control them.
These procedures are new to me, so I apologize in advance if I
sound like a simpleton or a neophyte. But I figure if I struggled,
others might as well benefit from my experience.
Using an accu-chek active tester, I was getting really strange
results.
1. Very high readings
2. Readings that went UP after I took insulin
The first thing I did was buy another accu check active monitor
(after all, I already had the test strips and lancets).
Than I got different results, depending on where (which monitor) I
put the orange electronic chip.
Ellis was kind enough to explain to me that I was probably doing
the testing wrong, in that I was getting the wrong mixture of
platelets and whole blood for the test (ask Ellis for a better
explanation).
Ellis: [I explained that results can vary from one reading to
another if you don't take the blood sample the same way and
correctly each time, because there might be more, or there
might be less, plasma, or whole blood... and that will cause you
to get results that can vary by 10% (which is a heck of a lot
of variation due to how you took the blood sample!)... - Ellis]
Any way Ellis suggested a Freestyle monitor and micro let lancets
(Both available on hocks.com, (the freestyle monitor available as a
give away, when you order the test strips))
The micro let uses a sucking method which allows it to be effective,
and the Freestyle monitor takes a smaller amount of blood.
Ellis: [I have never used a Freestyle monitor, but I saw
Richard Smith use his, and Dr. Bernstein told Richard that it
is very accurate... and it uses a TINY drop of blood... MUCH
LESS than the Roche Accutrend or Accucheck Sensor... AND...
it gives the result in about 5 seconds vs. about 40 seconds
for the Accutrend.
I ORDERED a Freestyle glucose meter for myself, but... DHL
SENT IT BACK TO THE U.S. because I would have needed A PERMIT
to receive it in Mexico! So I told them to send it back... I
will have to pick it up and bring it back in my baggage when I
go to the U.S. someday, or I will ask somebody to bring it to
me when somebody comes to Mexico, someday. In the meantime,
I am unable to test the Freestyle glucose meter.
HEALTH AUTHORITIES, around the world... why do they like to cause
SO MANY PROBLEMS for everybody, for no reason at all? I could
have brought a Freestyle glucose meter with me when I came back
from New York recently, and I would have had ZERO PROBLEM bringing
it into Mexico in my luggage...
Aaachhh!!!
Now, I can't ask for Symlin to be sent to me by DHL, either...
It takes three days and a doctor's prescription, plus about
$100 in fees, to get a permit to import a medicine like Symlin,
which I think I would find very useful.... I can do it, but it
is too much red tape. But I can bring it in if I would bring it
with me in my luggage. - Ellis]
While I sometimes need more than one test, I can acurately
figure out my glucose levels.
Insulin use:
Now that I know my correct levels I started using insulin...
Humulin R and Lantus.
I very much like lantus but I don't love Humulin R.
Lantus is really great in that it keeps your glucose levels down
all day, and if you decide to eat it gives you protection.
Humulin R needs an hour to work, so you need to take it an hour
before you eat. I don't always know an hour before that I am going
to eat.
Ellis: [I stopped trying to inject an hour before eating, a long
time ago... Like you, I found it to be too difficult for me to
comply with it... I inject Humulin R or Humalog a few minutes before
eating. THIS IS NOT what a diabetic type I has to do, but I am
not a diabetic type I. I figure that since my pancreas still
is working "pretty well" and it has Phase I insulin stored and
ready to release when I eat, I will let my pancreas take care
of me, and I will help my pancreas one hour after eating, which
is when the Humulin "R" begins to work and also when glucose
levels WOULD BE EXPECTED TO PEAK. - Ellis]
And I worry what will happen if I ever would take Humulin R, and go
out, and than don't eat. I don't want to monitor my glucose when I
am out of the house.
[You could possibly get HYPOGLYCEMIA if you inject Humulin R and
then forget to EAT, for whatever reason. I agree with you that
it is difficult to use Humulin R... IF I was a diabetic and HAD
to inject insulin at the right time before a meal, I would much
prefer to use Humalog, instead of Humulin R.
Humulin R is better than Humalog when you are LEARNING to use
insulin, because it is slower and less likely to cause hypoglycemia
if you eat anytime before you get hypoglycemia... I recommend
Humulin R if you are LEARNING, which is what you are doing...
But... Now that you have used Humulin R (and you don't like it)
you can probably use Humalog, next time, and you will like it
better. - Ellis]
I have just ordered Humalog to get more focused reduction of
glucose.
[Good, I agree... - Ellis]
It also seems to me that the bigger you are, the higher your glucose
levels seem to be, and the greater amount of insulin needed to
reduce these levels.
[I never heard that the BIGGER YOU ARE the higher your glucose
levels... but from what you write, I think maybe you were well
"ON THE ROAD TO DIABETES"... and I am GLAD TO HEAR that you are
trying to control your glucose levels (I hope you learned this
from me...)
And I am GLAD TO HEAR that you are having good results with
LANTUS. Keep it up. I am sure that you are doing your body a
big favor by avoiding high glucose levels that you would have
had in the next 30 or 40 years of your life.
You didn't tell us what is your age, and you didn't tell us
what were your blood glucose levels BEFORE and AFTER you
began to use LANTUS and HUMULIN R. And you didn't tell us
if you know you are diabetic, or not, and you didn't tell us
what you are eating (high carbs, low carbs, etc.) But I am
glad to know that you are trying to control your blood glucose
levels, starting NOW.
Thanks for writing. Three stars for this post, which is a
first from somebody who I think is not diabetic, but maybe has
high levels of glucose after eating... and who is trying to use
insulin to control blood glucose... I agree completely that
this is the best way to control blood glucose and avoid or
postpone diabetes and other complications. - Ellis]
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