for my type 2 people (hi Mom!)
The message I have been trying to preach as a someone who has become a better diabetic over the years is that measuring your blood glucose more often is THE way to manage/improve your diabetes. But I've been assuming that your doctors tell you what to do with those numbers--isn't that their job? Amy at Diabetes Mine made me realize that they don't:
I think I've told this story before, but I keep flashing back to that old college friend of mine who was diagnosed with Type 2 last year while I was writing my book. He's an educated guy who runs the IT department of a small private university. He called for a tip, embarrassed. Turns out he was sent home with a glucose meter, but given no idea what it really was supposed to do for him.
"I keep getting these numbers, and writing them down. They're mostly pretty high. So what does it mean? What do I do with this information?"
I nearly screamed into the phone.
Clearly, glucose testing does absolutely NOTHING for you if you don't know what to do with the results. It's just a bunch of useless numbers that your doctor may or may not scold you over. And why would you even consider it when you read all these reports about how testing's going to lower your quality of life?
I think all the glucose meter companies should get behind this one: we need a national awareness campaign about Glucose_meter1what the heck to do with your glucose meter (other than stare at it and get depressed). Let's push the education agenda, rather than just new models with fancy features.
Most of us Type 1s are all over it, since we have little choice. Allow me then to provide a couple of very basic tips -- straight from our book -- that you all might like to share with any diabetic family or friends who haven't gotten a proper education about translating meter results into better health:
* test before and after specific foods or meals - you can gauge how that food effects you, and maybe cut down on it, quit it, or plan to eat it before exercising (to offset the BG spike).
* test before and after exercise - to gauge how that activity effects your blood sugar. You may not need a snack every time you go for a walk after all, for example.
* test at same time(s) every day - look for trends. Are you always high after dinner? Always low before bedtime? Now adjust your food or medications to compensate.
* remember, your A1c tells you how you're doing overall, but doesn't tell you diddly-squat about your day-to-day routine. Only individual daily glucose results can indicate whether you need to consider changing your breakfast menu and/or scheduling your exercise for a different time of day.
* by the way, it might help to think of it as “Glucose Checking” versus “Testing.” It gives you information, not a valuation of your worth. No need to feel that you have to “pass” every diabetes-related test you take.
I think I've told this story before, but I keep flashing back to that old college friend of mine who was diagnosed with Type 2 last year while I was writing my book. He's an educated guy who runs the IT department of a small private university. He called for a tip, embarrassed. Turns out he was sent home with a glucose meter, but given no idea what it really was supposed to do for him.
"I keep getting these numbers, and writing them down. They're mostly pretty high. So what does it mean? What do I do with this information?"
I nearly screamed into the phone.
Clearly, glucose testing does absolutely NOTHING for you if you don't know what to do with the results. It's just a bunch of useless numbers that your doctor may or may not scold you over. And why would you even consider it when you read all these reports about how testing's going to lower your quality of life?
I think all the glucose meter companies should get behind this one: we need a national awareness campaign about Glucose_meter1what the heck to do with your glucose meter (other than stare at it and get depressed). Let's push the education agenda, rather than just new models with fancy features.
Most of us Type 1s are all over it, since we have little choice. Allow me then to provide a couple of very basic tips -- straight from our book -- that you all might like to share with any diabetic family or friends who haven't gotten a proper education about translating meter results into better health:
* test before and after specific foods or meals - you can gauge how that food effects you, and maybe cut down on it, quit it, or plan to eat it before exercising (to offset the BG spike).
* test before and after exercise - to gauge how that activity effects your blood sugar. You may not need a snack every time you go for a walk after all, for example.
* test at same time(s) every day - look for trends. Are you always high after dinner? Always low before bedtime? Now adjust your food or medications to compensate.
* remember, your A1c tells you how you're doing overall, but doesn't tell you diddly-squat about your day-to-day routine. Only individual daily glucose results can indicate whether you need to consider changing your breakfast menu and/or scheduling your exercise for a different time of day.
* by the way, it might help to think of it as “Glucose Checking” versus “Testing.” It gives you information, not a valuation of your worth. No need to feel that you have to “pass” every diabetes-related test you take.