Jo’s Cafe

There are many blood glucose measuring meters on the market today. We see ads for them in magazines and TV, and hear about them on the radio.

I started out with an Accu-Chek Sport. This was the cheapest meter they had in stock as my insurance doesn’t pay for meters. That’s my insurance. Some people have insurance that will help pay for, or completely pay for, their meters. It just depends on who you have.

I used this meter for about 4 months before I ended up chucking it in the trash. It was off by 100 points at times from my doctors and this was way too frustrating. I got a meter from WalMart for only $9 and it read closer to my doctors than the Accu-Chek.

I finally broke down and purchased a FreeStyle Flash. I purchased it directly from the company and got a $40 rebate even!

FreeStyle Flash™ — for virtually pain-free testing1 in a discreet meter.

* The world’s smallest meter and fast 7-second average test time
* Bright backlit display and test light make testing and reading results easy — even in low light
* Four daily programmable alarms to remind you when it’s time to test
* Most test sites available offer testing flexibility2

I can actually test in the light of the nightlight in the bathroom. There is a small light for the strips when applying your blood and then the window showing the results lights up. Also, with the Accu-Chek and the WalMart brand, I had to pump out a lot more blood to get a good result. I lost more strips due to failures from the Accu-Chek than I ever have with the FreeStyle Flash. Also, I can test on my palm or arm if I like. Although I’ve never tested on my arm, I have done so on my palm and the readings are accurate.

I’m not saying you have to chuck your current meter and run out and buy a FreeStyle Flash, I’m simply saying - if you’re having problems like had above, it’s a suggestion. It’s small and the fact it uses less blood is the best. My fingers don’t hurt all the time and have reduced the depth of my stick from 4 to 1 to get enough blood.

I would also suggest that if you have diabetes in your family, go to WalMart or another store with a pharmacy and their own brand of diabetic supplies, and buy a meter. Follow the instructions and test yourself on a regular, not daily basis. My doctor informed me the other day that it’s not recommended in the medical community they check all patients when they come in for appointments - only those with diabetes. I don’t agree with this, but then that’s me. The non-named brand meters are not expensive, nor are their strips, and why not keep up with your health yourself?

If you have diabetes, what is your favorite meter?

— Linked at Basil’s Blog
– Linked at TMH’s Bacon Bits