Diabetic Recipes
As a member of the media, you might think that I would get riled up about news stories all the time. Strangely, though, I don't find that to be true. So I guess it's no surprise that when I do get moved by a story, I get really moved.
There's not often much information in the e-newsletter from Diabetes Health magazine that pertains to me, but I look forward to reading it nonetheless. I usually scan the headlines and teasers, and maybe read a story or two. I sometimes forward it on to my mom and two aunts who help their 90-year-old type 2 mom with her diabetes management.
Today's newsletter, though, had a story that I read several times. The headline, Psychologically Dependent Type 2s Use Too Many Test Strips?, intrigued me; the story, on the other hand, made the fire rage.
Maybe I'm being too sensitive about this. You let me know. According to the story, which cites a study in a UK medical weekly publication, a review of evidence has concluded that for type 2s on oral medication whose A1Cs are below 7.5%, blood glucose monitoring offers "little advantage and may increase the likelihood of hypoglycemia."
Um, what?!? Wait, there's more.
The article also says that the review "could give [general practitioners] the confidence to resist pressure from well-controlled but psychologically dependent patients to allow them to continue self-monitoring."
This makes absolutely no sense to me. Just because a type 2 patient has good control of their diabetes doesn't mean they shouldn't continue to test. This is almost like saying "You're in control. You can ignore diabetes if you just keep doing what you're doing." That just simply isn't the case with this disease. It's unpredictable and it changes and you have to be on your toes. Foods, exercise and medicines that worked for you Monday might not work for you on Friday. If you're not testing, how will you possibly know that?
This really makes me angry. Angry at the "evidence" and angry at the UK medical weekly that published the information. To me, it's irresponsible journalism that encourages people to not be in control of their own bodies. Yes, we pay doctors to tell us what to do, but we're the ones living with this disease, we're the ones who need to know our bodies intimately so we can spot trends, and ultimately self testing is one of the best ways to know which end is up.
Adding more nonsense to the story, the UK publication (which is apparently read by 80% of Britain's doctors) called routine monitoring of blood sugar a "reckless habit" that "forced the National Health Service to spend over $65 million on monitoring agents in the last quarter of 2006."
This is reminiscent of insurance companies who refuse to pay for preventive treatments, but are quite willing to pay for the complications of a disease. Where is the logic?
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October 13th, 2008
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10-12-2007 10:04 PM EDT by Michelle Kowalski
Categories: Type 2 Oral Meds Emotions In the News
Tags: blood sugar testing medical news
Views: 774
Categories: Type 2 Oral Meds Emotions In the News
Tags: blood sugar testing medical news
Views: 774
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Michelle Kowalski, a writer, editor and photography hobbiest living in Phoenix, has had type 2 diabetes since February 2005. In January 2008, as part of her quest to start on an insulin pump, Michelle learned that she actually has type 1 diabetes. (Read More)
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THAT is insane.
I am a type 2, glipizide and Byetta and my A1C is now 5.8 but I test because it gives me the feedback that I need to let me know when something is a miss. I think it would be like flying in the dark without instruments
Thanks for your posting. I am one of those diabetics who is Type II whose A1C is well under 7 and is not testing as they should. Your posting is what I needed to bring me back to reality. Thank you.
I'm glad I was able to bring you back to reality. I don't always test as I should (I'm type 2) either, but I'm getting better at it. I'd like to point out though, that I think there's a very big difference between a patient simply not testing and their healthcare provider ADVISING them not to because it's not going to do them any good. That's what I'm taking issue with.
Interesting topic.
I'm a type 2 who test often but I've always felt for good reason.
I keep very tight control. My numbers are in the normal range. There have been times after exercise for example when I did'nt feel well. Sure enough I'd be 65 or less. I dont need to treat myself as if I'm full hypo but if I dont eat something or take a tab my day can be ruined. It can take several hours to get back to feeling well if I do nothing thinking I'm just type 2. Why should I put myself through that?
Another good point is my success is do to diet every bit as much as meds. Testing gives me the info I need to know to see what I've done to myself depending on what I've eaten.
I have very even B.S. for the most part which I thought was the goal for a healthy diabetic life. Am I wrong?????? How do you think I figured out what to eat what to avoid eating to get that even B.S.? My doctor used my ledger in part to help decide what drugs to give me.I think being type2 on oral meds affords the luxury of not having to test as much if nothing changes, if you have no particular events with your health and how you feel. To get to that point testing has been a very useful tool for me. This was the first thing I figured out when I was going through diabetes education. It seemed simple and to make sense. Why would anyone discourage testing?
The so-called "study" in the UK is an attempt to justify cutting the costs of managing diabetes. The conclusions of the report are outrageous and ridiculous. How in the world are we supposed to learn how different foods affect our bodies and therefore diabetes control unless we do a blood glucose check before we eat the item and then check again 2 hours later?
Many Type 2s on oral meds experience some hypoglycemic BGs. How do you know for sure if you are going low unless you use a BG test strip? This becomes an especially important consideration when you are driving your car and start to feel shakey/sweaty.
That is absolutely nuts. What a stupid, irresponsible article. I think I'd be firing off a well-worded letter to that publication. Shame on them for publishing something like that.
I think the truth comes out in the next to last paragraph where the National Health Service is "forced" to pay for the test strips. It always comes down to the Benjamins. Never mind that encouraging MORE testing might prevent more costly complications down the road. Bureaucrats don't see too much further than the end of their noses.
I am type 2 and I normally test 8-10 times a day sometimes more. Of course I am on 3 different insulins as well, but my doctor has told me to test as often as I feel necessary and my A1C is 6.1. I have been trying to get on the insulin pump as I am having a lot of lows and the doctor thinks that would help, but no my insurance company claims my diabetes isn't "bad enough", so instead they would rather pay about $1000 a month in insulin, $200 in syringes, $400 for glucagon kits a month etc instead of paying one time for a $7000 machine that could make things a lot easier and cheaper on them in the long run. Go figure.