For all who have Type 2 Diabetes, we are always on the constant prowl for advances in technology that can make our lives better toward living a better quality of life with diabetes.
Today, we are going to cover some of these advancements. Please always consider, though, before making any changes to your diabetes treatment, check with your healthcare provider.
Continuous Glucose Meters
I used a continuous glucose meter for almost two years so that I can speak with some authority.
With a continuous glucose meter, you stick a small pin attached to a disc reader about 3 cm in diameter to your upper arm. A plunger, supplied with each disc, is placed on the upper arm, and with a quick downward motion, the disc and pin become attached to your skin, where they will stay for the next two weeks.
The benefit of the glucose monitor is that it provides a continuous glucose reading sent directly to the app on a cellphone. The disadvantage I experienced related to inaccuracy. No one advised me that – in Canada anyway – Health Canada, the government organization that regulates medical devices, allows a 15% discrepancy between the glucose monitor reading and the reading received from the traditional pinprick method.
Over three months, checking each glucose monitor reading against the traditional pin prick method, I experienced a variation of between 0 and 50% difference. A 50% difference occurred only a few times, but even a 15% difference was not satisfactory. The variability aside, a big problem was the need for more consistency. Sometimes, the readings would be high and sometimes low. The pattern of the difference was completely random.
For example, if your reading was 8.3 with the glucose monitor, you may think it is getting up there, but it is all right. But what if your monitor reading was out by 25% and your blood sugar was 10.4?
Due to the inconsistency with the continuous glucose monitor, I finally ditched in and now use the tried-and-true finger prick method. That works fine for me, and I do not have to worry if my blood sugar readings are all right.
Medications
There is a litany of medications for people with Type 2 Diabetes. One article contained a list of ten medications, the most common being Metformin.
Metformin Metformin is one of the first medications prescribed to control blood sugar after eating. It decreases liver production of insulin while decreasing glucose absorption from food. From personal experience, Metformin worked for me. After six months of use, though, I decided to go cold turkey and control my blood sugar with my diet. My A1C has dropped and is holding steady at 6.3, all due to diet and a little exercise. And part of my enjoyment with my website, www.damndiabetes.ca, is sharing with you the recipes for the food that I eat. Today for lunch was BBQ chicken without the sweet BBQ sauce, a large fresh salad, one small roast potato and garlic toast made with my sunflower seed flour bread. If you look at my website, you can find most of the recipes for the food that I eat.
Insulin Sir Frederick G Banting, Charles Best and JJR Macleod discovered insulin at the University of Toronto in 1921. Since that discovery, advancements have continued to help millions of people with diabetes live a better quality of life.
Better Knowledge The Internet provides all of us living with diabetes an excellent opportunity to learn more about diabetes treatment than folks just a few years ago could dream of. We can learn about options and prepare to make decisions based on Facts that Matter.
Just a note: Facts that Matter is an associated website covering Canada's politics and the environment you may enjoy.
Now, back to diabetes. The benefit of having the Internet and access to information is one can look at and evaluate options for treatment. Those options may be:
Using Insulin
Using Metformin
Manage Type 2 Diabetes with diet and exercise.
When I began my journey with Type 2 Diabetes almost two years ago, it was so easy for my doctor to prescribe Metformin. That helped manage my blood sugar but did not get me to the cause of my glucose spikes. It was typical for me to have my blood sugar rise to as high as 11 and then come down to an acceptable range. As that occurred within the “two-hour” window, my doctor seemed satisfied. But then, based on my research, I decided to go off the medication cold turkey. My doctor was skeptical but gave his blessing and wanted to see me after two weeks.
Back I went, and he was surprised. My blood sugar readings had levelled out, and in two weeks, I only had two readings above 8.9. I am now more than four months without medication and have succeeded in lowering my blood sugar to 6.3.
No more medication for me, and all because of the opportunity to access information.
The End
Living with diabetes can be frustrating and a learning experience. There are many advancements that can make the lives of those living with diabetes so much better, and our hope at Damndiabetes is that folks will learn what is best for their body and decide which option is best for them.
If you would like to help better understanding your options at Damndiabetes, we are here to help you. Feel free to contact us. We would be thrilled to help you.
Best wishes ...
Vancouver, BC, Canada
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