Hi everyone,

Anyone that has answers, please help. My mom has diabetes. You takes glucophage and metformin. 1 in am and other 1 in pm. Every now and then she takes and extra 1/2 - 1 pill. She hardly ever tests her blood. I really do not know how often. Maybe 2-3 times per week?! Are you not suppossed to test your blood 2-3 times per day?! She says she is fine, but how does she know, if she does not test?

She eats ok, not too many sweets. But, too much starch and not very many veges. Any ideas to get her to change or at least do a little better, on the testing and the eating?! She is 75. And has been diagnosed for about 2 yrs.

Thanks for any help. Wannabe

When I was first diagnosed (2-1/2 years ago) as type II, I tested maybe 3 times a day. Many people told me this was too much but I was learning how different foods affected my blood sugar. My doctor was fine with it as he saw what good control I had. Now I test once a day and when I think I'm low. In Sweden, where I live now, you get 200 test strips without charge. I will pay for the additional 200 a year at a cost of around $180 a year. This is just how I feel comfortable and so I know there are no surprises at the doctor's office!

My dad just turned 80 and has been type II diabetic for about 10 years. He was very lazy about testing and not so careful about eating until he saw how I was doing. Then when they started finding protein in his urine, he got scared and shaped up. For me, it took being scared to begin with to change my ways. I'm 39 now and probably wouldn't have seen 40. You probably won't be able to change your mother. Attitude is just everything and different things inspire different people.

Hi ToBeFreeToRoam,

It's not just how many times per day imo that counts but when, etc.

I'm fairly new to testing myself so I test 3-4 times daily just to see how various foods & exercise effects me.

My doc wrote me a prescription for just two test strips per day but said she'd be glad to write another if I needed more. She suggested that I test every single morning prior to breakfast. Then on day 1 - test two hours after breakfast, on day two - test two hours after lunch, on day three - test two hours after dinner, on day four - test at bedtime, on day five repeat day one's schedule.

That'll give you some idea how things are going using just two test per day. Some folks test just prior to each meal to see how their bs level is doing and adjust their meal accordingly.

Iron Man is right on the money. If you follow the above shedule you will get a really nice picture for your doc to see when and how and why your blood sugar numbers are up/down or the same. Most log books have a column for notes so you can write down if you ate something you knew effected it, if you were sick, if you did something different etc. Its nice to have a log book which your doc can give you or make your own. You want date, time, and some notes...medicine, insulin, exercise, etc.

Thanks everyone for your help and advice,

My mom probably will not change. At least not yet. The only thing she is afraid of is kidney dialysis. She just will not go to a dr. unless she needs her diabetes meds. She will not have the tests done that her 2 drs. prescribe and set up. Just calls and has them delayed for 2-3 mo. I keep telling her, she is going to loose a leg, or a foot and other such scary stuff. All she says is - when we are going to die, we will die. But she does take her pills. She gets really, really tired sometimes. She would not do the log either.

Do you have to have a prescription of test strips? I have never ordered her any from her mail pharmacy?! Can you not buy them over the counter? It is also the cost that makes her not want to go to dr. or buy meds. She is cheap!!!

I believe she has/had protein in her urine also. That is why she was referred to a renal specialist. But she does not do their tests either. They do not want to see her again til she has them done! I really think that is a good idea about testing twice a day, but at different times for the 2nd time of the day. Good idea.

Well, thanks again for yalls help. Wannabe

Hi,

I don't know if it's different in different states, but where I live, I can buy strips over the counter. Good luck with your mom.

Sharon :)

Wannabe,
At your mother's age, she doesn't need to achieve extremely tight control, just good control. That's probably very do-able with a few more diet modifications (watching the starches more closely on a daily basis while still allowing herself an occasional treat). Taking an extra 1/2 to 1 pill "every now and then" is absolutely useless, as the medication level needs to build up in the bloodstream. She might as well just throw out those occasional extra pills.

As for testing, the schedule MOI gave is excellent for someone of your mother's age who doesn't want to test too often. I would also buy her some BD Ultra Fine II Lancets...they are the sharpest I've ever used and cause the least pain. She can reuse a lancet at least 3-4 times before it starts dulling.

The doctor can write a scrip for the test strips. I believe Medicare pays for them.

It sounds like your mother is in extreme denial. She probably figures that, at the age of 75, she doesn't have that much longer to live. However, you may be able to shake her out of it by pointing out that she may not die all that soon, but might be very, very sick for a long time if she doesn't take better care of herself. Remind her that she doesn't have to be perfect, just achieve some level of moderate control and that should help prevent complications.

Ruth

I test about 7 times a day. I have a pump and need to do a lot of testing.

Get a script from the doctor for the strips. Then the insurance will cover most of the cost. I get a 3 month supply for only $40.

J