A Flying Start - Not

Well - I suppose it takes time to get used to taking your own blood readings :-)  I'm using an SD Codefree Blood Glucose Monitor which comes with a meter, a lancet stabbing device and first fill of lancets and test strips and a few other goodies.   I have a sharps bin to put all the nasty pointy things in and the used strips (with blood on them).  I bought myself a set of refills of the lancets and test strips.

So the first blood draw wasn't entirely successful. I bent the first lancet when I removed its cover!  So used another.  I wasted 4 yes 4 test strips and had to do two holes in my fingers to make it all work.  I think I've now worked out how to do this - as with everything its a matter of practice makes perfect.  The lancet is easy enough and I managed to draw blood on both goes.  What I didn't quite get right is getting the blood into the system.  I got errors that not enough blood was taken up.  I hadn't left the strip there long enough and hadn't got a drop big enough.  On the 5th attempt I shook my fingers and then pushed out a drop of blood slightly larger and it all worked fine.

The reading was 5.8 mmol/L which is within the non diabetic limit and - just for the hell of it just within the Type 2 range too.  The next one, 2 hours after my breakfast will start to build the picture.

I also started my blood pressure readings this morning and that was a satisfying 131 over 90 which is roughly where I want to be although lower would be nice.  My Blood pressure in Hospital was up in the 190 over 105 sort of area but I do get stressed out about visiting hospital and who wouldn't?

I'm content that I'm now recording this sort of information as I want to go and have "a chat" with my GP and discuss the Type 2 letter I saw in my Hospital file and for my own benefit I want to see that the 4HB diet works in terms of keeping blood glucose low.  This in turn keeps insulin low and should allow my body to burn off the stored fat.  A quick step on the scales this morning shows that I've now dipped below 16 stone and I'm around 15 stone 12 pounds.  I haven't used a tape measure to check various areas of my body - I'll wait until I've healed up a bit anyway.  I've dropped a neck size in my shirts and around 4 inches around my waist and a good few around my chest but also my arms and legs have lost some of their bulk too (not muscle I hasten to add), my watch is very loose on my wrist and my rings fit easily on to my fingers.  In fact I have to say I felt pretty good in the hospital, I actually didn't press anywhere on my gown which felt loose on me this time.  I didn't feel too hot or claustrophobic and generally I feel really well.

I'm hoping to build up a picture of my health which then can assist me to take a bit more control of things.