In the garden, and RAIN!!! (2)
POSTED BY: SIGNYM
UPDATED: Monday, September 7, 2026 11:50
VIEWED: 338648
PAGE 126 of 834
Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
The meters are calibrated around 100. I don't have experience with readings that high, but my guess is that the only way to interpret the result is "way too fucking high". I think the lab result is prolly more accurate than the strip, bc theyll dilute the sample to be in-range.
But even at around 100, with strips you're still going to be about +/-5 or so, and about every 20th reading or so will throw out a spurious reading that needs to be re-done.
I don't understand what you mean by "calibrated around 100". Could you explain that to me in layman's terms?
Quote:
So I think what this is saying is that you're still maxed out on your glucose and need to add insulin, according to schedule.
Perhaps not... See the end of the reply.
Quote:
Oh BTW, if you're liquid intake is lower, everything in your blood is more concentrated including glucose. You should be drinking the usually -recommended 6-8 * 8oz glasses per day (appx 1/2gallon) of water) preferably before 8 PM so it doesn't interfere with your sleep.
Oh. Okay. I thought it was good that I wasn't thirsty and wasn't drinking water. I assume coffee doesn't count.
I did some reading on the instructions... The LONG instructions....
There is no calibration required on this particular device. However, you are supposed to have extremely clean hands when you test, which I didn't even consider. Before those first two high results of 505 and 495 with the 2 error strips, I just did a real quick hand wash.
Just about 30 minutes ago I washed my hands thoroughly for over a minute and dried them with fresh paper towel instead of the towel I have hanging on the stove right where I cook all that rice every night.
I screwed up 2 more testing strips, but I did get a reading that was 308 the third time, which isn't 200 or below yet, but it IS a lot better than my last two readings at the hospital and the doctor and more in line with how I'm feeling, I would say.
So... My question now is, do you think there's any chance the meter could ever possibly give me a reading that is LOWER than what my sugar level currently is? (Hoping the answer to this question is no and/or negligible).
I think I just had some foreign shit on my fingertips that made those two readings a lot higher than they actually were.
I'm hoping that the 308 reading right now means that I'm at least down to 308.
Tomorrow morning when I test before eating/insulin/medicine, I will make sure to clean my hands with rubbing alcohol before testing.
ETA: Interesting...
Based off of all of the quick improvements (which were also aided by a change in diet and physical exercise too)< I thought that the effects of this medicine were basically immediate.
Mayo Clinic says that many people being put on Metformin/Insulin will see results in the first 1 or 2 weeks, but it can take 2 to 3 months to stabilize blood glucose levels.
If that 308 reading is legit, I feel a lot better about it after only 2 days since seeing Dr. Endo than I did before reading that. Maybe this isn't too bad. I always think the worst.
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Nah...
These things are bullshit. You're never going to get anything accurate out of them.
Even under the "best case" scenario, they say the meter is "accurate" if it's within +/-15%.
When you're legit at 300, that could mean a reading anywhere from 255 to 345. When you're at 400 that could mean 340 to 460. Even at 200 that could vary from 170 to 230.
How is that even useful? And why would the doctor send me home to test myself without any training or knowledge about these things and make that decision to up the insulin on my own when even under ideal circumstances I could easily be showing far greater or lesser than 200 tomorrow morning depending on which way the meter feels like reading?
Hell... since all they did was use one of these things at Dr. Endo on Tuesday, I could very well have been only 340 instead of 400 with that 15% in mind.
And if I "squeezed my finger too hard" to get the blood out, that can make the reading low.
Maybe when I get myself down in the low 100's and 15% doesn't matter that much it will have a use, but right now and with what I was directed to use it for I have zero faith in this thing and it was a complete waste of money.
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Quote:Patience, grasshopper.
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Nah...
These things are bullshit. You're never going to get anything accurate out of them.
Quote:It tells you that you're still way too high. That's useful.
Even under the "best case" scenario, they say the meter is "accurate" if it's within +/-15%.
When you're legit at 300, that could mean a reading anywhere from 265 to 345. When you're at 400 that could mean 340 to 460. How is that even useful?
Quote:You need more experience with it, that's all
And if I "squeezed my finger too hard" to get the blood out, that can make the reading low.
I have zero faith in this thing and it was a complete waste of money.
Hubby and I have used different meters with different strips for quite a while. (Me to check that my blood sugar- which is quite normal- doesn't go low, with all the shit I've been on.,)
At one point he took seven readings from the same drop of blood or a different poke at the same time, and came up with somewhere in the realm of (IIRC) appx 140 +/- 5.
Right B4 his spinal fusion they insisted he get his blood sugar DOWN, OR ELSE! they wouldn't do the operation and he didn't have enough strips so we tested my meter and strips against his meter and strips, and- in the realm of appx 140 they were within 6 of each other.
I was impressed!
Also, he has tested his blood sugar at different times of the day. As you might expect, sugar varies throughout the day. It the AM, before anything, is the most consistent. After he eats, it goes up. After he takes his meds, it goes down. After he does both, it's kind of a wash.
Counterintuitively, and fir reasons that would take far too long to explain, after STRENUOUS exercise for more than 30 minutes, it goes UP by appx 30 points. Getting different readings at different times of the day is expected. That's why you're supposed to test under the same conditions every day: before meds and before eating. (Generally, having fasted for 8-12 hours)
But for what they and how cheap they are, they're amazing little gizmos.
Washing your hands is important, but I just rinse mine for about 10 seconds and dry them before taking a reading (assuming my hands aren't extraordinarily dirty, like after gardening or cutting up a chicken, or something.)
****
All analytic devices have a range thru which they can be expected to be linear. Back in the day, when glucose was measured by something called Fehling's solution, it would turn from blue to clear in the presence of sugar, and the less color the more sugar.
BUT, if there was way more glucose than Fehling's reagent, the color disappear but couldn't get any clearer than "clear", so there was a maximum amount of sugar that could be measured.
I don't know what's on the strips, but I assume it's some sort of color- developing reagent.
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There's no color in these strips.
They've got computer chips on the one end you put into the device,and you just press your finger to the yellow end of it that is sticking out and the device tells you the number.
I've had 5 errors, 505mg/dL, 495mg/dL and 308mg/dL.
Worthless.
I'm just going to keep using 15 units of insulin unless i feel lousy until I see him in 2 weeks.
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SECOND, there's no such thing as measurement by a chip.
There has to be SOME kind of sensor and there are only a few ways to measure chemicals: spectrophotometry (absorption of a wavelength, whether it's visible, IR or UV), conductance, direct mass measurement, or emission photometry, or the energy in fast-moving electrons or a few exotic nuclear techniques that I guarantee don't apply.
I'll bet you dollars to donuts it's some sort of spectrophotometry altho it might be in the UV or IR range where we can't see.
"Back in the day" each box (batch) of strips would come with a number on it, between 1 and 9, and you would have to tell the meter which number you were using. That was compensation for how much reagent was on each strip since manufacturing was a little inconsistent from batch to batch. They would also come with a solution of "100" so you could check your meter and strips.
The chip seems to allow for self-calibtation, but it doesn't change the basic technology.
Only measure in the AM before food or meds or even coffee. Rinse and dry your hands thoroughly. Write down your measurements every day and increase your insulin until you get closer to where you need to be. The meter will work well enough to get you in the ballpark of good health, and your doctor can help you fine tune your meds.
We have plenty of experience, it'll become easier and you'll get more consistent readings with experience.
EDITED TO ADD: I think you don't like the meter and strips bc the readings are scary. And you're looking for a reason not to have to deal with it directly. If I were seeing the same kinds of readings, I'd want someone else to deal with them. But you can control it, SIX, because you have knowledge and control of what to do with your meds. If you increase your insuln like you're supposed to, you WILL see readings come down over time, from where they are now down to 200 and even lower. It might take a week or two, but that's such a short time! That'll put you well into a spot where you and your body will be a lot more comfortable. Just breathe deep, and try again. You've tackled bigger and worse things before. I know you can do this. Chin up.
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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger
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Quote:Signym, tell 6ix to use something electronic that will give him continuous glucose readings: "With readings every minute and real-time optional alarms†, you will know when your glucose levels are too high or low. Start Your FREE Trial!"
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
SECOND, there's no such thing as measurement by a chip. . . .
EDITED TO ADD: I think you don't like the meter and strips bc the readings are scary. And you're looking for a reason not to have to deal with it directly.
https://www.freestyle.abbott/us-en/myfreestyle-freestyle-libre-2.html
7 Best Glucose Monitors and Meters:
Best for blood-free readings
FreeStyle Libre
https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/best-glucose-monitors#our-p
icks
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly
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Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
SECOND, there's no such thing as measurement by a chip.
There has to be SOME kind of sensor and there are only a few ways to measure chemicals: spectrophotometry (absorption of a wavelength, whether it's visible, IR or UV), conductance, direct mass measurement, or emission photometry, or the energy in fast-moving electrons or a few exotic nuclear techniques that I guarantee don't apply.
I'll bet you dollars to donuts it's some sort of spectrophotometry altho it might be in the UV or IR range where we can't see.
"Back in the day" each box (batch) of strips would come with a number on it, between 1 and 9, and you would have to tell the meter which number you were using. That was compensation for how much reagent was on each strip since manufacturing was a little inconsistent from batch to batch. They would also come with a solution of "100" so you could check your meter and strips.
The chip seems to allow for self-calibtation, but it doesn't change the basic technology.
Only measure in the AM before food or meds or even coffee. Rinse and dry your hands thoroughly. Write down your measurements every day and increase your insulin until you get closer to where you need to be. The meter will work well enough to get you in the ballpark of good health, and your doctor can help you fine tune your meds.
We have plenty of experience, it'll become easier and you'll get more consistent readings with experience.
EDITED TO ADD: I think you don't like the meter and strips bc the readings are scary. And you're looking for a reason not to have to deal with it directly. If I were seeing the same kinds of readings, I'd want someone else to deal with them. But you can control it, SIX, because you have knowledge and control of what to do with your meds. If you increase your insuln like you're supposed to, you WILL see readings come down over time, from where they are now down to 200 and even lower. It might take a week or two, but that's such a short time! That'll put you well into a spot where you and your body will be a lot more comfortable. Just breathe deep, and try again. You've tackled bigger and worse things before. I know you can do this. Chin up.
-----------
"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger
Alright. I'll up the dose of insulin today. Doesn't hurt nothing.
My reading this morning (with zero failed attempts beforehand) was 390, which means it's anywhere from 330 to 450, which is decidedly not under 200.
What's your opinion on my working out right now? I hate being in this limbo where I don't even know if working out is helping me or killing me.
Tell Second I'll be looking into his link and other alternatives. It's 2023 and having to prick your finger like a savage a couple times of day for the rest of your life is bullshit.
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Growing up in a Republic was nice... Shame we couldn't keep it.
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Quote:7 Best Glucose Monitors and Meters:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Tell Second I'll be looking into his link and other alternatives. It's 2023 and having to prick your finger like a savage a couple times of day for the rest of your life is bullshit.
Best for blood-free readings
FreeStyle Libre
https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/best-glucose-monitors#our-p
icks
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly
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Well, this whole question of "how does a glucose meter work?" kind of put a bug in my ear. Good thing you didn't take me up on my dollars to donuts bet, bc I would have lost!
Having used one, or seen it used for YEARS, I finally ... FINALLY... looked it up, and the actual sensor is an electrode. Good old electrochemistry!
Quote:
It’s usually the job of the pancreas to keep track of sugar levels and to secrete glucagon and insulin to keep them at 100 or so milligrams per deciliter of blood. But for diabetics — either because their pancreas doesn’t function properly or because their body can’t process the hormones it secretes — glucose testing is a do-it-yourself proposition. And a crucial one. Blood-sugar checks show if it’s time to inject a few units of insulin — or grab a lifesaving snack.
That’s where the glucometer comes in. “Current glucometers use test strips containing glucose oxidase, an enzyme that reacts to glucose in the blood droplet, and an interface to an electrode inside the meter,” explains Michael Strano, the Charles and Hilda Roddey Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT. “When the strip is inserted into the meter, the flux of the glucose reaction generates an electrical signal,” he says. “The glucometer is calibrated so the number appearing in its digital readout corresponds to the strength of the electrical current: The more glucose in the sample, the higher the number.”
Periodic tests via glucometer play an important part in the diabetic’s treatment plan, but current models fall short in giving a true picture of glucose fluctuations in real time. “The complications of diabetes stem from the blood sugar going outside the safe range,” says Strano. Catching those times and intervening appropriately can, in theory, lessen the negative effects of the disease, which can include heart disease, blindness, limb amputation, and kidney failure.
https://engineering.mit.edu/engage/ask-an-engineer/how-do-glucometers-
work/
"They have been working on thru-the-skin readings for - literally - decades. It was one of the research projects hubby was working on almos 50 years ago. It wuld be GREAT if you could just clip a meter on your finger, like a pulse-ox meter, and get painless realtime near-continuous readings.
Unfortunately AFAIK there aren't any sensors that can read through intact skin. All of the continuous glucose monitors require that SOMEthing be stuck into your skin This is the only picture I could find of an actual sensor, which must be changed every 10-15 days
Here is a diagram
There is also an implantable one which overall looks more comfortable. Some people don't like the into-the-skin sensors bc they fall out or get sore or infected. And implantable sensor solves that problem.
The nice thing about continuos glucose monitoring is that it allows people to inject, or eat, as appropriate whne their blood glucose rises too high (like after a meal) or falls too low, Even better, it can be used with an insulin pump which, alas, also needs to be injected through a hole in the skin.
*****
If your fingers are sore and bruised after a blood sample, you may be holding the lancing device too hard against your skin. Also, most lancing devicescan be adjusted to depth, so you can pick the depth and pressure that works best. I find that I get the best sample with the least pain in the sides of my pinky and ring fingers. My other fingers are too calloused. So I rotate right hand -outside pinky, inside pinky, outside ring, inside ring, and then to my left hand.
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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger
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I had to pick a VERY deep depth. They said start at 2. I maxed it out to 5 this morning and finally got a good blood droplet without much squeezing to coax it out.
I'll look into other possible ways to do this reading when that time comes. Dr. Endo said he hopes the insulin is just temporary, so we'll just see how this goes for now. We're still very early in the healing process.
Did you see my question about working out, Sigs? I feel a lot better now that I've been doing it, but I skipped my workout last night (partly because I'm a little worried with the glucose level still so high, and partly because I haven't taken a single day off of at least 2 if not 3 or 4 sessions and I figured taking one night off might not be a bad idea).
Anyhow... Going to take my shot and my meds shortly.
I was 148lbs even this morning.
(It would have been the first week of March when people were telling me I looked skinny and I found out I got down to 156lbs when I know I had weighed myself last in November and was over 170lbs. I WAS kind of chubby from the winter blues and there wasn't any muscle definition to be found on my body in November. In fact, even when I was working a lot on the house and in pretty great shape by the end of last summer in the high 150lbs range, I still didn't come close to the muscle definition I have right now.)
April 01st: 146.0 (When I decided I had to eat a lot more than I was eating)
April 03rd: 149.0
April 08th: 143.8 (The day I declared that I was dying, still losing weight even though I was eating way more than 2k calories per day.)
April 10th: 145.0 (Day before initial diagnosis and 500mg Metformin 2x per day, but also day after Easter where I ate what had to be 5000 calories and I weighed over 150 the night before I went to bed)
April 12th: 146.4 (Day after diagnosis/Metformin 500mg 2x)
April 13th: 148.0
April 14th: 146.8
April 17th: 145.6 (Day before Endo/1000mg Metformin 2x, 15units insulin 1x, 5mg Glipizide 1x)
April 19th: 147.2 (Day after Endo/1000mg Metformin 2x, 15units insulin 1x, 5mg Glipizide 1x)
April 20th: 148.4 (308mg/dL reading in the evening)
April 21st: 148.0 (390mg/dL reading first thing in the morning / First day upping insulin to 18 units 1x)
We're trending right, anyhow. Rome wasn't built in a day. 
It looks as though I started working out again on either April 8th or 9th, from a post I made on the 10th. That sounds right. I was pretty sure it had been 2 full weeks by now.
Workouts were hard and not very long at first, leaving me really winded by the time I was done with only about 5 minutes of 5 or 6 different exercises without breaks in between with the 10lb dumb bells.
Now the workouts are roughly 15 minutes with a lot more reps and workouts added, including push ups, crunchies, and some yoga leg lifts to finish them off, sometimes going back to 20lb dumb bells for some shoulder/back/bicep reps until I can't even move my arms anymore. I'm winded by the time this is done too, but recovery is much quicker than it was on the 8th/9th.
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Growing up in a Republic was nice... Shame we couldn't keep it.
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