What Do Hearing Aids, Diaphragms, Condoms & Diabetes Glucose Meters Have in Common?

Quick answer: none of them work when left, unused, in a bedroom drawer.

My focus today is on diabetes and my point is: get a reliable meter (your insurer may have specific models available for you) and test frequently enough (3-4 times a day every day) so that you become the super expert on your diabetes. How does your body react to your medicine? When does your medicine "kick-in"? What are your high and low periods for glucose?  When your glucose is high - how do you feel?  When your glucose is low, how do you feel? What foods raise your glucose level and how soon after eating them does your glucose rise?  When does it drop again? Modern meters give reads which can be recorded in a logbook, or, using computer software for a suitable meter, downloaded, printed and in deliverable form so that your  doctor can review your daily records each month and you and your doctor can discuss the findings while your doctor also checks your retina for diabetic changes, your feet for diabetic problems, the parts of your body between your head and your feet, and some appropriate laboratory testing, and then gives you advice on management.

With this information you have a much better understanding of your diabetes, its treatment, and how you can control your sugars!

TV commercials, ads in newspapers and magazines and brochures  tout the benefits of new free give-away glucose meters for diabetics from companies which didn't exist a year ago. I chose my meter with my physician and confirmed the wisdom of my purchase by looking - not at my TV set or throwaway ad - but in Consumers' Union (Consumer Reports) which rated a variety of meters in terms of cost and accuracy a year or two ago.  The initial cost of a meter is only a small part of its actual cost: glucose test strips, lancets and other simple materials used in testing all are expensive which makes insurance coverage highly beneficial. Some meters are more accurate and reliable than others. The best lancets (which are not significantly more expensive) have very fine needles which are essentially painless. Some meters use strips which require a large blood drop which can be difficult when your fingers are cold, or your hands are stiff, arthritic and have impaired feeling sensation.

A practical example: if at 11:30 AM your glucose is high, is it because your medicine hasn't acted yet, because you ate late, because you ate too much for breakfast, or because you skipped your morning walk? If you've been testing regularly you might know that instead of taking more medicine, you should take a 30 minute walk and then retest to probably find that your glucose came down because the medicine had more time to work and you burned off glucose with your moderate exercise. Wow - doesn't it feel good to be in control?

A Tale of Two Companies

In a recent blog, I described problems with one highly advertised diabetic supply company which I did not name because my policy is to praise in public and criticize privately.

In contrast, today's blog describes the straightforward and appropriate response which I received from Liberty Medical Supply's COO. A refreshing no-nonsense letter, strikingly different from the other company's responses. And because of the difficulties I experienced, without hesitation Liberty offered (and I accepted) to provide me with Accu-Chek lancets, a clearly superior product.

Here is Liberty's Chief Operating Officer response to my letter criticising Liberty's "generic" lancets:

"Dear Dr. Kaplan,
Thank you for your thoughtful letter regarding Liberty and One Touch lancets. You bring up a valid point regarding the comfort levels provided by different lancets, and I wanted to reply to you personally.

"To give you some background, over the past six months, all Liberty lancets have been moved from 28 gauge to 30 gauge, compared to One Touch lancets, which are 25 gauge.

"For you, and all patients with diabetes, finding the least painful method of obtaining a blood sample is crucial. I am sorry that you were not pleased with Liberty's lancets.

"As of this date, Liberty's lancet manufacturer is complying with our instruction to install new molds, which should eliminate the plastic problem and the slight bend that can occur on the shaft when the plastic cap is twisted off. Also, the new needles have a tri-beveled and electro-polished finish to improve the discomfort of finger sticking. And finally, by May 2009, all Liberty lancets will be made on fully robotic systems that will significantly tighten tolerance levels and quality in lancet manufacturing.

"At Liberty, we understand the importance of lancets in managing diabetes and we are
constantly looking to improve upon the products we offer, Again, Dr. Kaplan, thank you for contacting us. If I can be of further assistance, do not hesitate to contact me directly at 772-398-5822.

Sincerely,
Keith W. Jones
Chief Operatlng Officer
Liberty Medical Supply, Inc."

Liberty Medical