Very satisfied with this product!
Written: Dec 02 '01 (Updated Dec 17 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fast and painless
Cons: Expensive if you don't have insurance; forearm testing may not reflect rapid fluctuations in glucose
The Bottom Line: It is very easy to use, painless, and hasn't given me a moment's trouble. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who needs a blood glucose monitor.
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| easberry's Full Review: Therasense Freestyle Blood Glucose Monitoring Syst... |
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in November 2001. My fasting blood glucose was just under 300. I have learned a LOT since that time. I had a lot of the classical symptoms, and when they took the first blood sample, they lanced my finger to get the blood. I remember asking, "Is that what I'm going to have to do every day if I have diabetes?".
After being officially diagnosed, my doctor recommended this particular system. I was quite relieved to find out that I could get the blood sample from my forearm (and other parts of the body less sensitive than the fingers). My doctor said it was "virtually painless" -- and it is. He has several patients who are very happy with it, and I am one of them.
My unit came with a black zippered carrying case, which holds the lancet device, lancets, test strips, a logbook and the meter itself. The unit also came with an owner's manual and a "control" solution which allows you to verify that your meter is measuring glucose levels correctly.
The lancet device is spring loaded and has an adjustable depth which you can change by turning a dial. I have left mine at the default depth of "3" and it has worked fine. To get ready to use the device, you take off a clear plastic end piece (which goes over the lancet itself but has a hole that the sharp goes through), push the lancet into the device, twist off the end which covers the sharp, and then replace the end piece. There is an slide that you can pull back to "arm" or "cock" the device, but I have found that just by inserting the lancet the device is already cocked.
Next, you remove a test strip from the vial and insert it into the meter. This turns the meter on. The meter reader first displays the test strip code that it is currently set to. You must make sure that the meter's code matches the code printed on the test strip vial. My meter came with 10 free strips that were labeled as "Code 1", wherease the strips I bought seperately say "Code 13". It's very easy to change this with a press of the button on the meter. But you have to make sure or you may get inaccurate readings.
Once the meter is ready, the instructions tell you to vigorously rub your forearm to help bring the blood to the surface. Then you place the end of the lancet device on your forearm and push a button to stick your arm. I have found this to be completely painless. You apply pressure for a couple of seconds to help draw the blood out.
You just need a very tiny drop of blood, and the test strip "wicks" it up. Once a sufficient amount of blood has been collected by the meter, it beeps and displays moving arrows as it takes the reading. It takes about 15-20 seconds to get a reading, and you have about 60 seconds total to collect enough blood for a reading. I've never had a problem getting enough blood since it requires such a small amount.
Another nice touch, once you are done lancing the cap that twists off the sharp can easily be put back on, so you don't have a sharp to worry about in your trash.
The meter also has a data port on it and Therasense sells an optional product which allows you to update the data to a PC for $75 which includes the cable. I haven't really investigated this too much as I'm not entirely sure it would be worthwhile for me to do this, so I don't really have anything additional to say about that.
I have tried lancing my fingers and forearms on a couple of occasions and did not find significant differences in readings. However, I have seen some articles suggesting that swings in glucose levels can often be detected in the fingers before they show up in the forearms. So if you are prone to hypoglycemia you might want to test with your fingertips. Since this meter uses such a small amount of blood, I actually didn't find fingertip testing too terribly painful, but it does smart. For more info on forearm vs. finger testing, I recommend: http://www.diabetesmonitor.com/alt_lags.htm
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
easberry
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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