GLUCOMETER Dear friends,
Yesterday evening Igot replacement of my Accu-Chek glucometer purchased before three months whichhad display problems. Being warranty item, I got replacement by currier, andhad to return old meter with a code given by them in a cover with my name also on it. I thought of writing about my glucometer stories. Other thannostalgia and some laughing incidents, nothing serious is there in thisposting. People likefun can read and laugh. Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan31-3-2021 1 Glucometer advertisement I was taking bloodsugar tests with local lab at Trivandrum once a month while I was working thereever since I was diagnosed having diabetics in 1998. Sometimes Fasting, sometimes fasting and PP,rarely urine analysis. I was prescribed DIONIL, a less costly tablet by thedoctor. To avoid Lab chargeson those days most used to take so only. In 2002 middle I wentto Dubai as a guest to my daughter and son in law and one day while walking inbazar a board about easy testing of blood sugar with Glucometer attracted me. Just afterwashing hands they took a FREEtest of random blood sugar. It was a medical shop run by a North Indian. What a wonder- On the spot a smallpricking in fingertip and the blood placed on the edge of a strip inserted to the meter.After a few seconds analysing the blood sugar displayed –160. The sales persontold, you are well controlled. Purchase meter sir, we will give 10 strips freealong with additional pin to prickle and an instrument for that. In my calculation at least for 3 months thestrips are sufficient. Pricking with an instrument-what a comfort I thought. Additional pin I can use separate onefor my wife. I know my wife would like to test her glucose level, thoughshe has no high blood glucose level. Thepricking pen- like a small pen. On a pressing of button, prickle the skin. I purchased the meter. Cost was not a mattersince it was something new to me. My thinking was why should I go to lab? I cantake reading at home and show doctor. In the lab they are takingblood from veins never struck me?? Tested my blood sugar before daughter, wifeand son in law. He raised a doubt- Sufficient for how many days? I told thesales person said, strips could be purchased in India, Trivandrum being bigcity it is possible. Sonin law silently got another 20 strips, seeing the model. The meterwas not that much costly, but strips were very costly. Iimagined I could use for one year. Son in law checked and said- With in sixmonths you have to exhaust or else the strips would expire. Strips validity andexpiry he showed me. So I had to be little liberal from my misery usage. When I brought toTrivandrum, just to ensure I could get strips I took it to a large medical shop.They told me- We are not selling glucometer,if at all we sell at a later date, it would be Indian model. Strips for this wecannot get. After six months I againstarted to go to local lab as usual. Somehow I did not throw it in waste box. 2. Glucometer in Government Hospital After about a year Iattended a diabetic meet arranged by Trivandrum medical college to make public awarethe seriousness of uncontrolled diabetics. A paid meeting. There though they told about blood testsfrom lab, they were using a glucometer and separate needles for checking theblood sugar fasting and PP. We had to go empty stomach. On seeing high readings, the doctorspacified telling we are pricking skin, blood comes from capillaries which is pureblood. In labs they take fromveins, slightly impure blood. Hence the reading is low. A margin of 30 points can be reducedfrom glucometer readings for the actualblood sugar levels. I was carrying it in my mind. 3 Glucometer in Chennai. After retirement Icame to Chennai in 2004 end. One day I asked a large medical shop aboutglucometer strips for my glucometer.They agreed to take my glucometer, give new one with strips and pins and pen, I purchased new one. It was from Johnsons. This was one to providewith code. In the meter we have introduce a small chip coming with strips.Every time the new strips are purchased, the chip had to be changed. In no time the model became obsolete. 4. Insulin and more tests. After an ICUadmission, I was asked to take insulin. Insulin came in a bottle, through therubber cap syringe cum pen had to be inserted to take insulin and inject inskin. After four or five use, new pin cum syringe was used. 4a Accu-chek go My son brought a nicelooking glucometer, modern, with strips. Strips got exhausted and not availablein India, he sent through friends. I hadto collect from them. Once I asked my daughter who frequently come from Dubai,she too got strips. It was accu ckek go model, getting obsolete my son got thelast two packs of strips. The meter became obsolete in 2013. Though meter wasperfectly functioning, the model became obsolete. It was also with code chip. 5 Purchasing Accuckek active While I consult thedoctor, irrespective of my glucometer readings from 2004 end, doctors used to ask to take Fasting,PP, and HB1AC in their labs. Our glucometer has no provision to checkHB1Ac as it is . For our satisfaction,and doctor’s view it is OK. Ipurchased the accu -chek active glucometer in 2014. It worked well withperiodic inside cell replacement. Suddenly 0ne year back it stopped workingeven with cell replacement. No local repair people. One technician read the guaranteepasted inside and contact number. With their techniques to press certainbuttons it became somewhat OK. But as age has increased and sudden check is requiredand meter if not function? I desided to purchase a new one. Like any one Ithought getting peace with a working meter. 6. Purchasing new AccuChek active Glucometer About three monthsback, I purchased a new one. On testing display was very less. Thinking batterywould have exhausted, a new one put. Did all exercises told with button bymyself . Occasionally itwould work but display low. I took to a new shop for cellreplacement. On seeing it he said don’t waste money display has gone. He put anew cell, gave it’s cover, to intimate company. I contacted thecompany, told the exercises done, new battery changed with details, he simply gave me a code to write ona cover, place the glucometer to the currier person coming. The curriercame in 5 days with a cover exactly of the meter with print replacement. I gave my oldmeter 7 Disappointment I was expecting newtest strips, pins, pen and meter in box. I opened the box. ONLY METER in it’s box. Other places were vacant. I kept my strips and my pins and pen. Themeter working OK . I am happy- I have a working meter. Nowadays daily fastingreading is taken due to after an ailment . -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1668831807.1701502.1617175278582%40mail.yahoo.com.
