you probably should start testing yourself, but it is expensive. I would go to the doctor and get a test and then see if your insurance will pay for supplies. Mine does. Those test strips are no joke in terms of cost.

I actually have a set of supplies. The problem is that I seriously cannot figure out the finger pricker thing. I am thinking of just using a needle. I think I ruined 2 cartridges of needles trying to use it.

try the side of your finger near the nail, and choose the baby finger.

if you have a strength dial, turn it all the way up. I have mine on 7.

Those test strips are no joke in terms of cost.

Damned right. The meter is free, the strips cost you your first-born.

turn it all the way up. I have mine on 7.

Gleep. Mine's on 2.

I couldn't tell if those were supposed to be in ascending order. Like, is Rio really more dangerous than Mogadishu?

I had the same question, esp. since my beloved Cape Town came in at #1! Hard to believe Cape Town is really more dangerous than, say, Baghdad. I'm not saying it's not dangerous, but unless it's changed a lot in 10 years (always possible, I suppose), it can't be nearly as bad as Mogadishu!

Interesting fact - Juarez is supposed to be the murder capital of Mexico and was on the list towards the top. But our government sends 97% of Mexicans looking to live here in the US to Juarez for their immigration processing. Yeah, it's close to the border, but several Mexicans - who were in Juarez only to get their visas to come here - have been killed.

Oh yikes, that's just awful.

The doctor told me I didn't need to do the testing thing or take any medication - at least until we determine whether the diet/exercise thing is going to help. My A1C was 7 - when I told the opthamologist, he pooh-poohed it, saying it wasn't at a level it would affect my eyes' healing. And someone in the educational session was talking about their A1C running 9 to 12, so I figure I've caught it before it got to that level. (Also? I'd been pretty much living on ice cream and pizza for the previous few months, which probably had an effect.)

Sophia, sometimes you have to squeeze a little, too. Just don't go overboard.

Huh, 7's considered high but relatively well managed in my medical world. I can see why they're not saying anything about meds.

So today was the day I had my glucose test for gestational diabetes (I won't know the results until tomorrow). It involved getting up an hour early, forgoing my morning cup of tea, drinking the gross glucose solution, then undergoing a pelvic exam while waiting to get a needle stuck in my arm for the blood draw. The kicker? I get to work... and the heat is broken. Everyone is sitting around wrapped in their coats and shivering.

I would like a do-over on today, please.

Sophia, sometimes you have to squeeze a little, too. Just don't go overboard.

There is literally no needle coming out. No matter what I turn it up to-- My cat barfed on the directions and I threw them out, and I thought I could figure it out, but alas, I am doing something very wrong.