Annie & Craig - Getting too smart!

[BestBuddy]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

I always filled the syringe with air (6 units) and expelled that air into the vial and drew up 6 units of insulin. I than tapped the upright syringe so that any air bubbles rose to the needle end and squirted 2 units into the sink to end up with my 4 units to inject.

It didn't worry me to waste those couple of units as I usually had a half a vial left after a month anyway.

Jenny

[CraigM]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

Thanks Jenny. That's what I do, but squirt it back into the vial. As you say, doesn't matter since we toss out half a vial anyway

Looks like the 8 units made a difference:


8am = 289 7žiu
5pm = 218
8pm = 297 increased to 8iu from 7žiu
11PM= 155 (tested actually at 10:45)

Now, I wish I'd tested around 11AM.

[Patty]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

New thought: Just got home from the trip for her food (BB, Healthy Weight) and trip to Walmart for her insulin (bought a "Confirm" meter to play with) and got her a new toy. She hasn't put the toy down in the 30 minutes we've been home. Wonder how her BG will be after an hours chew / play? I'll test her once she puts it down.

Awe, sounds fun!!

Let us know how the confirm meter compares.

Patty

[CraigM]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

Patty,
Thanks for moving this over to Annie's thread.

Haven't un-boxed the new meter yet, i'll do it soon.

I think the hour with the new chew toy may have been a mistake! She normally is in the mid 100s this time of day, just read 241. Wish I'd taken a reading before giving her the toy! She is driving my wife crazy with the running, trying to bury it under pillows, acting like a crazy pup. I think it's cute, as long as the higher BGs pass when she tires of the toy (whenever THAT might be )

[Patty]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

LOL...too cute. Ali usually rises too if I give her a new toy at toward the end of her insulin.

Patty

[CraigM]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

As I mentioned, I bought a Walmart ReliOn Confirm meter ($9.00) today to play with. Actually, in order to possibly save a little money with the test strips (50 strips for $20 (40˘ each)).

I've so far run one comparison between the ReliOn Confirm and my old AlphaTrak meter. I'll run double tests for the next several days, hoping to get comparisons from around 100 to mid 200s based on the AlphaTrak. This evenings test was on the same blood droplet, about 10 seconds apart:

AlphaTrak = 169
Confirm = 109

[k9diabetes]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

I don't know why but to me meter comparisons are very interesting...

I think my top priority is consistency of variance between the less expensive meter and the AlphaTrak so you could feel like you could adjust the readings of the less expensive meter and be pretty close to actual.

I tested a meter for pets when it first came out and it was terribly inconsistent. Sometimes the reading would be the same as the other meter, sometimes 100 points different, sometimes higher, sometimes lower... it was so inconsistent that I would never have been able to trust it. I had done many meter comparisons in the past where the variance fell into a pretty consistent range.

Natalie

[jjefferjo]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

Craig
Did you get the Confirm micro?
J and Ed

[CraigM]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

No, not the "Micro". That might be a good meter, just too small for me. i'm afraid I'd misplace it too often.

Even this "Confirm" is smaller and much lighter than the AlphaTrak. I personally like the feel / weight of the AlphaTrak and other large meters.

http://www.relion.com/diabetes/blood...relion-confirm

I wasn't going to update the comparison until we had a dozen readings, but since I'm typing...

AlphaTrak = 169
Confirm = 109

AlphaTrak = 89
Confirm = 57

AlphaTrak = 114
Confirm = 67

[jjefferjo]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

Craig,
What % or number would you adjust to on the confirm to come to the conclusion that that is a good number for Ms Annie.
I have gone back and forth with the Ultra Touch Mini
and now the micro.
I just want to feel good about how I am in understaning that number. I sometimes question my self, not in teh processor procedure but teh accuracy of teh number do I add 30 points over 100 and add 20 for nauything under 80 of do I just adjust up 20%

I know 300-350 is what it is
Still learning and alwasy interested in getting better
Thanks Bunches
Ed and J

[CraigM]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

Ed & J,

We don't have enough data yet, not enough "spread", but adding 30 - 40 to the Relion Confirm should be close for Confirm numbers below about 70ish. Looks like, based on only one comparison, Confirm readings around 110 need 60 points added. I'm wanting to see a few readings on the AlphaTrak in the 200 - 250 range to see where the Confirm matches-up. I'm actually thinking about giving Annie an afternoon snack tomorrow to purposely raise her numbers into the high 100s - low 200s.

Here are my numbers again:


AlphaTrak = 169
Confirm = 109

AlphaTrak = 89
Confirm = 57

AlphaTrak = 114
Confirm = 67

AlphaTrak = 96
Confirm = 57

AlphaTrak = 106
Confirm = 69

I didn't state the testing times here, but the sets were at least 3 hours apart.

[CraigM]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

MORE COMPARISONS BETWEEN ALPHATRAK & RELION CONFIRM METERS

The purpose of this test is to provide confidence in using the much lower cost Walmart ReliOn Confirm meter ($9) and test strips (50 strips for $20).

My assumptions are that the AlphaTrak meter provides an acceptably close blood glucose reading and that the ReliOn Confirm meter, designed for human blood, will be off when testing dog blood.

I've made 12 comparison readings between the AlphaTrak and Walmart's ReliOn Confirm meter. I realize 12 is a small sample, but the results are interesting, at least to me. I'm posting here for your comments and thoughts about my methodology.

first column AlphaTrak, second Confirm, third the percentage difference

169AT 109C 65%
89AT 57C 64%
114AT 67C 59%
96AT 57C 59%
106AT 69C 65%
186AT 119C 64%
125AT 66C 53% (I'm "tossing" this outlying set)
93AT 61C 66%
144AT 91C 63%
69AT 44C 64%
130AT 78C 60%
115AT 72C 63%

The average difference is 63%. If you divide the Confirm number by 63%, you will get a number that is close to what the AlphaTrak would indicate. Example: using the first set of numbers of 169AT 109C, you would divide 109 by .63 and obtain a true (AlphaTrak) number of 173. Only 4 points off!

It would be interesting to know if this .63 factor holds true for other meters.

[Patty]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

That's good info Craig. Thanks for posting it!
Patty

[CraigM]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

I may have been too quick with my AlphaTrak / ReliOn Confirm meter test results (post 147 in this thread). Yesterdays conclusion was based on only 11 tests, over four days, with an AlphaTrak range from a low of 69 to a high of 186.

Annie had a slightly higher reading this morning: 257 AlphaTrak, 184 Confirm, that means the Confirm was 72% of the AlphaTrak (again, see post 147).

If I apply the .63 conversion factor I mentioned yesterday, the converted Confirm reading would have been 292. Although there is a 35 point difference between the AlphaTrak's 257 and the converted 292 value, I don't find this too bothersome because I consider both 257 and 292 too high.

Of course, Annie wants to collect more data (well, I guess I'm the one that wants more data)

[CraigM]

Re: Annie - Getting too smart!

Started my second vial of Humulin 70/30 yesterday. This mornings fasting reading was 208 which was a little higher than normal. Wasn't concerned because Annie has had fasting numbers in the low 200s, but not often.

5PM = 234 (expected mid 100s)
8PM fasting = 359 ( haven't seen 300s in a long time! Expected low to mid 100s)

Anyone seeing inconsistencies between their Humulin vials? I realize I'm probably the only one using the 70/30 type.

When I opened the new box yesterday I noted the white sediment on the bottom of the vial, but it seemed to go into normal solution after a minute of normal rolling.

I don't recall seeing any difference between vials when using Novolin.