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One way of making sure your diet and exercise plan is working is
to self-monitor your blood glucose levels. You’ll need to have a
blood glucose monitor, test strips and lancets to do the testing. If
you get your type 2 diabetes under control and stick to your plan,
other medical supplies may never be necessary. If you have private
insurance, these medical supplies may be covered. Medicare does help
pay for medical supplies and there are private companies that
provide some supplies free if you have billable insurance.
The type of glucose meter you get depends on what you’d like to
spend for it and how you plan on using it. There are monitors with
memories to keep a record of your results for you to reference; the
convenience factor is multiplied if the software from your meter is
compatible with your doctor’s computer. Some of them have big
screens for those with vision impairment and some of them even talk.
Others have lights for nighttime testing. Some of the newer models
are practically painless and can take blood from sources other than
your fingertips.
Another consideration to keep in mind when choosing your glucose
meter is the cost of the test strips if you have chosen a model that
requires test strips. Saving money on a cheaper meter then finding
out that it uses expensive test strips ends up costing you more
money in the long run.
Of course, if your insurance company picks up the cost of your
medical supplies, choose the meter you like the best. Other things
to think about are the size of the meter, sturdiness, ease of
cleaning and how often you will be using it. When you are first
diagnosed, you will probably want to test yourself more often to see
how different foods and exercise affect your blood sugar.
Although meters, test strips and lancets are just a few of the
medical supplies for people with type 2 diabetes, with your
dedication and hard work they will be the only ones you ever need.
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