Need to vent about blood work!

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2004
Need to vent about blood work!
5
Sat, 05-15-2004 - 8:30pm
O.K...so my dr wanted me to get a fasting blood test done to see how the metformin is working out. I cannot go to the lab during the week cause I got 3 kids to get ready for school and daycare..plus my job. However, the one lab IS open on Saturdays. Soooo I decided to go today since my next app is this Thurs. So I get up at 7. Leave at 7:40 to be at the lab by 8. Find out the lab now opens at 9. Go home. Leave at 8:40 to be at the lab for 9 (remember..I'm fasting and have not eaten since 6 the night before) there is a line up for the lab. I get in line. I am number 5 so I sit and wait. 9:30 they are still working on number 2. I start feeling hypo (and because my dr wanted me to test with my home monitor to see how accurate it is) I pull it out and test right there in front of everyone. HA! It was 3.7 or 66. Of course by this time it's been 15.5 hrs since I ate AND I've been up for almost 4 hrs. I'm also 3 people away from getting in at 15 mins a person. There was NO WAY I could have made it. Luckily, the lab is in a drug store. I got up...bought a meal replacement bar, ate it and waited in my car till I was o.k. to drive. How stupid is that????? Opening a lab at 9! We have fasting diabetics waiting till 9 ( if they are luckly and get to the lab 30 mins before it opens)to get blood work done! I tested myself at 7 with my home monitor and my number was 100. I am so mad! No more fasting blood work! Random or nothing!
Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 05-17-2004 - 1:11am

I am sorry you had such a difficult time. I normally carry food with me when I go to get fasting lab work done and I like you like to arrive as early as possible.


On top of your unfortunate experience, in my humble opinion, you didn't need fasting lab work done! You haven't been on the metformin long enough to see that much of a drop. At this point in your disease you need to be testing 4 times per day and keeping a log of that testing. There is no reason to check the accuracy of your meter. Your meter will be accurate. A 10% percent variation between a hospital lab and your meter is wihtin normal limits. Testing your blood sugar before each meal and at bedtime should be sufficient to determine how you are doing. Occassionally test 2 hours after eating and see if your blood sugar is 140 (7.7)

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2004
Mon, 05-17-2004 - 7:43pm
LoL...You have a way of always making me smile. Thanks!

I'm just going to go to the app on Thurs and tell him this country is nuts and until it gets fixed we'll have to do things my way. HA. I have been testing my blood sugars after meals (2 hrs) but never before. My numbers range from 5.7 to 8.2 or hmmmmm..110-150. I also know that I feel way better. Not nearly as foggy. I did get foggy today at work but I can't test at work cause I'm so dirty. I tested after I got home and my number was 149 and this was about 2 hrs after a plum. So I think I'm doing o.k. He did say that he wanted to get my blood tested cause he's worried I may go too low. But that won't happen. Thanks again for your input.

Sue
Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 05-17-2004 - 10:57pm

Hey Sue,


Here's another piece of information for you. Because Glucophage tells your liver not to push out so much glucose it in of itself doesn't lower your blood sugar. It is called an insulin sensitizer. So hypoglycemia isn't a problem with glucophage. So that shouldn't be a problem for you at least from the glucophage.


By the way the new standard for exercise for type 2 diabetics is

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
Tue, 05-18-2004 - 2:23am
Mary Frances

Not sure if you could do any of the walk away the pounds tapes by Leslie Sansone...I seem to remember you having some mobility problems too, both your back and legs. The Leslie Sansone Express walk away the pounds set with the stretchie band might work for you. I have found those tapes useful at this point when I am working on the president's challenge, which at least to make it through the active lifestyle category requires 5 days a week for at least 1/2 hour. But if you want something you can do at home and maybe work your way up on that, it might be doable. It is something you can do at home, although when i tried doing them the first time at my sisters house, her female doxie...zelda....came and sat about a foot away, just watching every single move i was doing. Like she was ready to rescue me if i fell over or something!!

I know the orthopedic surgeon a few years ago( that I will not go back to)...told me i could swim(period, end of exercise, other than that i should sit in an electric cart or use walker). I refuse to have any doctor who tells me to sit and give up the mobility i still have. So the ONLY way he will ever treat me in the future is if i am unconscious!!

Swimming is supposed to be a good safe exercise, but if you are short on time...seems like there is so much time lost getting ready to get into and out of the pool!!

You might also be able to use an exercise bike like an airdyne... that is the one where the handles move too. I like them because they have a spoke coming out from the middle of the front wheel so when my bad knee stops wanting to bend, i could prop that up without a strained position and then still keep the other leg and 2 arms going.

I found when I started out at the Y, I started out planning on real short exercise periods but then it seemed such a waste to go there and get all sweaty for a piddly 20-30 minutes...so i usually get in a lot more. then with the Presidents challenge(we are doing the governors challenge piggybacked on that) that requires to do at least 1/2 hour 5 days a week so i have managed to get that in, a lot of times by doing those "walk away the pounds tapes". It possible if I do those on a more regular basis they may also help me with my balance and walking on regular ground. I can walk SO MUCH further on the elliptical or the treadmill!!

BUT when I first started I think i was only doing something like 10 minutes on the treadmill and 10 minutes on the arm cycle. So don't worry about starting out at 5 hours. thats probably asking to fail because it will seem way too much. Also see if there is some type of sport or other physical activity that you might find enjoyable. There are lots of types of physical activities which do NOT fit the "exercise" mindframe, but they are active enough to really be considered exercise!!

Auntydoxzz

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-02-2003
Tue, 05-18-2004 - 8:22pm

Normally when I go in for blood tests, I tell them when I sign in that I am a diabetic that is fasting and they have taken me over others in the waiting area before.


Also, you should have been able to go a little longer time wise.

Blueliner4
(aka The Pixie Princess)