[Ronin]

Jakesfnm, et al.,

Testing is a subject of lots of debate in the diabetic community. The reality is that the “numbers” are all relative. Unfortunately, those of us with medical conditions get fixated on “the numbers.” Short of setting up a certified laboratory in our homes where we can perform tightly controlled medical tests, we will never have absolute values. Add to that, the fact that we have bodies that are dynamic – test now and get one reading, wait a few minutes and test again and get another reading because: something you ate just got digested and the carbs are now in your blood stream, or your liver dumped glucose into your blood stream, or your pancreas secreted insulin into your system and everything changes and it is never static.

I know the frustration all too well. We all go through a period where you feel good and are doing the “right things” and then we get a bad test result and we feel as though all is lost. We’re on a roller-coaster of emotion all based on what number appears on your meter or shows up in the mail.

Eventually, we all learn the wisdom of the almost inane phrase: “it is what it is.” It is a number that indicates what our BG levels were at a particular time and place. Yes, it is an indication of the degree of success of whatever regimen we have put upon ourselves at that time. The first response to a “bad” result is usually “why me” when the better response is “what should I do now?” The answer is obvious, if we are in the “normal range” for who we are and what we are doing at the moment, nothing is required except to record the number and move on. If the number is outside that range then we should examine the potential causes and take action accordingly.