Diabetes Diary, Part 5

Although I’ve been using my current blood glucose meter since last September, I hadn’t bothered to check out its Web site until last week. To my delight, I found a great resource for managing my diabetes. Accessing the site was simple. I had to join its online community by registering the serial number on my blood glucose meter—plus the membership was free.

The first tool I plan to use is the site’s Testing Log. I currently track my glucose levels throughout the day the old fashioned way: with pen and paper. I fold an 8x11” photocopied daily log grid in half three times, in order for it to fit inside my meter’s carrying case. As you can imagine, by the time the sheet is filled up, it’s pretty dog-eared.

By using the online log, I can forgo the tedium of folding and refolding my log sheet. My meter keeps about 100 test results in its memory. So I can retrieve the day’s results before I go to bed and--with a few points and clicks--enter them all at once. The online log also allows me to create line graphs or pie charts by day, week, month or year. This will not only give me a visual image of how I’m doing, but it may also help me figure out what I need to tweak in my diet and exercise regimen and when.

Other features on the Web site help you set and complete exercise goals; cook tasty-sounding, carb- and calorie-specific recipes; understand diabetes terms and stay abreast of the latest diabetes research. The Web sites for your meter and meds may offer similar online resources. Check them out, and let me know if you find anything useful.


Until next time,
Contributing Editor
Nicole Crawford-Tichawonna