I need a voice of reason: Should I buy this? **now with bigger purchase***

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rudeguy

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
http://bayercontourusb.us/home

Pros:
It can sync up with my PC and give me glucose trends for my son.
The back-lit display would be really nice
The light for where the test strip goes in would be VERY helpful
No more coding of strips
Much smaller than what we currently use

Cons:
My son would have to get used to carrying his meter with him. He currently has 1 that he carries at school plus a backup there, one at my house, one at his mom's and one at my mom's.
Its new...
The test strips would cost about $10 more per month than I am currently spending. (He goes through 150-200 strips a month and these cost $5 more per hundred)


The first con is the big one. But my son is almost 13 and I think he needs to start taking more responsibility and carrying/not losing his monitor would be a huge step for him.

Thoughts?


UPDATE:
So thinking about this led to me look at the newest pump out there that has a dedicated monitor. It appears to be bluetooth endabled. Very cool but the upgrade would be $600


http://www.animascorp.com/animas-insulin-pumps/onetouch-ping
 
Last edited:
xanis

xanis

Lifer
Sep 11, 2005
17,571
8
0
I think that he could handle it provided you stress the importance and cost of the thing. Sounds like the pros outweigh the cons IMO.
 
rudeguy

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
Xanis said:
I think that he could handle it provided you stress the importance and cost of the thing. Sounds like the pros outweigh the cons IMO.
Click to expand...

The cost isn't much. This is $75 which is about right. I bought him $20 for school since he was losing those but he has even had those for a couple months now.
 
S

sjwaste

Diamond Member
Aug 2, 2000
8,757
12
81
koolaid.jpg
 
S

ShawnD1

Lifer
May 24, 2003
15,987
2
81
Rudeguy said:
Pros:
It can sync up with my PC and give me glucose trends for my son.
The back-lit display would be really nice
The light for where the test strip goes in would be VERY helpful
No more coding of strips
Much smaller than what we currently use
Click to expand...
I don't understand how these are all that helpful. What is the benefit of trending blood sugar data? Why do you need a light to show where the strip goes? What do you mean "coding" strips?
 
rudeguy

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
ShawnD1 said:
I don't understand how these are all that helpful. What is the benefit of trending blood sugar data? Why do you need a light to show where the strip goes? What do you mean "coding" strips?
Click to expand...

Sorry...I should have explained better.

Trending lets you see if/when blood sugars are high/low. If my son's blood sugar is constantly high at a certain time of the day or after eating, etc, this makes it much easier to spot. We currently use a combination of log books and a diabetes management program on his phone.

The light for the test strip is because I check his blood before I wake him up and sometimes in his sleep. Not having to turn on a light would be a plus.

Test strips each have a code that you have to program into his meter. The code is just a number between 1 and 55. Its just an extra step that I would love to not have to deal with.
 
Sea Moose

Sea Moose

Diamond Member
May 12, 2009
6,933
7
76
whats wrong with your sprout rude guy? Or are blood sugar monitors standard issue for kids these days?
 
C

Cable God

Diamond Member
Jun 25, 2000
3,251
0
71
Rudeguy said:
http://bayercontourusb.us/home

Pros:
It can sync up with my PC and give me glucose trends for my son.
The back-lit display would be really nice
The light for where the test strip goes in would be VERY helpful
No more coding of strips
Much smaller than what we currently use

Cons:
My son would have to get used to carrying his meter with him. He currently has 1 that he carries at school plus a backup there, one at my house, one at his mom's and one at my mom's.
Its new...
The test strips would cost about $10 more per month than I am currently spending. (He goes through 150-200 strips a month and these cost $5 more per hundred)


The first con is the big one. But my son is almost 13 and I think he needs to start taking more responsibility and carrying/not losing his monitor would be a huge step for him.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I've been using the Freestyle Lite for over a year. I really like how small it is, and the no-coding of strips is great. A small light comes on where the strip goes in and makes it easy to use in the dark at night.
 
Sea Moose

Sea Moose

Diamond Member
May 12, 2009
6,933
7
76
Rudeguy said:
he has type 1 diabetes
Click to expand...

poor lad! Do they grow out of diabetes ? <-- seamoose doesnt know about diabetes.

I would get the device for the young man. He is at an age where he needs to learn how to deal with his own shit. I would introduce him to it slowly. Perhaps you could let him monitor himself one day a week? Then as he gets more confident/responsible, slowly let him take over.
 
rudeguy

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
Sea Moose said:
poor lad! Do they grow out of diabetes ? <-- seamoose doesnt know about diabetes.

I would get the device for the young man. He is at an age where he needs to learn how to deal with his own shit. I would introduce him to it slowly. Perhaps you could let him monitor himself one day a week? Then as he gets more confident/responsible, slowly let him take over.
Click to expand...

No, it's permanent. At this time there is no cure.
 
Locut0s

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
44
91
Cool diabetic tech toys! Seriously if I were I diabetic I'd find that really neat.
 
Locut0s

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
44
91
Sea Moose said:
i hope your boy gets better Rudeguy, i really do.
Click to expand...

Type 1 diabetes is no death sentence in todays world. While there is no cure properly monitored and controlled with daily insulin injections and blood glucose level monitoring people live perfectly normal lives with it.
 
Sea Moose

Sea Moose

Diamond Member
May 12, 2009
6,933
7
76
Locut0s said:
Type 1 diabetes is no death sentence in todays world. While there is no cure properly monitored and controlled with daily insulin injections and blood glucose level monitoring people live perfectly normal lives with it.
Click to expand...

well thats good!!
 
ixelion

ixelion

Senior member
Feb 5, 2005
984
1
0
If cost is not a problem then get it, after all technology is there to improve our quality of life.
 
rudeguy

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
Yeah, he is fine. We have a great diabetes team (doc, nurse, social worker). Its just a part of normal life now. He was diagnosed 8 years ago.

I'm going to order this thing with a month's worth of strips for a test run.
 
rudeguy

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
Sea Moose said:
how much is it?
Click to expand...

$75 which is cheap but the test strips are different than we normally use, so I would have to get his RX changed for those.

Monitors are like printers and the test strips are like ink. You can get the monitors dirt cheap but the strips are what gets you!
 
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