Posted on 07/16/2009 6:47:12 AM PDT by pillut48
Bayer Diabetes Care in the UK and Ireland today unveils "DIDGET(TM), the first and only blood glucose meter for kids with diabetes that connects directly to Nintendo DS(TM) and Nintendo DS(TM) Lite gaming systems. The DIDGET meter is designed to help kids manage this lifelong condition by rewarding them for building consistent blood glucose testing habits and meeting personalised glucose target ranges.
"One of the biggest challenges facing parents of children with diabetes is the constant struggle to instil the habit of regular blood glucose testing that is critical for consistent diabetes management," says John Gregory, Professor in Paediatric Endocrinology, Wales School of Medicine, Cardiff University. "Bayer's DIDGET meter can help ease the parent/child tension that testing often creates by adding an element of fun and rewards to the routine. Because it is designed with children in mind, Bayer's DIDGET meter can transform a child's blood glucose testing experience from something they have to do into something they want to do."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalnewstoday.com ...
As an aside, does anyone know if using a glucometer is a daily thing, or optional? My MIL is from India and says her doctor said it wasn't necessary to test everyday, just take the very same dose of insulin and in 3 months have blood drawn to test all her health levels, then adjust the insulin dose if necessary...I'd never heard of this, but I am quite ignorant in most things to do with diabetes. Just want to make sure she stays healthy!
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Brilliant.
And your MIL is dead wrong. You have to test every single day and depending on the severity of the disease, more than once. I don’t know what they’re telling her in India but in this country diabetics do not handle their disease that way unless they want to lose a foot. She has to have regular podiatry visits to make sure she isn’t losing sensation in her feet and regular visual exams as well.
Most hospitals have free diabetes management classes for new patients. Sign her up.
I’m not a doctor but my wife is diabetic and monitors her glucose before each meal to know how much insulin to take and before bedtime to know that she is at a safe level before sleeping. I’ve never heard of the system your MIL is talking about. If she has a low sugar level while asleep it could well be fatal. Make sure she is getting the correct info.
My son is a type 1. He checks his blood sugar 5-7 times per day. Type 2’s probably don’t need to do it as often, but I would think once or twice a day would be a good idea.
If this testing game makes testing take longer it will not be popular.
Ping
Thanks, everyone! I will pass on these comments to my husband and we’ll find her a doctor here to either concur with her Indian doctor, or help get her diabetes monitoring in order!
Appreciate the help, FRiends! You all are the best!
Your MIL’s endo is working on very dated treatment methods.
If she is using insulin, she needs to test, with a meter, multiple times a day. Every time she, or any other diabetic, takes insulin, there is a chance of dying. Taking the same amount every time doesn’t apply, as we eat different amounts, different foods, our health conditions change our body’s use of insulin, etc. Relying on the A1c number every 3 months is archaic, and dangerous.
If she’s in the early stages of type 2 diabetes and only on oral medications and diet-controlled, this is probably fine; but if she’s on insulin, it makes no sense to me.
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