RE: Personal advice, please

January 23, 2002

This is very subjective, of course...but I wouldn't hesitate to do a finger

stick. A few, even. If they were normal it would be obvious and you could

all breathe a sigh of relief. If they weren't, I'd tell them to see a doctor

right away to have formal testing. Be sure to do finger stick test before

meal, one and two hours afterwards a few times for accuracy's sake. and have

it be a typical meal for him...no fair limiting the carbs! Vicki

<<

please tell me your opinions, i want to be a good friend, but don't want to

be put in a situation where i'll be unconfortable or mad at someone.

thanks,

federico.

>>

January 23, 2002

This is very subjective, of course...but I wouldn't hesitate to do a finger

stick. A few, even. If they were normal it would be obvious and you could

all breathe a sigh of relief. If they weren't, I'd tell them to see a doctor

right away to have formal testing. Be sure to do finger stick test before

meal, one and two hours afterwards a few times for accuracy's sake. and have

it be a typical meal for him...no fair limiting the carbs! Vicki

<<

please tell me your opinions, i want to be a good friend, but don't want to

be put in a situation where i'll be unconfortable or mad at someone.

thanks,

federico.

>>

January 23, 2002

This is very subjective, of course...but I wouldn't hesitate to do a finger

stick. A few, even. If they were normal it would be obvious and you could

all breathe a sigh of relief. If they weren't, I'd tell them to see a doctor

right away to have formal testing. Be sure to do finger stick test before

meal, one and two hours afterwards a few times for accuracy's sake. and have

it be a typical meal for him...no fair limiting the carbs! Vicki

<<

please tell me your opinions, i want to be a good friend, but don't want to

be put in a situation where i'll be unconfortable or mad at someone.

thanks,

federico.

>>

January 23, 2002

Well, of course you'd use a fresh lancet tip for someone else, not the one

you use for yourself. Otherwise where's the problem?? Vicki

<<

Rita,

I have read that, although there's only a slight risk of transmitting

disease by sharing blood testing equipment, there is a risk, and I prefer

not to take it. I wouldn't worry so much about testing my children or

husband, but I personally, would not allow anyone else to use it, but maybe

that's just me.

Sandy >>

January 23, 2002

Well, of course you'd use a fresh lancet tip for someone else, not the one

you use for yourself. Otherwise where's the problem?? Vicki

<<

Rita,

I have read that, although there's only a slight risk of transmitting

disease by sharing blood testing equipment, there is a risk, and I prefer

not to take it. I wouldn't worry so much about testing my children or

husband, but I personally, would not allow anyone else to use it, but maybe

that's just me.

Sandy >>

January 23, 2002

Well, of course you'd use a fresh lancet tip for someone else, not the one

you use for yourself. Otherwise where's the problem?? Vicki

<<

Rita,

I have read that, although there's only a slight risk of transmitting

disease by sharing blood testing equipment, there is a risk, and I prefer

not to take it. I wouldn't worry so much about testing my children or

husband, but I personally, would not allow anyone else to use it, but maybe

that's just me.

Sandy >>

January 23, 2002

Hello sandypaws5@...,

In reference to your comment:

ð I have read that, although there's only a slight risk of

ð transmitting disease by sharing blood testing

ð equipment, there is a risk, and I prefer not to take it.

Well i would assume that you would be using precautions, ie not using the

same lancet on both you and him....

Assuming you use different lancets, and that you have him do his own stick,

and put his own drop of blood on the strip, and he discards it himself, there

is 0 risk of any disease transmission....

If you are the one manipulating his finger, and blood etc, i'd insist on

gloves.

an RN who is very involved in Universal precautions, and HIV and Hep

C transmission.

January 23, 2002

Hello sandypaws5@...,

In reference to your comment:

ð I have read that, although there's only a slight risk of

ð transmitting disease by sharing blood testing

ð equipment, there is a risk, and I prefer not to take it.

Well i would assume that you would be using precautions, ie not using the

same lancet on both you and him....

Assuming you use different lancets, and that you have him do his own stick,

and put his own drop of blood on the strip, and he discards it himself, there

is 0 risk of any disease transmission....

If you are the one manipulating his finger, and blood etc, i'd insist on

gloves.

an RN who is very involved in Universal precautions, and HIV and Hep

C transmission.

January 23, 2002

Hello sandypaws5@...,

In reference to your comment:

ð I have read that, although there's only a slight risk of

ð transmitting disease by sharing blood testing

ð equipment, there is a risk, and I prefer not to take it.

Well i would assume that you would be using precautions, ie not using the

same lancet on both you and him....

Assuming you use different lancets, and that you have him do his own stick,

and put his own drop of blood on the strip, and he discards it himself, there

is 0 risk of any disease transmission....

If you are the one manipulating his finger, and blood etc, i'd insist on

gloves.

an RN who is very involved in Universal precautions, and HIV and Hep

C transmission.

January 23, 2002

I don't think so. I would not share my testing equipment with anyone.

Besides, you're not a doctor. In my opinion, your friend is wrong to ask

you to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Sandy

-----------------------------

am i being too irritable?

please tell me your opinions, i want to be a good friend, but don't want

to

be put in a situation where i'll be unconfortable or mad at someone.

January 23, 2002

I don't think so. I would not share my testing equipment with anyone.

Besides, you're not a doctor. In my opinion, your friend is wrong to ask

you to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Sandy

-----------------------------

am i being too irritable?

please tell me your opinions, i want to be a good friend, but don't want

to

be put in a situation where i'll be unconfortable or mad at someone.

January 23, 2002

Federico Miranda wrote:

> ok, here's the story. a friend of mine thinks her boyfriend is diabetic,

> and so does he and others, because of his symptoms (they say thirst,

> urinating, and extreme fatigue). she asked me for 'help', but the fact is

> they don't even know if he is diabetic or not, because he is 'afraid' of

> going to a lab. i told her i would help him in everything i can, if he does

> the lab test and results he is diabetic. ok, she says he is too afraid to

> go to a lab, but they want me to do him a finger test.

>

> ok, my feeling is of course he should go to a lab and not ask a diabetic to

> him a finger test. for two reasons, if he is diabetic, i don't think it

> should be me telling him that, it should be a doctor or a lab, as was my

> case. and if he is not diabetic, which is what i think (i saw him the other

> day and i don't think he shows any signs of weight loss), i don't want to

> tell them 'you're not diabetic' and have them both celebrate in my face with

> all that joy and stupid happiness, when they already know i am. in fact,

> just telling me they were 'very sorry and worried because they think he

> might be diabetic' bothered me quite a bit.

>

> please tell me your opinions, i want to be a good friend, but don't want to

> be put in a situation where i'll be unconfortable or mad at someone.

>

> thanks,

> federico.

Personally, I would do the finger-stick test, with the

condition that it would be a pre-meal test, and 1 and 2

hours after eating (whatever would be a usual meal for him).

From these tests, you can get a good idea if he " may " be

diabetic and if so, needs to get to the lab for the real

tests (BG and HbA1c)

Somehow you need to impress on him that he " must know " if he

has the disease. If, in fact he does have it, all the time

he delays diagnosis and treatment he is doing damage to

virtually every cell of his body.

Along with that, emphasize that diabetes can be controlled,

with the " controlled " diabetic living a long, productive and

active life. Without controlling it, the disease will

progress to disabilities (several), and inevitably a slow,

miserable death.

I definitely would not " pronounce " him diabetic even if the

tests showed that. He should be vigorously encouraged to get

to the Dr/Lab.

You also may not want to pronounce him " non-diabetic " for

the reasons you state.

Just from the symptoms you mention, I would almost expect

that he is DB, even without the weight-loss, but that's just

IMHO.

, T2

Oregon

January 23, 2002