So Much for Accu-Chek

The doctor wanted me to get a blood glucose monitor, which seemed a bit immature to me since I had not gone for the glucose tolerance test yet. I did it anyway, thinking, I should test randomly anyway in between the annual blood draws. It would be similar to having werewolf tendencies; you don’t want to wait for the full moon before you know for sure. If there were a home administered canine tolerance test, it could prevent some embarrassment later in the month. Random sugar testing could explain other behaviors.

The doctor and I had to negotiate when I would get this test done. He wanted me to go on Thursday, but I had to explain Thanksgiving to him twice. Initially, we agreed on Friday, until Thanksgiving night, when I realized that the dinner could very well alter the results by the next morning. Nix that idea. Monday is looking good. In the meanwhile, he is expecting me to test my sugar on a daily basis.

I bought the Accu-Chek machine upon the pharmacist’s recommendation shelling out over $50 when I really wanted the $15 model. She assured me there were instructions in English in the box. When I opened the kit, there were pamphlets in 47 world languages including Cherokee, but nothing in English. Thanks to the Internet, I was able to find what I needed in a downloadable PDF document.

According to the directions, after removing tape from the battery, it should turn in by pressing a button. Nothing! Taking the battery out and replacing it did nothing either. I had Ron return it to the store. He returned claiming you had to hold the button down longer to turn it on and yes there are directions in English in the box. Hunting through again, there they were: How to clean your machine. End of story! So much for the English instructions.

Conferring with the PDF document, I first need to insert the computer chip into the machine. This is followed by placing a test strip in and placing one drop of the Accu-Chek Control Solution on the test strip. This will make sure your machine is calibrated correctly before you do your first test. There was no Accu-Chek Control Solution included in the kit, creating another trip to the pharmacy, but with negative results. Nincs! We don’t sell that solution. Strange, you sell the machine, but not the control solution? Well, if they spoke English or I spoke Hungarian that would have been the question to ask.

Pharmacies 2, 3, and 4 had the same disastrous results. One of them did give me the phone number for the Accu-Chek company here in Hungary to call to find out more information. When our massage therapist arrived later today, I had him call for me. The company that supplies the machines to the pharmacies told him that they do not have a list of which pharmacies stock which of their products; therefore, they could not tell him where to buy the control solution. Is there a wonder why businesses come and go here?

A brainstorm hit! I called one of my students who was diagnosed with diabetes over a year ago and has since branded himself as the Hungarian poster child on diabetic information. No answer. Then I called the First Med Center, the clinic that caters to ex-pats. They would have a doctor call me back. Still uneducated, I fumed over this nonsense and waste of time.

The doctor from First Med called me back. It took some time for me to explain about the control solution, but finally she understood. She said with the new machines, it is not needed as the computer chip does the work. How queer that the directions mention the control solution right after they instruct you to insert the computer chip with each new box of testing strips. Okay, I surrender! Maybe the control solution is not needed.
My student called back. He uses a different machine, causing him to be clueless over my issue with the control solution. Our massage therapist called four more pharmacies. Not one had heard of this solution, though all of them sold the machine.

It seems I am totally out of control for now.

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It's About Time

Well, I have been taking some time off, but only because I am gearing up for the next great explosion of posts brought to you from Munich, Germany. We are leaving tomorrow by train for a relaxing and might I add less expensive trip than if by air. Our scheduled return is November 7th in the evening, so I will be blogging along the way.  Photos will have to come later, as my netbook doesn't have a photo reader and I just don't want to carry the external one with me.

In anticipation for all of this fun and excitement I have been keeping busy otherwise. I have been dong a lot of running lately. I had to run to the house doctor who had me run to the Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist, who had me run to get a CT scan. Then when I ran back to the house doctor, she said my sugar levels were high so she wanted me to run over to the hospital for a glucose tolerance test. I thought exercise was good for maintaining sugar levels.

So I ran over to the hospital after running to the pharmacy for my glucose powder. I had to go equipped with the powder, water, and a bottle to mix it. My friend Lazslo went with to keep me company. I wasn't looking forward to this as the last time I went, the phlebotomist attacked my arm like it was a snake ready to attack her. After getting stabbed with the needle,  I had a bruise the size of California. 

When I went into the room, it was a different woman that motioned for me to sit in the chair. She smiled and said soothing things that I didn't understand, which really could have been anything. She could have been pouring her heart out or calling me a dirty rotten buzzard, but a smile makes all the difference. There are certain times when events make me think of my mother. This is one of those times. One of her favorite monologues was "What do you want from me, blood? Here's my arm. Go ahead, drain me dry." So very Italian, go for the jugular of guilt right off so everyone backs off fast. My blood was drained, I had to drink the sugary goop, and then sit still for two hours. This was here Lazslo was a real help in passing the time. 

After the two hours passed, I had to get jabbed again. The nice lady was gone. The Budapest thrasher from the last time was back. She gave me a smile, drawing me into a false sense of security, and then started in on her Anthony Perkins impression of Psycho. Thrash, thrash, thrash. My arm looks like a long eggplant.

The results of the test were supposed to be back to my house doctor by Thursday, but I haven't gone back yet. Why spoil a vacation? Yesterday, I went for the CT scan. That test result will not be back until next week, so I will get both when we return and Munich is just a pleasant memory.

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