Watch Out - Beeping Blind Man!

I'm back now ... really! Taxes are done, the dog is healthy (touch wood), and we've wrestled with this diabetes thing until I'm just about sick of it. So instead of doing that, I'm back and attending to what I really like to do, writing this blog.

Okay... What's this? (sounds like the setup for a bad joke, but bear with me)

beeeeeeeep beep - beep beep - beep beep beep
beep
beep
beeeeeeeep beep beep beep beep beep bip beep beep beep beep beep
beeeeeeeep beep beep beep beep beep bip beep beep beep beep beep
beeeeeeeep beep beep beep beep beep bip beep beep beep beep beep

Okay, give up?... it's Larry's new beeping blood glucose meter.

Now did you count those beeps? That is 45 beeps to tell him that his BG number is '5.5' - perfect. If he happened to have an 8.9, that would be a total of 66 beeps! And it's loud too - no subtlety here!

But did you know that it's very difficult to find a meter that is accessible to blind people to allow them to test their blood all by themselves? They can in the States. They can get talking meters for nothing if they want. But not here. A talking meter would announce "5.5" in a somewhat mechanical voice. If Larry tested with his beeping meter in a parking lot, he could be confused for a truck backing up.

Now for most of us, if you smile nicely at the pharmacist - or just ask - you can get a meter for nothing with a purchase of test strips, which you need anyway. We have a museum of them spread throughout the house - under the bathroom sink, in the china buffet, in bags, and in my purse (I've had diabetes for a long time!) Larry got the beeping meter for free - thank goodness he can count! So it's better than nothing I suppose.

Now you are probably wondering, why not order a talking meter from the States? Well, that is a fine idea. But our good watchdog, Health Canada, is busy protecting us from the evil talking meters that they sell in the States! Sure, we could order one from the U.S., but the strips are not approved for use here, and therefore not covered by our insurance. So we could get one, but it would be pretty silent without the strips, telling Larry in a forlorn mechanical voice, "Insert Strip now".

And if you care enough for the beeping translation, see below...

beeeeeeeep (meter on) (countdown) beep (1) beep beep (2) beep beep beep (3)
beep (meter and strip ready for blood)
beep (enough blood)
beeeeeeeep (long beep = 0) beep beep beep beep beep (5 beeps = 5) bip (decimal) beep beep beep beep beep (5 beeps =5)
(then it repeats results 2 times)
beeeeeeeep beep beep beep beep beep bip beep beep beep beep beep
beeeeeeeep beep beep beep beep beep bip beep beep beep beep beep

So that's what we did with our Tuesday evening. I was going to post, but instead went through our 200 page meter manual.

I wonder if the police would be called if he ever decides to test if he's in a restaurant or at the airport.

Contributed by Jamie Naessens