Why Bother Testing?

prompted by a blog I was referred to by, well, someone else, I started thinking why bother testing at all?

I'm not on insulin.
I don't take oral diabetes meds.
I'm not adjusting any medications based on said tests,
My last A1c was 6.0 or something along that line.
I hardly even qualify as diabetic anymore.

According to that criteria and the above blog I should only be testing once every few days.

So why bother?

Well,...

My doctors have asked me to. (good enough reason for me, if I don't they too will call me non-compliant, not just my pharmacist that really knows little about me other then I'm diabetic and I've stopped taking my diabetes medicines for some reason.)

I like to know if the foods I eat have effected my blood sugar in a drastic or not so drastic manner. I can't always tell ya know, sometimes even the non diabetically challenged get thirsty. I know, I know novel concept but its true! I was so surprised the first time I thought to myself "self, you're thirsty, you must have an elevated blood sugar level for sure" and I was sadly euglycemic. I say sadly because, well I wasted a finger poke for nothing?! wait, nothing? no I got the reassurance that indeed my newly procured islets were functional. yay!

oh back to my list

I like to know how exercise effects my blood sugar because on rare occasions if I exercise with my blood sugar at low-normal range I actually, go low-low. like say under 55 low. How do I know this? Well, 1 I test before exercise (more wasted strips?) and 2. I test after exercise (waste waste waste!)

and testing may effect my behavior in the future. like say, I know now that I can eat two slices of pizza with out my blood sugar going over 200 but dang, eat three and I'm doomed. So, now that I know this because I've tested my blood sugar more then twice a week, I will eat one or two slices and supplement my dinner with a salad. smartness out of someone not on insulin, wow.

When I quit purchasing my insulin through the pharmacy I usually use my pharmacist did ask me if I were getting my insulin else where (good question) and I told her no, I was off insulin and told her why. Now, I also work with said pharmacist so I get more chance to talk to her then most customers get to talk to their pharmasists but still SHE asked the right question imo.

My point here boys and girls is, not every pharmacist knows whats going on in their customers' lives, why they take the meds they take or dont take and in the case of diabetical customers why they test as often as they do and quite frankly its not their business, unless there are serious interactions or contraindications for said drugs.

So back to my question.

Should I bother? yeah, because if I don't who's going to tell me when my blood sugars start going up and I might need to have a medication change? Who's going to tell me what foods to avoid? How much exercise to get? When to call my doctor for advice? Certainly, not my pharmacist.

and on that it's 2hrs post prandial and its time for me to stab my finger and waste yet another strip....