Collected a blood glucose monitoring device today. The kit consists of the electronic tester, 10 sample test strips (use one per day), a device to prick a finger to get a few drops of blood for the tester, 5 lancet needles for the pricker (single use again) with instructions to get more test strips, lancets and a harps disposal container. Being registered with the National Diabetes Support Scheme means I pay $1.20 for 100 test strips, without this subsidy they can cost 50 cents each.
I'm required to test the glucose concentration once per day 2 hours after a meal. The test instrument can be paired with a mobile phone via Bluetooth using an app that lets me create in effect a diary of exercise, diet and glucose lelel daily. This can then be collated into a PDF report which the phone then emails to the local diabetes coordinator.
As long as the reading on the tester is between 3.6 and 10 mmol/l (millimoles per litre) I'm OK. The medication I'm on means it's very unlikely to drop below that into the danger zone.