The first time I had to use the glucose monitor.

The very first time I had to use the blood glucose monitor was tough, to say the least.

Not because I did not know how to draw my own blood. Also not because I had not yet developed the soft touch in bringing the strip to the blood drop. Now it has become habit. I could do it in my sleep.

It was tough because of the feelings I felt. I'll be honest I was not in a good place, emotionally. There was a good deal of self-pitying going on. And self-blame. Self-flagellation of all kind.

First step was to get the equipment.

A few days prior to my time of reckoning, I had mustered up whatever courage I had and called my insurance company to order the glucose meter. I'll get into the meters themselves in a later post. For now, I am back to the afternoon of June 30, 2006.

It was a Friday. Just before the Fourth of July weekend. A happy, festive, carefree time generally. At 3:21 PM. I pricked my left index finger. I brought the strip sticking out of the meter carefully to the drop of blood. Then I watched intently at the display of the Accu-Chek Aviva as it measured the sugar in my blood. The reading was 138.

I had had lunch at 1 40 P.M.. So the reading wasn't actually bad.

I felt a sense of relief. That wasn't too terrible, I thought.

And that is how I started testing my blood sugar on my Accu-Chek Aviva. The reason why I can report the exact time, day and reading is because I logged all of my measurements on a Self-monitoring Diary that comes free with the Accu-Chek Aviva monitor. I am on my 5th diary. One diary lasts about 7-8 months.

One of the best ways to overcome any discomfort with using the glucose monitor is to think about the immensely valuable data that comes out of it. And that realization came early to me. Since then, I don't go anywhere without my Accu-Chek Aviva kit which consists of the meter, teat trips and a lancet with drum.