thinking about "hacking" test strips for re-use, forget it

Status
Not open for further replies.
Noah & me (GA)

Noah & me (GA)

Member Since 2016
I've never actually considered this, only wondered why vets don't sell strips for wholesale. I thought maybe the meter burned the circuit board in the strip (sure looks like a micro circuit board) but that's not the case. You can clean the strips and fool the meter but your results will be so far off it should be something you NEVER CONSIDER! This is what I found out. Each strip is coated with something called glucose oxidase and once blood gets on that the chemical, needed for an accurate reading, it is either gone or so diluted the strip is useless. That's one theory. There's someone else developing strips you can print on an inkjet printer with their own special "ink" but I'm not betting my cat's life on that. Basically if you're frustrated by the cost of strips maybe you can get a deal buying in bulk but now I know why strips expire and buying in bulk means some of the strips are going to sit for a long time. Short story; don't even think about reusing and just learn to deal with it.
http://www.healthline.com/diabetesmine/ask-dmine-test-strips-redux-with-a-little-mad-science#3
 
Always the biggest surprise/shock for newbies. Here's your free meter, need any strips? In Canada meters are free even without a doctors note. They're not supposed to push you to any one brand but everyone always ends up with a Bayer. They need a huge blood drop and are terrible at low numbers. We have a great vet but she just shoved us out the door and told us to get "some" syringes, no advice on U40 or gauge size and told us to "get blood from the ear". We were also directed to Binkys Page which at that time had no forums. I've shown them better syringes than the elephant size Caninsulin syringes and told them about this site. In one ear, out the other.
 
Actually I figure they're not that expensive considering what's involved in manufacturing something that has to be so consistent and clean. The day I can print them myself will be the same day I get my flying car. I had to explain to another pharmacist that some people still think they can reuse syringes. Yes, a box of 100 for $30 and you're saving money! I know someone that did this and we had to have a little intervention. Until I needed syringes I never knew they weren't even behind the counter. Always makes me think, you can afford heroin but you don't have 29 cents to avoid hepatitis or AIDS. There's something wrong there. Can we TNR humans? Don't get caught.
 
Can you imagine if people are such bad drivers now how bad they'll be in a flying car. And we live near a big airport. Uber says a lot of things. One big problem; the self driving car has to make a choice, plow into a bus shelter to save your life or hit a truck and kill you. It will always pick the bus shelter. Too many people think they can sit in the back having a snack. I've already got a self driving vehicle, the bus and the train. And we're all paying for this development in the cost of new cars. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to go back to drum brakes and the Pinto, I've just heard these promises before. My Dad used to have a big collection of old Popular Science magazines from the 50's and 60's promising we'd all be living on the Moon, working 3 days a week and robots would do the housework. All we've got to show for that is a Roomba vacuum cleaner and people still want to own a 57 Chevy. Artificial intelligence is still at least 50 years away.
What we really need is the "Hypospray" from Star Trek for insulin.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top