Monday, August 8, 2011

My Contour USB Meter

A look at my meter, (well you aren't going to get a look at my current meter, 'cause well it is at home and well it currently drowning in a see of used test strips. I really need a trash can near where I test).

I may have mentioned in the past in fact I am sure I have mentioned the fact that I am using the Animas Ping Pump. Newest version of pump, is named Blue. Was Murph though. That being said one might assume that I have been using the Ping Meter Remote. However, to be honest with you after much thought and such I stopped using the meter. Reason #1 I was blowing through batteries way to often, like every month I needed new batteries. I don't think I have tested that MUCH. #2 The meter and case did not fit into my travels easily and I had yet to get my murse. (The Murse may show up in the next few days in someone else's blog as well. If that is the case I will add a comment here.) #3 It really was a big thing, I wanted smaller profile and I did not use the meter remote hardly nor did I use the food database often either, so Good Bye.

I wandered into the Bayer Contour USB about a year ago and have been using it since. Last month I was a Children With Diabetes' Friends for Life Conference in Florida and while doing some swag shopping, I was given a coupon for $30 off a new Contour USB. I figured bonus, free meter and I know I like it. Plus now I can have a second meter and not have to drag it with me everywhere I went.




So after a year, I figured I might have some insightful things to say. And I do. I love it. The meter is great. First of all it is small and compact, granted the case for holding the meter was not one that I would ever us. It did not really accommodate the meter and other all that well. This is my one complaint to be honest with you. I keep my back up insulin in my meter case, this case just did not have the ability to hold two bottles of insulin and a syringe or two. So I moved the meter into my old one touch mini case and all is kosher.
Inside the case. It is really tight and the lancer + strip case are as big as the meter = fail

What am I supposed to keep in that sleeve?? My dentist's bill?? No that I leave on my desk to get into pictures


Otherwise, the meter has been nice. It is a very simple device to setup and you can turn alarms on and off as to what you are looking for. i.e. retest alarms and the likes. You can do basic logs of why your sugar is the way it is. Pre/post meal, exercise, stuff like that. You can't type in what caused each sugar, but that is okay with me.

The screen is color and nicely done, so you can see it in the dark, which is a bonus along with a light up spot where the strip goes in. This way you can actually have an idea of where you need to send the blood. The sample size is small enough, however I have probably lost about 40 strips to the trash can Gods as I did not have enough blood. But hey, nobody/no meter is perfect.

The meter is accurate on most things. I mean as far as I can tell it has been good, usually within 5 - 10 points of my Dexcom. I think that is key. Oh and being a USB meter you can recharge it, no battery necessary. Also, there is the ability to upload your results to a Bayer software program and download or print all of you sugars, pretty sweet (yes, I went there).

The graph's are nice and easy to read and can be customized for any use. Sugars from the week, month, 3 month's and so on. It is good to have something easy to hand into the doctor. Here is a sample of my results.
This is only a small sampling of readings and numbers and what the program can do, but still awesome.
It's good. This morning I was entertained by the results I got with my test. I know I was a little low, but this is the screen shot I got....

I am curious about what the medical advice is that I should be following, but I digress. I retested and got a 49, which is better, but ehhh.... (if you look closely you can see the used strip grave yard under my lancer).

I am happy with my Contour USB meter, it is nice and easy to use and all that jazz. The software is both PC and Mac friendly and again easy to work with. No complaints from me in the least. Thank you Bayer for the coupon and stuff.

~Disclaimer: I paid for all expenses involved in attending FFL, including airfare, hotel, food, and conference fees.  I was not asked to blog about the experiences, and crazy as they are all of the thoughts are my own. Bayer did not ask me to talk about their meter or any of their products. Yet I am happy too, help if they see this and want help with a practical meter case design, please let me know (we all need to plug something from time to time. I choose my brilliant mind... haha!)~

2 comments:

  1. Whoa fancy!! I love the different color lancets and the fancy packaging!! I am always a sucker for that though :/

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  2. I want that meter (I love gadgets), but it's not a preferred meter with insurance. Since I don't want to pay the higher copay, I'll still with my Freestyle Lite. I do agree that those colorful lancets look fun, though. Might have to look into those. Mine are boring gray. No idea where to get the colorful ones. I might actually change my lancets if they were fun like that. (Did I really say that?)

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