Evolution

I ran out of test strips the other day which is very out of character for me. Usually I keep a spare canister (of 25) in my purse and never need to use it. The odd time I dip into the spare canister but always pick up extra strips before it gets close to empty.

This time though, I was running kinda low on Saturday but it was cold and rainy out so I dipped into my purse stash rather than venture out into the elements. On Sunday, the pharmacy was closed. By Monday, I was down to a few strips but it was cold and rainy again so I didn't leave the house. My fault, I fully admit but it was REALLY cold and rainy...

...AND windy too.

Anyway, I ran out of test strips.

Luckily, I had my old glucometer in my diabetes cupboard so I pulled it out. There were 15 strips left - perfect.

Now, I have gone through several glucometers in my diabetic life. Every few years I get a new one and I never ever use the old ones again. I don't get attached to these things - I just toss them into the diabetes cupboard and move on.

I got my current glucometer around this time last year. It was love at first sight:

Sleek. Purple. What's not to love? 

When I pulled out my old glucometer (which, by the way, felt perfectly modern last year), I was a little disappointed. 

Oh well, it's only for one day. I popped in the test strip and used the old lancet to prick my finger. 

KA-CHUNK!

Bloody Hell! That HURTS!! 

It was like a mini cannon going off and I swear it went right through my finger down to the bone. 

A huge drop of blood formed courtesy of the lancet from hell. Enough blood to fill three of my current test strips. I held the test strip up to my finger and it sloooooooowly sucked up allllllllllll the blood. Every last bit. Like a vampire. 

Then it beeped!

I had forgotten about the beeping. 

It counted down five seconds and beeped again. 

That's annoying. 

So for the rest of the evening, through the night and the next day - huge drops of blood were sucked up by an old-fashioned beeping glucometer. At least I had enough sense to stop using the lancet from hell and go back to my Delica. 

And I thought the rate at which Apple updates their products was fast. What a difference a year makes in diabetes land. Almost pain-free lancets, minimal blood required, quiet and fast. It's enough to make me never run out of strips again. 

I mean really - as cool as this was in its day

It just can't compete with this.