Bayer's new Contour USB blood glucose meter

Hi, I’m Elizabeth Woolley and I have “diabeet’us.”

I’m also a geek – an unorganized one too.  When I buy gadgets, I make sure they plug directly into my computer’s CPU.  No plugs and wires for me.  I have a mysterious vortex in my house that sucks in all wires, accessories and  small things not connected to larger stationary objects.

When shopping for MP3 players, video cameras and cameras, they must be plug and play.  Otherwise, I’ll wait until they make one.  Unfortunately there are a couple gadgets I need to have that aren’t plug and play – like my phone.  My blood glucose monitor used to fall into that category, but I’m very excited to announce that is not the case anymore.  Now if my Blackberry were plug and play and communicated with my monitor…  maybe someday.

Bayer’s new Contour USB meter comes with all the bells and whistles to make a geeky diabetic happy.

First of all, it requires no coding necessary for test strips (a pain in the rear), 5-second test time and small sample size.  It even uses strips available for other Contour meters.

It also comes with a coolness factor for young people who are embarrassed to test or admit they have diabetes.  Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers is a diabetes ambassador for Bayer.  He has said, “I already use Bayer’s Contour meter to monitor my blood glucose and my doctor always talks about how important it is track my results. I am excited to try out the new Contour USB meter, because I can plug it in to a computer from wherever I am to get the information I need to manage my diabetes.”

He’s right about the importance of tracking results.  I have a website called DiabeticMommy.com for women with diabetes or prediabetes who have or are thinking of starting a family.  It is recommended during pregnancy and pre-conception, women with diabetes achieve and maintain extremely tight control of their blood glucose levels.  Sometimes they are expected to have lower levels than non-diabetics which means there is a very high risk of going too low.  Going too low could mean a trip to the ER or even worse.  So monitoring becomes your best friend.  Convenience in tracking results can make a huge difference to these women, especially to those with families.

The Contour comes with Glucofacts DELUXE diabetes management software.  Bayer states use of their diabetes management software has been shown to significantly lower A1c test results.  The A1c test is a lab test that gives you an idea of what your average blood glucose level has been for the past three months or so.  If you have diabetes you know how important your A1c level is and how hard it can be to hit your goals.  You often have no idea what your result may be until you get the test results.  However, if you are able to easily track  results and see the trends, you can get a better idea of how you are doing.  In addition, the meter makes it easier to share your results with your doctors not only in the office but also through email or online if they offer that.

When you monitor your levels, you get to know your body better, how it reacts to certain foods and what kind of blood sugar trends you have through the day, week, month – or in special situations like hormone changes, travel and holidays.  I’ve discovered a lot about myself by tracking.  For instance my body tends to have lower levels in the afternoon/early evening.  This is when I can give myself a little extra leeway diet-wise.  On the other hand, I know any carbs in the morning will throw off my numbers for the rest of the day.  Seeing it on a graph and educating yourself, about yourself, helps you to make better choices.

The Contour USB meter is currently only available online through Walgreens.com.  It is pretty pricey at $74.99 – so I didn’t run out and get one myself yet.  When I eventually get around to getting this nifty gadget, I’ll let you all know how I like it.

See their website for the latest information and for the other bells and whistles:  http://www.bayercontourusb.us/