A1C in a Box

A few days ago I was pa rousing the aisles of Target while I was getting what I needed (vitamins). I typically go to look at their health section to see if anything is new, such as new flavors of glucose tablets. As I was looking at the various diabetic products, I noticed their A1C in a Box sitting on the self with all of the other meters.




I have an endo. appointment in less than a month, and one thing I am always worried about is my A1C. I hold myself to incredibly high expectations and would be devastated to see a high A1C. I test my blood sugar a lot to try to achieve the best control possible and with my CGM system my life has gotten easier, but I still strive for perfection. Even though I want to be perfect, I know it is not possible for me. Some days will be better than others as far as my blood sugars go and I will not be able to explain why. As I've gotten older, I have been able to accept this fact better, yet it is still a struggle.


As I stood in the Target aisle contemplating if I should spend the money to buy the A1C meter system, I tried to figure out what my A1C would actually be. I've had a few really bad high blood sugar days since the first of the year, which do damage to my A1C average. However, most of the time I felt like I was in decent control. I decided to buy the system because my curiosity was getting the better of me.



I opened up the box, read the instructions, and decided to skip watching the DVD that they told me I should watch first. I know how to read and follow directions and felt that watching it would be, well, a waste of my time.



The machine takes 5 minutes to read after you put the blood sample on it. I got nervous even waiting for it to read. Finally, it read my A1C: I was pleased. But then I started to wonder: How accurate is this simple machine that you can buy at Target? I guess I'll find out in a few weeks.