Coaguchek II Testing

[catwoman]

Catwoman:I had no one to come to train me. My insurance did not go with QAS as I was hoping, went through a medical supply company here in Garland, they delivered the machine to me and gave me an extra instruction manual. I went to my nurse and lab tech at Baylor and they went through the procedure with me, and I had a lapse of momentary reason when listening apparently. These are the t types and I tried to push and anything else to get it to work, will try another or two when I get home. If not working, I will purchase one of the other types mentioned above. This will work out eventually.

Carla.

Carla:
This is the first I've heard of a home-tester not getting training by/through the vendor.

I started with a ProTime 3, which has a different type of lancing device, because you lance with one end and put the drops of blood into a tiny cup in the other end that in turn fits into the machine.

The lancing device for the INRatio is a pen-type that you dial a depth setting and set a trigger. Setting the trigger baffled me the first time I used it. I would imagine you can get one of these devices through CoaguChek or probably anywhere online, with replacement needles.

 

[Freddie]

Have you tried going to the CoaguChek web site? Seems to me I saw a video there that might help you out....just a thought.

 

[Bina]

Whenever Carla can get a good drop of blood, I will take her through the testing. No problem at all.
My pharmacist trained me.

 

[cjune1961]

Coaguchek II

Coaguchek II

I was able to use one of the same kind that I already have. I tested today at work so that my co-workers would be there to watch over me, they are like that, and it worked first time around. I twisted the blue pin at the tip and pushed the blue trigger button in exactly as the box said to. Got a 3.0 for the second week in a row. Just need to get practice with this, will test again next week. If I have continued problems, I will get one of the other lancet/lancer devices. Thanks so much for everyone's help. I get anxious when I can not accomplish something and want to get it nailed.

Carla.

 

[perrypiratesdad]

... want to get it nailed.

Nice pun!

So Carla, were you doing anything wrong with it? It might be a good idea to share what you did differently as I'm sure someone along the way may have the same difficulty. I am glad to hear that you got it to work though.

 

[catwoman]

Carla:

Glad it's working out.
I'll bet that many of us were all thumbs when we first started home-testing. I certainly was when I had to demonstrate my "proficiency" with the ProTime 3at my PCP's office. I was so nervous I didn't remember the lancet had 2 utilitarian ends!

After a while, you feel like you could do a test in your sleep.

 

[Bina]

Carla, keep up the good testing!

 

[cjune1961]

Coaguchek II

Coaguchek II

Bina, that is the plan going forward. Since it is for the rest of my life. Doesn't that sound weird. That is the first thing I thought of when I finally kicked in with this coumadin business. You got a poke what for ptr, inr, all sounded foreign then. Now hopefully like the rest of you, it will be routine and uneventful here's hoping. Also, we have something in common, I received a St. Jude 21mm for my avr in '06, but I was 45.

Carla.

 

[Bina]

We are twins! (across the country twins)
You can go into your profile and add an automatic signature line onto your posts, if you like.

 

[Marty]

I recommend Tenderlett for blood. It never fails and does a shallow slice not a puncture.. Then take up blood in a capillary tube and squirt it on tne strip.

 

[cjune1961]

Coaguchek II

Coaguchek II

Well, I wanted to say that I tested again one week later on this Wednesday. I had a 2.9 which is consistant with July 8-3.0;July 16-3.0; and July 23-2.9. The bad part is that it took 5 test strips and 7 lancets to get that reading and a lot of anxiety on my part with a pin cushion for a finger now. Soon, I will get this right. I kept trying to get the blood on the strip, and nada. I was touching the strip to smear the blood on it, so that is where I think I made the errors. All those holes in my finger, and it stayed on my finger instead of dripping. Need practice. But don't want to obliterate my finger! Going for the types addressed here for next week.

Carla.

 

[Ross]

Carla it sounds to me like you need capillary tubes. Marty has the part # for them, give him a PM and ask.

 

[lance]

Well, I wanted to say that I tested again one week later on this Wednesday. I had a 2.9 which is consistant with July 8-3.0;July 16-3.0; and July 23-2.9. The bad part is that it took 5 test strips and 7 lancets to get that reading and a lot of anxiety on my part with a pin cushion for a finger now. Soon, I will get this right. I kept trying to get the blood on the strip, and nada. I was touching the strip to smear the blood on it, so that is where I think I made the errors. All those holes in my finger, and it stayed on my finger instead of dripping. Need practice. But don't want to obliterate my finger! Going for the types addressed here for next week.

Carla.

Caela
Do you remember those old ads for Charmin--"Don't squeeze the Charmin"? Well, don't touch the strip when it's in the monitor either unless it's a bead of blood.. When I had problems getting enough blood with my old "S" I re-used the lancette because I thought it was less sharp and more likely to cause a larger wound and more blood. It's probably not a good idea to use the same finger repeatedly during one test either. Poor little finger probably tensed up in the expectation of another ***.
Practice makes perfect--you're getting there.

 

[Bina]

Well, I wanted to say that I tested again one week later on this Wednesday. I had a 2.9 which is consistant with July 8-3.0;July 16-3.0; and July 23-2.9. The bad part is that it took 5 test strips and 7 lancets to get that reading and a lot of anxiety on my part with a pin cushion for a finger now. Soon, I will get this right. I kept trying to get the blood on the strip, and nada. I was touching the strip to smear the blood on it, so that is where I think I made the errors. All those holes in my finger, and it stayed on my finger instead of dripping. Need practice. But don't want to obliterate my finger! Going for the types addressed here for next week.

Carla.

It's really too bad that you didn't have good training because you would not be wasting strips and having stress.
What you need is a good lancing PEN. Go back and look at a previous reply here from Netmiff (post #20).
That is a great pen, buy one like that or similar.
Also take note of how it is placed on the bottom edge of the finger pad, then hold it firmly and click!
You may lightly "milk" your finger until you have a GOOD drop of blood.
Then hold the finger to the SIDE of the test strip and it will suck up the blood.
Machine will BEEP to tell you when to remove finger.
This really works so well that I hate to see you having trouble....

 

[catwoman]

June:

I will be in Dallas on Aug. 9-10 for my great-nephew's christening and would be happy to bring some Tenderlettes, like Marty suggested using. I have some leftover Tenderlettes from my ProTime 3 and really don't need them. You could try several to see if that type of lancing device is better for you.

When I got an error message with the ProTime 3, I didn't lance my finger again before using another Cuvette. I just started squeezing the lanced site again and got the blood flowing again.

Only had to do this one time with the INRatio. I was trying to do a test while seated and didn't have enough of a vantage point for getting the blood sample on the test strip. Wasted 2 strips, then stood up. No problem then. I don't think I repunctured my finger, just put more pressure on the puncture site.

 

[cirrider]

Rubber Band Helps

Rubber Band Helps

One suggestion that was given that I have used with good success: Before you do the finger stick, put a rubber band lightly around the finger you will stick. I use small rubber bands and lap it twice. Then when I stick myself, I get a good drop every time. It was mentioned, but worth saying again: Stick the finger on the SIDE of the finger pad, wait for the drop to form and hold the drop at the edge of the strip.... the strip will "pull" the drop in. I used the S machine for a number of years and used the capillary tubes. But with the XS you don't need to do that. Hope that helps. Once you get it down, you won't have the stress you have now.