When I first moved back to New Zealand after seven years in the UK, I had a sexy little meter called a Freestyle – an Abbott product. It was tiny, quick, reliable and had little pottles of test strips.

Then, I realised the Freestyle test strips weren’t subsided here, so I moved on to the Optium Xceed, which seemed to be the only half decent tester out there at the time. I really didn’t rate the Xceed. It took longer to count down, required a far heftier drop of blood, and I couldn’t be faffed with unwrapping the strips from the silver foil every time I did a test, plus having to dispose of the foil and the strip. High maintenance!

So, when the Accu-Chek Performa came out in all its streamlined glory, I was all over it. Nicer carry case, faster to count down, a neat little pottle of strips and small amounts of blood required. That’s a bit of me.

I did notice in my transition though that the calibration was quite different. I’d read a few things saying that the Performa had come under a decent amount of criticism because it measured BGs slightly higher than they were, which made it dangerous for when you were hypo because you’d test and the numbers would be ok. However, whatever the case is, and if I did go through a period of adjusting my blood sugars down slightly, it all seems fine to me now.

Then – recently (well a few months ago now, have been meaning to write about this for a while) Optium Xceed lifted its game. Fancy new strips in smaller foil cases (but still the silly foil cases, gah) which require less blood. Ahhhh – I sense a leveling of the playing field. Then, they took the leveling and raised it one – by getting their ketone strips to also fit the Xceed meter. No more messy number 1s and dipping to see if you’ve got ketones. I see what you’ve done there, Abbott!

This was enough to inspire me to get my hands on a packet of these new strips and try them out for myself, given that I’ve an Xceed still sitting at work for when I go into meetings. I was all prepared to change my mind again and go back, hat in hand to my Xceed – but I haven’t. I have to say the foil wrappers just make it too much of a hassle for me, and I still think you need slightly less blood for the Performa.

Freestyle Lite glucose meterFinally (and sorry, this post is getting very long) – I see in the latest Diabetes Auckland magazine – the Freestyle has now hit the NZ market in the form of the Freestyle Lite.  Medica Pacifica are doing free upgrades if you swap for an opposition meter (call them on 0800 106 100), or Diabetes Auckland are selling them (Members – $15, non members $18). Get in there! I remember my first meter (The Glucocard II) costing my parents something crazy like $200. Now they’re $15! There’s hope for insulin pumps yet.

One more thing (I know, you’re not supposed to say that after saying ‘finally’) – I have just been told also that in October there is a new, sassy meter out which is an upgrade to the current Performa. See it here – it’s called the Accu-Chek Aviva Nano and uses the same test strips as the Performa so will still be subsided. Nice to have some choice!

EDIT: I happened to be meeting with a rep from Medica Pacifica today and she has given me a Freestyle Lite – I’ve not had time to get a script for the strips yet but have ten in my starter kit so will at least get into them…. the best part about this little meter is the button you can see at the bottom which is not only a backlight for the screen but shines a light down the strip and onto your finger – no more fumbling about in the movies using my mobile phone to see where the blood is on my finger. Sweet!


By Nic on 3 August 2009 at 8.46 pm
Posted in Technology & Equipment
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