We are back from the holiday on the Island of Manhatten and back with the Islets of Langerhans. Interesting read on Diabetes Self Testing here. It also explains, perhaps, why my GP practice is discouraging the practice of self testing, and has taken the strips off my repeat prescription list.
When I was newly diagnosed, I found self testing hugely helpful in understanding my condition and what effects various foods had on me. I tested myself before every meal and two hours after I had eaten. By keeping a log in Microsoft Excel it was easy to turn the figures into a graph which gave a very visual representation of what was going on. When my GP changed my medication, the effects could be seen on the graph, when I 'sinned' foodwise, the effects could be seen. Far from leaning me towards depression, the practice of self testing helped me understand and come to terms with diabetes.

Now I only self test 2 or 3 times a week, just to make sure that I am still well in control. The biggest lesson I learned? That white bread is a no go area for me as a diabetic. Brown bread is typically half the sugar of white bread, and lowers my blood sugar by around 1 point compared to white.