arS ee e_ Tauwe ale Device Helps Diabetics Monitor Their Health (NAPSA)—WhenKristin heard that her two-year-old son, Kenny Jr., had either cancer or diabetes, she prayed that it was diabetes. It turned out that Kenny’s fatigue, lack of motor skills and crying was attributed to Type I diabetes. That wasjust the beginning. Kristin struggled with managing her son’s diabetes everyday. She had to test his blood sugar at least four times a day and used a “finger stick” test—a painful poke of the fingertip to obtain a blood sample for the meter. Because of the high concentration of nerve endings on the fingertips, poking them for testing is physically painful. If you’re a parent who has to do the test, it can be emotionally difficult. Kristin struggled with testing Kenny. Then she heard about the FreeStyle” Blood Glucose Monitoring system, an innovative product that changed her son’s life. Because FreeStyle can be used on many areas of the body other than thefingertips, it is virtually pain-free. FreeStyle relies on a technology called coulometry, which reads the glucose level in only a pinpricksized drop of blood. The small blood sample drawn from areas of the body other than the fingertips makesit easier to test children regularly without hurting them. Ten-year-old Sam, who has had Type I diabetes since he was eight years old, was an active child who enjoyed playing hockey andthe saxophone. He needed to test fre- ‘ayYNWes! A less painful monitoring method may encourage morediabetics to monitor their blood sugar on a regular basis. quently, averaging eight tests a day. His mother, Laura, felt terrible for Sam because the regular testing caused his fingertips to callous and peel, preventing him from participating in extracurricular activities. At school, Sam would have to go to the office to test because the testing disrupted his classes. For him, using FreeStyle meant he could test during classes without anyone noticing. Sam’s school life now goes on without interruptions. FreeStyle has helped parents like Kristin and Laura manage their children’s health without experiencing the problems associated with finger stick testing. To learn more about this FDA cleared blood glucose monitoring system, visit the Web site at www.therasense.com or call (888) 522-5226.
