If you’ve recently been diagnosed with Type I or Type II diabetes, one of the first considerations will be keeping the disease under control. Your physician may recommend regular self-testing of your blood with the assistance of a blood glucose meter. If so, this is nothing to fear. It is possible today to obtain a free blood glucose meter from a number of companies.

How often should you test your blood glucose level? Again, your physician will advise you for your specific situation. However, here are some general guidelines:

1. If you are already injecting insulin for your diabetes, whether Type I or Type II, you should test your blood using a glucose testing meter prior to each meal and again prior to going to bed at night. Such frequent testing is essential because blood glucose levels can be erratic.

2. If you have Type II diabetes and currently control the disease through a healthy diet, exercise or perhaps medication that maintains stability, then twice per day blood glucose testing should be sufficient. This is recommended prior to your morning and evening meals.

Don’t ever be afraid of testing too often and remember the above are just guidelines. If you are preparing for a rigorous exercise session or plan to indulge in foods that are normally a bit outside of your normal diet guidelines, an extra test may be in order.

Fortunately, it is possible today to obtain a free blood glucose meter and even to choose between several different free glucose testing meters from a single company. What should you look for when considering applying for a free glucose meter?

First, you may wish to check with your medical professional and ask him or her if there are any specific brands they recommend. Some of the available blood glucose meters have options to download the test data onto a computer. Your medical professional may wish to track your progress by retrieving the data from your testing meter to his or her computer.

Second, you may want to consider ordering a free glucose testing meter from a company who will take care of all the insurance papers on your behalf, whether for Medicare, Medicaid or your private insurance company. This can be a big time saver and avoid a lot of hassle. Look for a company that does not require up front payments from you, but will only charge you your share of co-payments and/or deductible and submit the claim direct to your insurance company for their portion. You don’t want the inconvenience of paying first and waiting for reimbursement checks.

Remember that you, and you alone, are responsible for following the proper treatment and care to ensure a healthy and successful life with diabetes. You must be 100% committed to following proper diet and exercise habits, and maintaining control of your blood glucose levels through regular self-testing.