How to Use Your Blood Sugar Log at a Doctor's Appointment

What to bring

Your log for the last two to four weeks, newest page on top.
Your meter or sensor reader, or the app on your phone, in case your doctor wants to download the data.
A list of every medicine and dose you take now, including insulin.
Your questions, written down.

Prepare your log the evening before

Circle the lows. Every reading below your low limit, with a short note on what happened if you remember.
Mark the patterns. Put a star next to any time of day that is often out of range: every morning high, every evening low.
Count the good days. If your log has an in-target column, count the + marks for each week and write the total at the bottom. It is a quick summary your doctor can read in a second.
Write one line at the top: "Main question: why are my mornings high?" Then you will not forget it.

Questions worth asking

What should my target range be, before meals and after?
What is my HbA1c goal? The ADA suggests below 7% (53 mmol/mol) for many adults; NICE suggests 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) or lower for adults with type 1 diabetes. Yours may be different.
When should I test, and how often?
What should I do when I see this pattern again?
Would a continuous glucose monitor help me?

During the appointment

Show the patterns first, not every number. "My mornings are high most days, here and here" is easier to work with than paging through four weeks. If you do not understand an answer, ask again. It is your treatment.

Afterwards

Write any changes on your log straight away: new doses, new targets, new testing times.
If your targets or testing times changed, make a new log with the new settings, so the page matches what you were told.
Write down when to come back, and which pattern to watch until then.

To be honest, I rarely show my card to my doctor. When I am asked how my glucose runs at a certain time of day, I answer from it, because I have looked at those numbers every day. That is the real point: your log is for you first. If you read it regularly, you will walk into any appointment already knowing your own patterns.

Not medical advice. This guide is general information. Your targets, testing times and treatment come from your doctor, diabetes nurse or clinic, who know your situation.

Make a fresh log after your appointmentNew targets or testing times? Make a log that matches them.

Questions

How many weeks of readings should I bring?

Two to four weeks is usually enough to see patterns. Bring older pages too if something changed, such as a new medicine.

My doctor downloads my meter. Do I still need a log?

The meter has the numbers, but not the meals, doses and notes that explain them. Bringing both gives the fullest picture.

Should I hide the bad readings?

No. The high and low readings are the ones that help your doctor most. A log with only good numbers cannot help anyone.

What is the in-target column for?

You put a mark at the end of each day when every reading stayed in your target range. Counting the marks gives a quick weekly score.

How to use your blood sugar log at a doctor's appointment