When I check my blood sugar in the morning, I use my leg, instead of a finger because I am a massage therapist (LMBT). Why would my sugar be different in the leg (any where from 10 to 30 mg/dl)? I asked my doctor and he just wanted to know if I did this more than once? I said yes but I am still in the dark about this. What will my three month blood work show?

The blood flow in the fingers and hand is faster than other places in the body, so when you check your blood sugar from your leg you run the risk of a delayed reading. There could be anywhere from a five to 20 minute lag for the current blood sugar level to get to the leg during times when your sugar may be rapidly rising or falling such as when exercising or after eating. I am not sure which tests you are referring to for the three month blood work, but you should get an A1c blood test every three months to find out what your “average” blood sugar is all day and all night, even when you are not testing.

JS

[Editor’s comment: You may wish to review our web page Where Can I Test? to learn about other places for Alternate Site Testing (AST).

BH]