I don't have that meter but I do have a the One Touch Ultra 2 and I like it very much. Not that I've had others to compare it to though. I've had it for two years. I got the USB cable and program. It's pretty slick. Way better than tracking with a pencil and book.
Like others here have suggested, ask your doctor if there are classes available. They are very helpful in teaching you how to eat. Portion control and carb counting is absolutely key, as well as regular exercise. You don't have to run...just walk and pick up the pace a little as you feel better. I use my iPod and favorite tunes to pass the time and keep pace. If you can't walk for 30 minutes...walk for 15 minutes 2 times a day...or break it down into 3 ten minute walks. You can increase the time as you get more in shape. I've had excellent control since taking the classes. My doc just cut my metformin intake in half yesterday...from 500mg to 250mg a day. I purchased a treadmill last Christmas. Good investment for those in the cold climates. I don't use it over the nice months but in winter it's a godsend. I hate walking on ice.
"Learn about CARBS four at a meal--one slice of bread is one carb. You should only use four at a meal."
I wanted to make something a little clearer here...what WilliamF was calling a CARB is actually a Carb Unit. A carb unit consists of 15 carbs. A slice of whole grain bread (read the labels) is usually around 20 carbs but there is usually Fiber as well. You subtract the fiber number...in this slice of bread it may be 4 g ... 20 -4 = 16 carbs = 1 carb unit. You get 3-4 carb units per meal (45-60 total carbs) three times a day... and a couple of snacks...one mid afternoon and one before bed. (try to eat something every four hours) A Snack is one carb unit. I go with 15-25 carbs at snack.
I check my sugar once a day, at different times of the day... and when I first got started I checked four times a day or when ever I ate something I hadn't planned on to see how it affects my blood sugar. I still do that when I have an "off" read until I can figure out why or get it back under control. The strips aren't cheap but its a good way to see where you make your mistakes...and when you need to get up and start moving.
Remember the worst thing that aggravates diabetes is belly fat. So don't worry about the number on the scale as much as the inches around the waist. Your goal is to make sure that your waist measurement at your belly button is not wider than half your height. So if you are 5'4" tall, or 64 inches, you should keep your waist size at or below 32-inches to decrease your risk of health problems. If your waist is greater than half your height, you have too much omental fat (that's belly fat). Now that you have your thyroid issues under control you should be able to loose the gut. I use SparkPeople to help keep me on track. I use the food tracker a lot. (It helps if your taking a class too because the nutritionist will want you to keep a food diary. This does that for you and prints out really nice. It's 100% free. It has a lot of really nice tools that will help you. If you don't like a lot of emails you need to set it up so that you don't have the email stuff all checked off. There are "support groups" there which group folks together with common interests....like Fly Fishing, photography, Diabetes, etc. Anyway...it's a tool you can use if you wish. (lots of great recipes on there too...with a little tweaking you can make a lot of them diabetic friendly.
Another good source of information on Diabetes is good ol' Dr. Oz.
Some more very helpful links:
http://www.diabetes.ca/diabetes-and-you/nutrition/
http://www.diabetes.org/
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