my first post here! and an after supper reading

anawhatsme

wow!
there is so much to take in.
this is my first day monitoring my blood sugar in almost 4 years!
i was originally diagnosed with gestational diabetes in 2010.
within a year of having my son, i got type 2 - as i was told i probably would.

i was on metformin on and off for about a year, then stopped, thinking i'd just eat better and not have to worry about 'medicine'.
eating better didn't really happen, so here i am.
i wasn't feeling quite right over the past week or so.
i googled my symptoms and it seemed very possible that how i felt was related to blood sugar issues.

whether it is or isn't, i haven't been taking care of myself.
according to doctors, i am type 2 diabetic and have high blood pressure.
i am morbidly obese and not very active.
my mother died due to poor health just a year ago.
it's time to wake up and grow up!

so i'm doing that.
but wow - what a lot of info to take in.
i am pretty much overwhelmed.

i did pull out my old montior and i'm lucky to have 37 test strips (36 after tonight).
so i reacquainted myself with the tools and tested 2 hours after supper.
i got a 7.1
i'm pretty sure that's not too bad, based on more googling (i google everything i swear!)

so i came here to see what your guys numbers are and lo and behold - the first message is about readings taken 2 hours after supper!
yay - perfect!
but all i see are numbers in the 100s and 80s - nothing like mine.
ahhhh!!

i have so much to learn!
it's so overwhelming.
but i'm up for the challenge.

so hi!

JaceyMarieS

7.1 two hours after a meal is equivalent to 128


The US uses a different form of measurement that the rest of the world.

Here's a blood sugar converter from mg/dl to mmol/L http://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-sugar-converter.html or you can do some simple math

mg/dl --> mmol/L - divide by 18
mmol/L --> mg/dl - multiply by 18

To set target ranges, see http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/16422495.php
In a nutshell,

Normal Fasting Blood Sugar

A truly normal fasting blood sugar (which is also the blood sugar a normal person will see right before a meal) is

Between 70 mg/dl (3.9 mmol/L) and 92 mg/dl (5.0 mmol/L) .

Doctors consider any fasting blood sugar between 70 mg/dl (3.9 mg/dl) and 100 mg/dl (5.5 mmol/L) to be normal. But several studies suggest that people whose fasting blood sugar is over 92 mg/dl (5.1 mmol/L) are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes over the next decade.
What is an Abnormally Low Blood Sugar?

Blood sugars under 70 mg/dl (3.9 mmol/L) are considered to be hypoglycemic. However, if you are not on insulin or a drug that causes your pancreas to secrete insulin, a blood sugar slightly below this range, while it might be uncomfortable, is not dangerous unless there is evidence that it is continuing to drop.
The dangerous levels of low blood sugar--the hypos that require a visit to the ER--are those in the 40 mg/dl (2.2 mmol/L) range and lower. At those levels unconsciousness and brain damage can occur.

Post-Meal Blood Sugar (Postprandial)

Independent of what they eat, the blood sugar of a truly normal person is:

Under 120 mg/dl (6.6 mmol/L) one or two hours after a meal.

Most normal people are under 100 mg/dl (5.5 mmol/L) two hours after eating.
A1c

A truly normal A1c is between 4.6% and 5.4%

anawhatsme

You are very very helpful and I can't thank you enough!
I find this is such an information overload and I really appreciate you taking the time to help me understand!
Thank you so so much!

JaceyMarieS

It is absolutely a lot to absorb! I remember being almost to the point of tears trying to read articles and remember things. I really really recommend bloodsugar101.com for plain-speaking info!