Type II Diabetics - Let's Support Each Other

Options
1…34689…20

Replies

  • cathyv0409
    cathyv0409 Posts: 230 Member
    Options
    Good morning friends,
    I had my dr. visit yesterday and my A1c was 5.8!!!! I was hoping (and expecting) it to be lower but was so excited to actually see it that low. My blood pressure was 108/70 (it has run a steady 140/80 for 30 years) and my iron and potassium were back up where they belong too! Overall, it was a great visit.

    Thanks Katz for asking!

    Everyone have a great Friday!
    Cathy
  • jrbanta
    jrbanta Posts: 4,273 Member
    Options
    Cathy- that's wonderful. I get my results next week. You must feel so good about what you've been doing for your health and seeing such good results.

    Update on Leo, my dog- Well so far I think he doesn't want to leave us yet. He rebounded yesterday a little bit and ate some food. He's climbing the stairs to be with us and wants to be petted alot. He's enjoying eating the snow and has started barking to go out again. He's lost a lot of weight so we'll see where this goes. He's not totally himself but seems to be more energetic. Not time yet to make a decision... Thanks for all your kind thoughts and comments.

    Jenny
  • katzpawz
    katzpawz Posts: 754
    Options
    Jenny: Glad to hear that Leo is doing better. What a lovely photo for your profile pic.

    I hope you get good news from the doc.

    katz
  • katzpawz
    katzpawz Posts: 754
    Options
    Good morning friends,
    I had my dr. visit yesterday and my A1c was 5.8!!!! I was hoping (and expecting) it to be lower but was so excited to actually see it that low. My blood pressure was 108/70 (it has run a steady 140/80 for 30 years) and my iron and potassium were back up where they belong too! Overall, it was a great visit.

    Thanks Katz for asking!

    Everyone have a great Friday!
    Cathy


    Great news!! Way to go!
  • PoleBoy
    PoleBoy Posts: 255 Member
    Options
    Hi, I have type II, and eventually I was put on metformin for it. I don't take them any more because my blood sugar is well controlled now I've lost the weight.

    I don't understand these funny numbers you Americans use ;) but I was hitting 300 mg/dl before breakfast when I was 300+ lb, but now I'm around 165 lb I'm between 65-100.

    Of course, I expect that'll go up a bit when I go back to maintenace.

    I do have MFP show me my sugar intake, but as I eat a lot of fruit it tends to be quite high (but as it's not the HIGH GI of refined sugar it shouldn't be a problem). I'm currently aiming for 50% carbs, 20% fat and 30% protein.

    I kinda stopped going to my Diabetic Nurse - she wanted me to stop blood testing and stay on the metformin, I wanted the opposite. Anyway, my Doctor nagged me into getting my HbA1c done, so we'll see what that reveals.

    My weightloss has reached a plateau and I'm finding it hard to stick to my calorie limit when after four weeks I've seen zero loss on the scale, the inches on my waist have been shrinking but I don't know what it is about that scale number, it just seems so much more important

    For managing your diabetes it's the waistline that's more important. But I've no idea where to measure my waist and to be quite honest it's an area of my body I avoid thinking about because it just upsets me. I'd rather be fat than deflated :(
  • monkeygirl6
    monkeygirl6 Posts: 53
    Options
    Cathy those results are just awesome! Thats why we are on this lifestyle change!

    Welcome poleboy! I think I understand the number issue I was having, when people talk about numbers like 5-6 they are talking about a1c results. it's good to know that with the weightless the blood sugar numbers can be controlled without drugs, which is a goal for me.
  • katzpawz
    katzpawz Posts: 754
    Options
    Cathy those results are just awesome! Thats why we are on this lifestyle change!

    Welcome poleboy! I think I understand the number issue I was having, when people talk about numbers like 5-6 they are talking about a1c results. it's good to know that with the weightless the blood sugar numbers can be controlled without drugs, which is a goal for me.

    In the U.K., the same scale is used for daily testing that is used for A1c.

    I'm from the U.S., now living in London. It's taken a while for me to get used to using the different scale for daily testing.

    Congrats poleboy on the weight loss and getting better control of your diabetes!
  • PoleBoy
    PoleBoy Posts: 255 Member
    Options
    UK daily blood testing is mmol/l. I thought HbA1c was % glycated haemoglobin,
  • katzpawz
    katzpawz Posts: 754
    Options
    UK measurements: the scale is the same; at least that's how the diabetes nurse explained it to me.
  • cathyv0409
    cathyv0409 Posts: 230 Member
    Options
    Good morning everyone!
    I hope everyone is having a great day! I'm off to work soon...which means walking across the living room into my office :smile:

    Patty, did you get your new blood tester? If so, are you getting more accurate readings with it?

    Poleboy, didn't you say you were had some bloodwork done? How did it go?

    I'm really not sure what the different measurements are. The tester I use at home shows my readings for that moment and I think are supposed to be between 90 and 120. The A1c is supposed to measure my average blood sugar readings for the past 6 weeks or so. I found this chart that compares them
    http://www.diabetes.com/blood-sugar-control-matters/a1c.html

    Everyone have a wonderful day!!
    Cathy
  • PoleBoy
    PoleBoy Posts: 255 Member
    Options
    Phoned for my results today - my HbA1c is 5.4% (which corresponds to a UK estimated average blood sugar level of 5.2 mmol/l, or an American estimated average blood sugar level of 108)
  • katzpawz
    katzpawz Posts: 754
    Options
    GREAT JOB!!

    I'll get my results when I see the doc next week.

    I had only just resumed my exercise in full force, after having surgery, about two weeks before my blood work was done. So I'm not expecting a terrific A1c, but I know from checking my blood sugar at home that my number are tending back downward!!

    Have a great day!
    katzpawz
  • jrbanta
    jrbanta Posts: 4,273 Member
    Options
    I have my checkup with my doctor on Thursday morning but they did the A1c blood draw last week. I got my results today and I'm pleased that it dropped from 6.0 (August) to 5.6 (now). So improvement... My morning glucose has been in the 90's 2 of 3 checks this week so that makes me happy too. The other one was 113.

    Leo, my dog, is back to being a happy guy. Much relief here, we weren't ready to lose him. Maybe he is sick of winter?

    Well now that the birthday celebration is over and my two bad eating days are done, I'm back on track today. Nice logging and exercise. My sugars were a little over today but that was from my yogurt and an apple for an afternoon snack. I'm tempted to have a piece of apple pie from my son's bday (haven't had a piece yet) but I'm going to say no and not have it.

    Well I'm tired and ready to go to bed so good night for now. Hope you all have a nice day tomorrow!

    Jenny
  • katzpawz
    katzpawz Posts: 754
    Options
    @Jenny: Congrats on your numbers coming down! Good luck with your doctor's appointment. Those always stress me out!

    I'm glad that Leo is feeling better.

    See my doc on Tuesday, and we'll go over my labs and talk about my weight loss (or lack thereof). I've lost inches from exercising, but I don't seem to be losing weight. I've also had a couple of very low blood sugar readings recently. I'm starting to wonder if it might be time to make some changes to my meds.

    Hope everyone has a great week!
    katzpawz
  • jrbanta
    jrbanta Posts: 4,273 Member
    Options
    katpawz- I know what you mean about getting nervous for the appt. When I was first going through my dx for Type II I was nervous at my checkups and my blood pressure was slightly elevated over two appts. They then said I needed a high blood pressure meds and I had never had high blood pressure before except when pregnant 3rd trimester. I was not happy. The diabetic counselor explained it would help keep my kidneys healthy so I accepted it but would still like to be taken off of it eventually.

    My scale numbers are dropping very slowly but that's the way it always is for me so I just go by how I feel. I know I've lost inches and toned up so clothes feel so much better. I seem to lose at the end of the month so I've been weighing in this week because I feel like I've lost which I have taken off about a pound. Perseverence!!!!!!!! Takes a lot of patience doesn't it?

    Jenny
  • katzpawz
    katzpawz Posts: 754
    Options
    Jenny: Here in the UK, the doc's office doesn't have the extra large blood pressure cuff. I guess they just don't have that many patients my size, but they still should have the right cuff. Anyway, my bp always measures border-line to a little high, and I know it has to be that the cuff is not the right size. Before I moved over here, my bp was always really good. The doc used to be baffled that I could be this heavy, diabetic and NOT have high blood pressure. I don't think he believed I am as active as I am.

    One really cool thing that has happened since moving to the UK. Doctor's offices are in neighbourhoods/residential areas. My doc is literally on the next street from my home. I see him occasionally while I'm out for my walks, so he KNOWS that I'm working hard trying to get the weight off.

    That's my rant for the day!!

    Cheers,
    katz (Kelly)
  • PoleBoy
    PoleBoy Posts: 255 Member
    Options
    I have "white coat hypertension" - AKA getting high blood pressure at the Doctors'

    They were looking to put me on meds for that, but I got a Boots "clinically validate" wrist blood pressure meter, and used it daily - my Diabetic Nurse accepted that - YMMV

    They did have a large cuff at my practice, I'm surprised that after the first time they didn't sort the problem.
  • katzpawz
    katzpawz Posts: 754
    Options
    I hear you on "white coat hypertension." I used to get really stressed out at doctor appointments. Primarily because it didn't seem to matter that my A1c was down, or my weight was down, it was never enough. I don't think that man has ever said an encouraging word to a patient in his career. The sad thing is that as endocrinologists go, he is one of the best in Atlanta. He really knows his stuff, but he has no bed-side manner at all.

    I'm very happy with my doc here. He was proactive in having me screened for womb cancer when my mother was diagnosed with it. As a result, we found that I did have the very beginnings of it, so I've surgery and am fine now.

    Happy Wednesday!
    katzpawz
  • chroi23
    chroi23 Posts: 27
    Options
    Hi everyone...been a while since i was in this forum (keep having to refind it...lol).. I was wondering how often you all check your blood glucose...i was diagnosed 22 feb 2011 with a fasting blood glucose of 126 and my a1c was 5.7-ish...can't remember the exact # but i know it was under 6. Anyhow...the PA i saw wants me to only check my blood after i wake in the morning. To me that doesn't seem like enough since i'm needing to learn what it is that i can and cannot eat and the impact of things i eat on my blood glucose levels. So i've been checking first thing when i wake...just before a meal...and 2 hrs after a meal. That ran me into trouble as when i called in to have my scrip of test strips refilled they told me i had to wait 'til may 'cause they gave me 100 strips for 100 days. Anyhow, i have since called and talked to someone at the clinic and they said they'd see about getting a new scrip put in for me. Am i just being silly checking that often? i think my highest test was @ 189...and i have lows of the 60s when i don't have a snack or get busy (not very often for either of those extremes..but trying to cut that out all together) so i know i still have a lot to learn.
  • qtpiesmom
    qtpiesmom Posts: 394 Member
    Options
    Depending I test sometimes 4 times a day if Im going to the doctors the week before SO I can show him. I test in the morning and 2 hours each meal. If its not a time when I am doing to the doctors. I will test in the morning and when I feel icky to see if Im low. But I dont test all the time. I used to test to see results of certain meals, meals that contained higher amounts of Carbs to see what it does to my numbers but I dont anymore because I live in the range of 5 - 8 most days in Canada our meters read the same as A1C.

    Oh and a tip to find the post again on your profile page you have what threads you have posted in at the bottom left of the page.

Categories