I am sooo excited about my A1C!
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T1DCarnivoreRunner
Posts: 11,502 Member
So I've had type 1 diabetes since 1995. For those of you who do not know, the common treatment method at the time was to set up static meals using the exchange diet (i.e. every lunch had to be x grains, y fruits, z meats, etc. and the flexibility was not in how much one ate, but which of those foods one chose to fulfill each exchange item), and take the same amount of short-acting insulin for that meal each day as well as a long-acting insulin once or twice daily. Of course, that meant that I was told to "eat, eat, eat" and I doubled my weight within a year of diagnosis.
Within the next few years, my blood sugars were consistently high and the endocrinologist eventually ordered a 3-day inpatient study to determine how resistant to insulin I had become. This study resulted in a second diagnosis of type 2 diabetes... at the time, this was rare and she said I was her second patient in her whole career to have both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Since then, it has become common enough to coin a new term, "double diabetes." Still, I was one of the first.
Having type 1 diabetes is not easy (I know you know this already), but having both is even more difficult. For years, I thought it was impossible to lose weight. I now realize it is possible, but is slow going and very difficult. I've been able to reduce the effects of type 2 diabetes and have cut my insulin in half since I started out in Jan. of this year. I'm now taking approx. 80 units of Apidra daily through my pump. I have a long ways to go for weight loss, and I have had a lot of blood sugar fluctuations that I have had and will continue to have as I lose weight and have to readjust insulin rates.
I know it has taken me a long time to get to the point, but without knowing all of the above information, you may not realize how significant this is: My A1C today was 6.3. The last A1C was 7.5, and I have never been below 7 since being diagnosed with type 1 in 1995.
There is a lot of work to be done, both with the fluctuations and with weight loss, but I'm really excited about this achievement. :happy:
Within the next few years, my blood sugars were consistently high and the endocrinologist eventually ordered a 3-day inpatient study to determine how resistant to insulin I had become. This study resulted in a second diagnosis of type 2 diabetes... at the time, this was rare and she said I was her second patient in her whole career to have both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Since then, it has become common enough to coin a new term, "double diabetes." Still, I was one of the first.
Having type 1 diabetes is not easy (I know you know this already), but having both is even more difficult. For years, I thought it was impossible to lose weight. I now realize it is possible, but is slow going and very difficult. I've been able to reduce the effects of type 2 diabetes and have cut my insulin in half since I started out in Jan. of this year. I'm now taking approx. 80 units of Apidra daily through my pump. I have a long ways to go for weight loss, and I have had a lot of blood sugar fluctuations that I have had and will continue to have as I lose weight and have to readjust insulin rates.
I know it has taken me a long time to get to the point, but without knowing all of the above information, you may not realize how significant this is: My A1C today was 6.3. The last A1C was 7.5, and I have never been below 7 since being diagnosed with type 1 in 1995.
There is a lot of work to be done, both with the fluctuations and with weight loss, but I'm really excited about this achievement. :happy:
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Learning what will work for your personal version of T1 can take a lot of trial and error. Especially when the dietary advice given by "experts" is so far off base. Glad to see you are finding a way to lose the weight and the insulin resistance as well.
As you continue to eat to your meter rather than to a carb quota, you will see you weight and insulin requirements continue to decrease.
Finding the tools to make changes in your basal rates, I:C ratios and correction factors as needed so you don't need to chase lows is huge. Getting to where you are now with out lows takes a lot of effort, knowledge and juggling skills and I salute your efforts and determination.
Hope you have found a "pumpers bible" that works for you. I know I would not have been able to get down to where I'm at with out Pumping Insulin by John Walsh, as well as the information I found on Tudiabetes. The Fatliners group and the TAGers United groups were instrumental in helping me get to 5.4 with minimal lows.
As you keep working at this you WILL continue to make strides toward the goals that fit for you!
Way to go!!!!0 -
Congrats on your lower A1C! You're doing better than me, major props to you managing both. :flowerforyou:0
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That is awesome!!0
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Great job!! That is inspiring to read and I hope that my next A1C is below 8.0, which is where I have been for about a year or so now. You are right….it is a real challenge and a roller coaster ride at times, but very good to celebrate the up sides when you experience them.
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Congrats! That's a huge accomplishment! Thanks for sharing!0
