Tag Archives: A1C Test

My A1c was 5.5!!!

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 2

Whoo Hoo!! I’m CELEBRATING!! My A1c reading was 5.5 yesterday!! Anything below 7 is considered to be extremely good, so I really did well!! This number is in line with what a person who does NOT have diabetes would get.

The A1c reading is a blood test, usually done at the doctor’s office, that gives a good indication of the average blood glucose level for about the last 3 months.

According to Wikipedia:

In the normal 120-day life span of the red blood cell, glucose molecules react with hemoglobin, forming glycated hemoglobin. In individuals with poorly controlled diabetes, the quantities of these glycated hemoglobins are much higher than in healthy people.

Once a hemoglobin molecule is glycated, it remains that way. A buildup of glycated hemoglobin within the red cell therefore reflects the average level of glucose to which the cell has been exposed during its life cycle.

Basically, if I understand that, extra glucose in the blood permanently changes our red blood cells. Since our blood cells live for about 120 days, measuring the percentage of “sugared up” red blood cells is a good way to see what my glucose level has been for the last few months.

I was not as pleased with my weight, though, as I’ve not lost any more weight in some time. I’m having a hard time getting myself in the exercise habit, and I know that’s the problem. I’m controlling what I eat and how much I eat, with occasional splurges, but I’m not burning enough calories. Plus, I need to be exercising more just for good general health. I’ve already seen considerable improvement with my step climbing and walking up and down steep driveways on our Date Days, so I should be motivated to work out even more. This is what I’m going to have to work on mentally, as I have never been a very physically active person.

So, I celebrate the great blood glucose results for the last few months and continue to exhort myself to improve my activity level.

Diabetes Doc Says I’m Doing Just Fine

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by  

Well, my doctor was not at all upset by my numbers yesterday. He says as long as my A1C is as low as it is there’s nothing to be concerned about. So hubby and I are just going to have to put up with the sporadic high numbers.

A1C is a blood test that takes just a few minutes to get the results on. Any time my blood sugar goes too high some of my red blood cells are altered by the extra glucose in the blood stream. This change is not reversible. So, until those blood cells die in a couple of months or so, these changed blood cells are floating around in my veins and arteries. The A1C test measures the percentage of blood that has this glucose marker on it. Mine was 5.5 the first time I had it taken, 5.6 the second, and now 5.7 this third time. Those numbers are very good. Anything below 7 is good for a Diabetic, so I have a long way to go before he’s going to worry about me.

I did get my flu shot while I was there. That’s the regular flu shot. I asked the nurse when they expected to get the Swine Flu vaccine in, and she said they’re not going to get it. I’m glad. This batch was just hurried up too much for me to feel comfortable taking it. I would have, though, if he had recommended it, since diabetes is one of the factors that makes a person susceptible. Older people are not supposed to be prone to catch the Swine Flu, since we were exposed to a similar flu some years ago.

I’ve only had the flu once in my life, and I sure don’t want it again. So, I’m glad our church has put antiseptic foam pump bottles all over the place and is encouraging everyone to use them.

I don’t see my doctor again for 3 months, and maybe this time I can actually stop stressing over my numbers. I’m going to try, that’s for sure. The funny thing is when I took my glucose level 2 hours after eating lunch yesterday I got the highest reading I’ve ever gotten. I did have a small piece of carrot cake without the icing, but everything else I ate should have been OK. Of course “should have been” and “really was OK” may have been entirely different.

I did all my exercises and stretching today. They told me to try to stretch out my left leg, which has been hurting for several months now. I thought at first it was arthritis in my knee that was flaring up from exercising. But as it got worse I realized the pain is on the back side of the knee, not the front. The PT felt around and said it was all very tight, and gave me a stretching exercise to try to loosen it up. That’s the Myoclonus acting up for sure, as my left leg does a lot more jerking than the right one does.

I’ve been sitting with a hot pad under my knee this afternoon, trying to calm the muscle down a bit. Since it hurts so much, hubby and I have decided I should exercise every other day for awhile and see how that does.

So, I’m to stop fretting over my numbers, but keep testing as I have been. That’s a tall order for me, but I will do my best to let go of the anxiety I feel when the number is higher than my target number. And as I get back on a regular exercise routine that should help to lower my numbers, too.

It’s all about keeping a positive attitude.

It’s Official – I have Type II Diabetes

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 4

I had the appointment with my GP today and asked a ton of questions about where I stand with Diabetes. I asked him point blank if I had pre-diabetes or actual Diabetes, and he said I have Type II Diabetes. I hastened to assure him that that did not upset me, that I just wanted to know, so I could read more intelligently about topics related to Diabetes. This diagnosis is a walk in the park compared to being told I had Parkinson’s, so it doesn’t upset me at all.

He stressed the importance of following a good Diabetic diet, and we explained that we have been eating very healthy diets ever since dear hubby was operated on for colon cancer. Add that to the fact that we both have Alzheimer’s in our family history (mother and grandfather for me), and that I have a Neurological disorder, so we have been consciously eating as many Super Foods as possible for several years now.

The biggest difference for me now is that I must exercise portion control (I have lost some weight already!), and I can’t have chocolate. Of course, he said I could have a little, but he laughed when I explained that I don’t know how to eat just a little chocolate. For me it’s going to have to be all or nothing. Other sweets I’ll be able to take in small amounts probably, but not chocolate!!

He tested the bottom of my feet for feeling, and I am definitely not feeling as well on the bottoms of my feet as I do in my palms. My A1C test came back as 5.5%, which is very, very good! That means I’ve done a good job of keeping my blood glucose under control, and it hasn’t been spiking for very long. They sent off a urine sample to check for albumin levels, which is a measure of kidney health. He has now run every test I know of that is recommended for diabetics.

He looked over my Blood Glucose testing results for this month and was pleased with the numbers. So he suggested that I could test before breakfast and 2 hours after Lunch and Supper every 3 days, unless I was feeling weird. That means a whole lot less finger pricks, and a bottle of test strips will last a lot longer. Those things are VERY expensive!!

I also asked his reasoning for putting me on Glipizide instead of Metformin. He said he chose Glipizide, because he was afraid of the gastrointestinal side effects of Metformin. But I would welcome a medicine that tended me toward diarrhea! I could stop some of my other meds if I did get help in that direction from the Metformin. So he gave me a prescription for it to try, taking only one pill with supper until I see how I do on it.

Since I have an appointment this Thursday with the Diabetes specialist, I’m not going to change anything until I get his view of things, but I was very pleased with the time that my GP took to examine me and answer all my questions. My GP is faxing all the information about my tests, etc., to this specialist, so that will make the appointment even more helpful.

I feel very good about the information I received today. I understand the diagnosis, and I know what I have to do to stay healthy. I am confident that I will be a good patient and will take care of myself, now that I know what needs to be done.

Looking Forward to a Busy Week This Week

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by  

I feel really good today, and that’s something to celebrate! I didn’t even have to fight to stay awake in church today, the way I have for some time now. I think my body is adjusting to the steady level of glucose in my system, or at least a lot more steady than it used to be.

I continue to read everything I can find about ways to improve my diet and keep my blood glucose level in a healthy range.

Not that every day has been as good as today has been. We had our usual Date Day Friday, and the weather was gorgeous. That made for some pleasant yard sale shopping, but it meant we were stopping at a lot more sale signs than we have since last spring. Somewhere around lunch time I just ran out of energy. I ate what I thought was a reasonable lunch, but had the highest glucose reading I have measured so far several hours later. And to add to the general fatigue and yucky feeling from too much glucose in my system, my hands and feet were noticeably swollen. By the time we got home I was really very uncomfortable, and did very little Friday night or yesterday, either. Thank goodness that rough patch is over for now.

I’m looking forward this week to seeing my doctor to ask him about my test results from the Glucose Tolerance Test, go over my log of a month’s worth of glucose readings with him, and get an A1C test done. Oh, and I should tell you that I’ve been pleasantly surprised that all the finger sticks (for right now I’m testing before and 2 hours after every meal) aren’t nearly as bad as I thought they would be.

Here’s my understanding of how the A1C test I will have this week works. Every time a person’s glucose goes too high, the red blood cells are changed, as they react with the excess “sugar”. Once the glucose level comes back down, those changed blood cells do NOT change back to normal. So, for the life of that red blood cell, there is a chemical marker that the A1C test can read. If I have had lots of episodes of high glucose over the last few months then lots of my red blood cells will have this chemical marker in them. This test is almost like a diary of the last two or three months worth of sugar levels. It’s the last step in the diagnosis process to decide whether or not I have pre-diabetes or actual Type II Diabetes, as I understand it.

Then, later on this week I have my first appointment with an Internist who specializes in Hypertension and other Diabetes related problems, particularly Kidney problems. Don’t get me wrong. I am not having any trouble with my kidneys now, and I want to keep it that way! He comes highly recommended by my Gastroenterologist, which means he will be someone who can coordinate with my Gastro about my diabetic diet and my digestive problems and elimination difficulties.

I feel like this is going to be a very important week for me, and I am anxious for it to get going! I would appreciate your prayers!!!