Swingers

Anyone else a swinger?

okay, yes... some words draw people in. It's like Newsies, and the paper business, and knowing what words sell papes, right? :D

But, I do mean swinger. No one can continue on a line at the same velocity forever. We slow down. We divert. Boredom sets in. Whatever the circumstances might be... so within the last year, I've lost most of my diabetes followers. [Lost seems to be a recurring theme for me lately!] I closed my 'Betes Blog all together because I just couldn't keep up with both. You remember that... :D

Perhaps it's time to hook that wagon back up to the horse and get on. New gadgets help to increase motivation! Right now, I'm waiting on a new insulin pump and a new Continuous Glucose Monitoring Sensor. The pump is a bonus. The sensor is a replacement, because mine finally broke in July. Technically though, I'd gone on a break months earlier and had only been wearing the thing once in a while. Which is why my A1c was 6.7 this week. :P Yuck. I knew it was going to be higher than I wanted, but I suppose the fact that's it's under 7 is pretty good. I expected it to be over 7, possibly as high as 8.

I'm looking around at myself eating like I haven't since I was pregnant. Not over-eating, just eating all the carb happy foods instead of the foods that will be good for me and help me keep my sugars down without pumping unGodly amounts of insulin into my body. More insulin = more body fat. And that's a big booo for me. More fats and proteins = less insulin = more stable sugars. Time to change my grocery list...

Now the question is... do I hurry up and finish all that zuchini bread I made yesterday? Or do I jump on the wagon now and watch everyone else eat it. :(

:)

A1c -- What the heck does it mean?

Don't look away, writers. Your A1c is important to you, too! Especially if you are crossing into 40 or 50. If you've been sitting in front of your computer so long, you've put on a few extra pounds. A1c tells the doctors alot about how diabetic you've become [Type II].

I'm a Type I, Insulin Dependent Diabetic.
This pancreas ain't makin' no juice. Uh uh. No way, no how.
Even with some debate on the value of the A1c result, I like the look it gives me at how I'm doing.

A1c is a number, based on calculations, that represents our average blood glucose over three months.
Your average, non diabetic will have an A1c of about 5, with blood sugars that range from 70 to 110.

So let's look at the chart:
A1c = mg/dl
13 = 326
12 = 298
11 = 269
10 = 240
9  = 212
8  = 183
7  = 154
6  = 126

So when you go to the doctor and you have a 6.5 or a 7, and the doctor says, that's good or that's not bad. You can say, "No. I don't think so. That number puts me at about 140 mg/dl, on average. That's not going to work for me."

As usual, i'm not your doctor and there are circumstances in which you might lean on the side of caution. For example, young children who are not always as adept at identifying lows would want a sugar level that sticks as close to 6 or even 7 as possible. For sure, any changes in your care should be talked about with your doctor or caregiver. :D :D

Enjoy your weekend!
I'm looking forward to an extra day with my husband and kids, to sunny skies and relaxation.
Not to mention, I'll be writing.
With Love,
Bethanne