Hi everyone,

Went to my DN to get my latest blood results, HbA1c was 50 mmol/mol apparently not done in % any more, she said it was bringing it in line with the rest of the world.. all new to me, she did say that 50 was good thou..?

Renal and cholestrol results still good and my weight is holding at 74kg, prior to Xmas I might add..

Xmas shopping all done thank goodness,

Hope you all have a great happy Xmas, and to hell with the diet for at least one day..

Jude

Well done Jude, looking at my calculator 50mmol/mol = about 6.6, 48 is 6.5 and 53 is 7. When I went to my GP a couple of weeks ago he just told me that my HbA1c was 6.

Yep will be a "normal" eating day for me, will probably get the guilt's afterwards though.


MERRY CHRISTMAS and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hi Jude and Annie,

I can see where I am going to have to rely on the 'old' system, so don't don't lose your skill set on me. Looks like Canada has no intention of going to mmol's. And if we were to ever go to the American system..... well I may just have to give up testing!

Well, not REALLY !

Happy day, Gus

Good one Jude, i am sure that we all can have a day off on Christmas Day, with no recriminations.

Gus I will still use the old system, I have a converter 6 doesn't sound quite as bad as 42

Great numbers Jude...congrats....Happy Xmas and good eating (-)

Thanks Annie, I knew I could count on ya! I don't know why if it ain't broke you need to fix it......

Happy day, Gus

My thoughts exactly Gus

Hay ya all and belated Seasons Greetings !

My sister was dx with Type 2 3 weeks ago and blood sugar levels are still running daily between 24 and 26.

When I questioned her as to what her HbA1c result was, she didn't have a clue what I was talking about.

Why would her GP not have mentioned this ?

If her blood sugars are still at these levels tomorrow, she will have to start on insulin injections as oral meds have done NOTHING.

Camom, with your sisters levels running that high her Hba1c will also be very high, she needs to ask her GP what her blood results from the lab were, they do a whole list of tests, get her to ask for a copy. Constant BGL's that high will be causing her body damage which if not checked will be irreversible. Not meaning to frighten you.

Good luck to her.

Yes I know, Annie S and this is why I am so worried for her.

I just cant understand why she hasn't even been told about this test and what it means.

She was more than a little peeved I seemed to know more about her condition than she did !

Hi Camom, I have been thinking about your sister overnight and trying to think of what I can say that MIGHT help her. Not sure where she lives but most hospitals have a Diabetic clinic attached, has she ever had an appointment there? also she should keep a diary for a week on EVERYTHING she eats and take it to a nutritionist who specializes in diabetes. Does she belong to her local Diabetes society, they also could be of help to her. Has she had a retinal eye test? she is in danger of going blind with those high BGL's. As for food, portion control is very important, a serve is what fits in the palm of your hand, foods to avoid are potatoes, rice, pasta, white bread, she should be going for low carb/low GI foods.

If I think of anything else I will be back.

HTH

Happy New Year.

Edited to add, if her GP is not more forthcoming in how she should handle her condition and telling her more I would be changing Doctors, one who knows more about Diabetes

I agree 100% with Annie, she needs a jolt from denial into a plan of action. And she is NOT getting that from her doctor which I find puzzling. In general doctors are 'generalists', not specialists unless they truly specialize in some area. But it behooves me when there is more medical advice coming from you and this Board than she is getting from a 'doctor'.

I think we can also agree we were all in some level of denial at diagnosis, the difference comes when some people take action sooner than others. And those who tackle it head on are probably the long term winners, even if it means you sack your doctor and start fresh.

With that in mind, is there anything you can do to get her on here and at least get some 'street sense' in the absence of what appears to be professional sense?

We are here to help! Gus

Thanks Annie S and Gus.
Denail has been her biggest downfall here clearly. One does not get to this stage of Type 2 Diabetes overnight. What amazes me is that she has had retinal eye tests for years, and the optometrist has commented on her deteriorating eye sight for YEARS and she has never been sent on for referral. Her scripts have changed as often as 5 times in a year!!!!!!!......Her driving has been scary for a long, long time due to her poor eye sight, and when family has commented/asked whether she should be changing optometrists/not driving...Holy Cow..."Off with their heads !"

Her diet is now being strictly controlled and she hates it having been a foodie for years. At 5'2", she has gone from 80+kgs to 58kgs in the last 10 weeks, and is still losing.

My sister lives in Auckland, and has been referred to a Diabetic clinic next week, so that is a step in the right direction. Sister has always maintained that her medical care has been of superior quality living in Auckland, but in light of this, I really have to question her complacency that living in NZ's largest city gaurentees you quality medical care.

Another question for you all. How common is it for Type 2's to have to self inject insulin ?

Camom, a retinal eye test is a specialized test it is different to what your average optometrist does. I am surprised in light of what you say about her failing eyesight that her optometrist has not referred her for more specialized treatment, her doctor should also have referred her for a retinal test.

Your other question about insulin, I am not sure about the percentage of T2 using insulin but at a guess I would say it is not uncommon. I myself am on no medication, I have reasonably good control with an HbA1c of 6 and long may that continue.

Sadly after reading what you have written I think your sister has her head in the sand.

Lets just hope that she gets the jolt that she needs when she visits the Diabetes clinic next week.

I can only say Amen to what has already been posted here.

Happy New Year everyone, I survived Xmas... just

Well done- Happy New Years to you

Hi everyone

Had to work New Years Eve, but had the preferred day off New Years Day,start of a brand New Year, this Year it's the Year of the dragon, which I am.. better than Xmas Day for me, even thou I worked that day also..

Speaking of the 2 yearly retinal eye test, had that last week, all is well where the diabetes in concerned, I wear glasses for reading,but now seems that vision in my left eye isn't too good,probably due more to the aging effect..! and will have to get different glasses for long distance....or can I get one pair of glasses that do both ? I would hate to lose my drivers licence...!

Tomorrow it's my free hearing test, I have yet to find someone to check my feet...

If anything diabetes certainly makes you aware of all your body parts, and if they are all working as well as expected..or hoped..!

I will have to get back onto the dreaded rower again, I have a feeling that the weight has increased due to the festive season..

Hope you all have a great 2012, I intend to..

Jude