What is your Hemoglobin a1c level at?

[Tobra]

It depends on which endocrinologist you ask, maybe a gerontologist.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by 2porscheguy

Hey, good for you!

How old are you and what does your diet mainly consist of? What is your exercise regimen?

Sorry, not being nosy...well maybe I am .....just seeing where I'm at in all of this!

He is a rabbit...if you eat rabbit food you are a rabbit.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by 2porscheguy

Interesting....I've only read that above 6.5 you're considered to be diabetic at any age. What would be the "normal" range for a 58.5 year old?

Anything over 6.0 and you are it. In the old days it was 6.5...

[Chocaholic]

5.9% here. Age 60. On the edge. Cutting back on sweets...which ain’t easy (see my username to the left).

[Tobra]

Switch to dark chocolate, it is almost invariably better anyway.

Better examination to see where you are is glucose tolerance test

[2porscheguy]

That's my next test .....to be administered in 2-3 weeks.

Diabetics...can you recommend a blood test kit? I'm contemplating checking myself periodically.

[jhynesrockmtn]

Originally Posted by 2porscheguy

That's my next test .....to be administered in 2-3 weeks.

Diabetics...can you recommend a blood test kit? I'm contemplating checking myself periodically.

The finger stick BG meter kits are fairly cheap and all do the same thing. Mine is a OneTouch but it can change based on what my insurance is allowing. I self pay for a CGM system that helps me monitor things better. Anything on Amazon or your local pharmacy will do the trick for periodically sticking yourself to see where you are.

[Tobra]

The test strips are where they get you. They give away the machines.

[Ronbo]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

5.9% here. Age 60. On the edge. Cutting back on sweets...which ain’t easy (see my username to the left).

Trader Joe's sells "no sugar added" chocolate bars. I'm diabetic and use these to get my chocolate fix.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[brainz01]

The glycemic index of the Standard American Diet is very high. Processed foods, sugars, grains, and starches are everywhere and will spike your blood glucose and greatly increase your odds of developing obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and dementia.

I'm almost 47. Just got a physical and blood work last week: Current A1c is 5.0, down from mid/upper 5s several years ago.

What changed for me? I went "Paleo" as a mid-life crisis experiment about 3 years ago. I read "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolff, but for you I might suggest "The Diabetes Code" by Jason Fung. Both are science based, easy to read, and highly rated. What both books will advocate is reducing glycemic carbohydrate intake, not all carbs - - fiber rich, non-starchy veggies are highly recommended.

OP, with your level of physical activity, I reckon a simple change of diet would result in an easy loss of 10lbs and drop your A1c to low 5s over time. I've got many friends and colleagues that are happy converts (most having lost between 10 and 50lbs). It's worked for every person I know that's tried it in earnest and stuck to a low carb diet. The first week is the hardest.

Good luck and good health!

[Tobra]

There is an implanted device that you just wave a little scanner over and it gives you an instantaneous reading, which would be nice.

[jhynesrockmtn]

Abbot libre scanable CGM. The reader is about $90, the sensors are about $45 each at Costco and last 14 days. I pay out of pocket as insurance won't cover it.

[Tidybuoy]

My A1C was way too high at 10.2. I've only had the test done once and my next quarterly test is scheduled for the first week of April '19.

Went for a physical and to have a sore on my leg checked out. My fasting blood glucose was 360 and the doctor immediately put me on Metformin. My A1C test was done with only being on Metformin for 1 month so I'm hoping it is quite a bit lower on the next test. I've been testing my blood sugar 2-3 times a day since being on the Metformin and it has dropped to 130-175 range. My first week of testing was at 250+.

Dr. said my leg sore was a consequence of the diabetes as poor wound healing is common. The initial sore was caused by a spider bite that would not heal and after 3 months it started growing. It has finally healed.

Just FYI, my diabetes symptoms were excessive thirst and constant peeing. I thought I just liked water as I was drinking about 1.5 gallons a day. I thought I was being good about getting my water intake up. As a consequence, I was peeing all day and night. I wouldn't shop around a store without first using the restroom because I knew an emergency would be coming.

My problem now is that I don't consume enough water. My excessive thirst has gone away since being on Metformin.

Dr. sent me to a nutritionist and I think her best advice was to increase my vegetables. She told me to get 4 servings a day (each serving should be 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked). Plus she recommended 1 serving of fruit per day. I've been trying to keep up on that advice which can't be bad. She wants carbs to be reduced to 38 per day. I'm mostly doing ok with that but have cheated a few times over the last few months.

[jhynesrockmtn]

Originally Posted by Tidybuoy

My A1C was way too high at 10.2. I've only had the test done once and my next quarterly test is scheduled for the first week of April '19.

Went for a physical and to have a sore on my leg checked out. My fasting blood glucose was 360 and the doctor immediately put me on Metformin. My A1C test was done with only being on Metformin for 1 month so I'm hoping it is quite a bit lower on the next test. I've been testing my blood sugar 2-3 times a day since being on the Metformin and it has dropped to 130-175 range. My first week of testing was at 250+.

Dr. said my leg sore was a consequence of the diabetes as poor wound healing is common. The initial sore was caused by a spider bite that would not heal and after 3 months it started growing. It has finally healed.

Just FYI, my diabetes symptoms were excessive thirst and constant peeing. I thought I just liked water as I was drinking about 1.5 gallons a day. I thought I was being good about getting my water intake up. As a consequence, I was peeing all day and night. I wouldn't shop around a store without first using the restroom because I knew an emergency would be coming.

My problem now is that I don't consume enough water. My excessive thirst has gone away since being on Metformin.

Dr. sent me to a nutritionist and I think her best advice was to increase my vegetables. She told me to get 4 servings a day (each serving should be 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked). Plus she recommended 1 serving of fruit per day. I've been trying to keep up on that advice which can't be bad. She wants carbs to be reduced to 38 per day. I'm mostly doing ok with that but have cheated a few times over the last few months.

I would see an endo if you haven't and make sure you get your antibody tests done. I am a LADA, late onset autoimmune diabetes. Has to be confirmed with some additional testing. Some refer to it as Type 1.5. I've been on insulin since being diagnosed and my a1c went from 11.3 to 6.5 in 6 months, to 5.9 in another 3. I was put on insulin right away. A lot of GP's don't know what it is and will diagnose and treat as a type II instead.

[Instrument 41]

I've been a Type 1 Diabetic for 29 years. On the Blood Monitors, you best bet is to get one from Walmart. They have the cheapest strips out there. I have a meter in the house and one in each car. I test 10 to 15 times a day. I have gone blind in both eyes and only one has been corrected, the other is out.
When it comes to diabetes, think of it like this. Remember the Tasmanian Devil from the good cartoon days. Well, when the A1C is above 140 its as if that little fella is storming around inside of you affecting every part of you internals. You dont feel the effects for a while but when you do it can be bad. Kidneys can go bad, and you never feel it, but when you do feel it, dialysis.
DO NOT F--K around with this guys. If its slightly elevated, the A1C, get it down.
I am currently on an insulin pump and prior to the pump I was a 14.7 and years later I run any where from a 6.5 to 7.2.
When it comes to this disease what might cause my glucose levels to increase may not in you and vice versa. For me, other than eating what I shouldn't, stress and lack of sleep get me. I get be spot on with my diet but if those 2 things are present I can run in the upper 200's for days. The point is, just when you think you have it leveled out something comes along and throws everything crazy, then that Tasmanian devil is hard at work.

[2porscheguy]

Originally Posted by brainz01

The glycemic index of the Standard American Diet is very high. Processed foods, sugars, grains, and starches are everywhere and will spike your blood glucose and greatly increase your odds of developing obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and dementia.

I'm almost 47. Just got a physical and blood work last week: Current A1c is 5.0, down from mid/upper 5s several years ago.

What changed for me? I went "Paleo" as a mid-life crisis experiment about 3 years ago. I read "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolff, but for you I might suggest "The Diabetes Code" by Jason Fung. Both are science based, easy to read, and highly rated. What both books will advocate is reducing glycemic carbohydrate intake, not all carbs - - fiber rich, non-starchy veggies are highly recommended.

OP, with your level of physical activity, I reckon a simple change of diet would result in an easy loss of 10lbs and drop your A1c to low 5s over time. I've got many friends and colleagues that are happy converts (most having lost between 10 and 50lbs). It's worked for every person I know that's tried it in earnest and stuck to a low carb diet. The first week is the hardest.

Good luck and good health!

Brainz, that's what I've been doing.

So far, 2 weeks in I've lost about 4 lbs! I'm aiming for about 168 Lbs @ 5'11".

[techweenie]

5.9

I've taken nutrition classes and they say fat is a larger contributor to A1c than sugar. All I know is that changing diet did not change my A1c number. I've been tracking aroung 5.9 for 5 years.

[Jandrews]

Question....so is everyone who is posting their A1C levels in this thread a diabetic?

Also, when your blood sugar ends up elevated, how long does it take for that to happen? In other words, for a person with a "normal" blood sugar level, of say 82, can they wake up one day and have it be 130?

Lastly, best wishes to all who suffer from this. It sounds like a real life challenge, and I am impressed with the fortitude and strength demonstrated and communicated by all here.

JA

[RKDinOKC]

Went for 15 year managing by my own and my Mother with Alzheimer's blood sugar with diet and exercise so neither needed any medication. 7 years ago my life changed. Stepped on a nail, thru my boots, and it gave me a MRSA infection. MRSA is penicillin resistant.

Despite washing and putting triple antibiotic on the small puncture in the ball of my foot, it started turning black and smelled worse than a dead. Within 3 days went to the hospital and they immediately did surgery to remove the dead tissue from my foot. Within 3 days of being in the hospital was told I had MRSA and it had gotten in my blood. That is when they also started giving me insulin. I was surprised as I had been doing well managing with diet and exercise, 5.5.

After the 6th day in the hospital the infectious diseases doctor told me they couldn't find anything to stop the MRSA and to get my affairs in order. Went thru 2 more surgeries removing flesh from my foot including the little piggy that got none. It totaled about 1/3 of my foot.

Finally on the 14th day the infectious diseases doc came in and sat with me for a couple of hours. We talked and he watched some of the olympics with me. They had found something that stopped the MRSA! I was lucky to be alive. Started talking about removing my leg below the knee.

After a couple of days they talked about just losing my foot. Then they started with this new powder stuff that worked like stem cells (I was the first in the state to use it). It grew back the cells it was put on. My foot started growing back. Then they talked about just losing my little toe. Then I ended up keeping it was well. It took 8 months and a couple of final skin grafts to get back on my feet. Had to stay reclined with my foot above my heart for 8 months except going to the doc, and bathroom.

That was when my doc started working on my blood sugar. After the foot was healed and taking insulin my AIC was 8. Worked and got it down to 6.5 and about 6 months.

However, I also had horrible infections from all the heavy duty antibiotics they gave me. At one point the MRSA tried to come back. I got horrible yeast infections as well.

Not long after getting out of the hospital I started with other complications as well. First was my stomach and guts. I live on taking immodium and I was taking pain killers that should have constipated me. Then I started getting diabetic sores on my legs. That is where the blood vessel walls get weak, and leak and pop making a bloody sore. My dermatologist found something that stopped it, but was only after she approached it as something caused by the MRSA instead of the diabetic sores. I also have increasingly worse neuropathy starting with my feet after healing had feels like I am wearing knee socks now.Iit has started with my hands as well. I can no longer cross my fingers or make the Vulcan live long and prosper with my right hand.

Within a year of my foot healing and I was just starting to get around again I started having the same problem with my retinas as my legs. The blood vessels weakening, swelling and popping. They call that Retinopathy. Was VERY lucky to get in on a drug study and was paid $25 a visit for treating which included a shot in the eyeball. The shot toughened up the blood vessels and stopped the bleeding. They also lasered like 3000 spots on my retinas to carterize the bleeding. And had two surgeries victrectomies where they remove the jelly in your eyes that has blood in it (floaters, lots of them). My vision went from 20/25 before gradually to 20/80 with glasses over a year before it started reversing. Also caused cataracts that were done after all the swelling a bleeding was completely stopped. Just this fall, 5 years after it started I am back to 20/25.

All my doctors tell me my diabetes is not react normally because of the MRSA. My liver, Kidneys, and cholesterol is all tip top with no problems. However I have had a TMA mini stroke they could not really find a cause for. Blood flow related, but not anything they could pinpoint.

Keep my A1C between 6 and 6.7 for all that helps.

[Evans, Marv]

Damn! Glad you're still with us. It's amazing what some people can power through.