My latest results

[dodo]

Well, my latest results are not what I expected them to be! I have to be honest, they are not as good as I thought they would be. :mad:

My HbA1c is still 7.6 which is what it was in September and June. I thought I made great efforts in lowering my BGs, but it looks like I should work on it a lot more! My new doctor suggested me to write a food diary to see what I'm eating and how I should adjust. This is not easy for me to do but I will try!

My LDL cholesterol as increased a little (it was 3.50 and it is now 3.70) which is not bad for a normal person but can lead to complications for a diabetic. The doctor did not prescribe me a pill as I want to get pregnant and he suggested to speak to an endo about it. I should see one some time this spring.

Other results (for kidneys and TSH) stayed the same.

I'm determined to lowered these results and I'm seeking some advice on how to eat better...or how to adjust better!

[Kim_in_TN]

I'm sorry you didn't get the results you were hoping for! I know it can be very discouraging especially when you feel like you have made an effort! The only thing I can suggest is to be sure and test 2 hours after every meal you eat. That should give you an idea as to what foods are causing your BG to elevate!

Good luck and don't give up!

[JJM335]

Dominique:

Don't get too discouraged - 7.6 is by no means a disaster and I am sure that you can get it down. You just need the tools to do so (and about 6 months work). The key is test, test and test again. You should be planning to test 10+ times a day, in particular to work out when you are going high. This is often after meals, so you should always test at 2 h after eating.

If you have not already done so, buy and read "Using Insulin" by John Walsh and "Think Like a Pancreas" by Gary Scheiner. Both books are available from Amazon.com. They will help you understand how to use your test results to regulate your insulin and food.

You are taking NPH as your basal and you mention going to see an Endo - does that mean that your insulin choices were suggested by a GP? On MDI, the objective for your basal insulin is that it should give as flat a release of insulin into the bloodstream as possible. NPH is an old insulin and is notoriously peaky (the joke is that it stands for Not Particularly Helpful). The newer analog basal insulins (Lantus or Levemir) are much easier to use and most T1s use these rather than NPH. Both are touted as 24 hour insulins, but you will certainly find with Levemir and probably with Lantus you will need to dose 2 x daily.

For me the key to better control was to first get my basal set correctly. Then I was able to work out appropriate I:C ratios, correction factors etc. for bolus insulin.

This is all explained in the books I have recommended.

Joel

[xMenace]

For me the key to better control was to first get my basal set correctly. Then I was able to work out appropriate I:C ratios, correction factors etc. for bolus insulin.


That's the tried and true method.

You likely have gaps due to NPH where your sugars are higher. The middle of the night is a likely suspect. You are probably quite comfortable with NPH, but the newer ones do a much better job for many. Getting Down to Basals :: Diabetes Self-Management (http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/articles/Insulin/Getting_Down_to_Basals)

[kgm0612]

I've been in your shoes the last 6 months and am dreading my next endo appmt in 4 weeks. I'm learning to take things one day at a time. Some days I do very well, and other days I don't.

Don't beat yourself up........eventually things will work out!

Karen

[dinosaur]

dodo,

it's all a balance. i think we all need a boost sometimes and the reality check is the GP's and Endo's aren't the ones doing it. understanding your insulin/carb ratios is important but sometimes they can go out the window because morning ratios can differ to mid-day and night then add some stress and bingo.

for myself test 4 times a day. you control your life don't let diabetes control you. try to look at your result from outside the box for every mml you score above 7.6 you have to score the same in hours and amounts below 7.6 if your to improve that requires steady, constant work and all the mood swings that brings. my last 3 months i had a 7.8 up from 6.8 but hey the Holidays fell in the middle of that. there are some Endo's who know just how hard we have to work to achieve our best results the other are just endo's.

sometimes working out your diabetes you have to er on the sanity side i'm a great believer in the KISS principle and the IDDP (see link) where sometimes less is more. don't spend your day worrying about your next test result. work on it when it happens

Insulin Dependent Diabetes Trust (http://www.iddtinternational.org/)

hang in there (not that you have a choice hey!) [big grin here]