Carlye's 1st A1Cs [Archive]

CarlyesHope

07-13-2005, 12:55 PM

I have to post this quick before I fall asleep.. :sleep: ..

Carlye had her first visit to the Endo today since being diagnosed. She also had her first A1c - - - - - - - 5.8

Suprisingly, the doctor didn't like it, he said it was too low....I'm so confused I thought the lower the better, he said nope it means she getting too much insulin (at least i think that's what he said)

He said we are doing an excellent job controlling her diabetes, that her numbers are excellent with the exception of a about 9 lows (between 70 and 44) in the past 6 weeks.

Carlye big time argued :boxing: that she like the lows better than she liked the highs and was going to keep trying for lower vs higher numbers. the doc kept trying to explain why they are bad and she kept instisting the highs were worse - Ugh, she wouldn't let up, he finally said I would have to get it thru her at home, that it was very important that she understood that too many lows were bad. So I tried to discuss it on the way home, an the little snot said "what does he know, he doesn't have diabetes" "I know how I feel when I'm high, and I know how I feel when I'm low and I'd rather be low" :rolleyes: so now were home and she is not speaking to me - darn!! she said she read on here that all you guys had much lower lows and your all fine... I told her she needed to find the thread that had the scary stories in it and read all of those...can anyone point me to them? they were up around late March, because it was one of the first few things I had read and was so nervous about lows i though I wouldn't survive diabetes....

We asked for the pump, he said no, I argued and won, but his argument against were valid and now i'm not so sure - :dontknow: - Women....

I also asked about the sugar free stuff that I posted before, and you guys were right, she does not have to have sugar free stuff - except for pure sugars like syrup, honey, jelly - and boy is she excited... although now she thinks its free reign to eat tons of it and she was debating with the Dietitian about that too - - why much children argue, do they really think we know nothing??

So that's it, the quick and i'm sleepy version of Carlye's first Endo visit..

duck

07-13-2005, 01:05 PM

Okay, lows are not exactly "fine", though I do understand where Carlye is coming from when she says she prefers lows to highs. However, lows can kill you very fast...I bet if we took a survey here of the members who ended up in the ER because of diabetes, if it was because they were high or low, low would win by a long shot.

Okay, having said that, the A1c is great, the doc has to lighten up. Mine from two nights ago was 6.4, so maybe Carlye and I can compare notes on how to keep good A1c's without having additional lows. That's a tightrope to walk, but I think we can do it.

(someone smack me if I am too harsh about lows potentially being deadly)...

twocute64001

07-13-2005, 01:08 PM

QUICK HIRE A TEENAGER WHILE THEY KNOW EVERYTHING!!!

Lows are a problem if there are too many too close together. She risks diabetic shock and Seizures, but I do understand what she means about feeling better when low than when high.

When I am high I feel achey, like I have the flu, I want to sleep, my arms are weak and heavy, I can not consentrate or think properly.

Low, I am hypER, I want to keep moving, until I get real low, then I get hot and shakey and finally I get hungry, I have never had a really severe low (below 40) but do know convulsions, Seizures, and unconsiousness can happen.

I also know that I was taught that when high, we burn brain cells as well as if too high, we damage organs such as kidneys, liver and heart. I am not sure if low causes the same types damage, but am sure someone on this board will know.

Sorry mom, but Carlye is at the age that NO one can tell her anything. You might try diabetes camp where she can experience other teens with the same issues and learn from them. It helps a lot of kids cope.

HeatherP

07-13-2005, 02:18 PM

If Carlye weren't having lows then that A1c would be fine. Since she is having lows then she needs to raise it a bit. My docs don't want to see mine below 6% as a rule.

Not that I would suggest trying it, but I think that one good go-round of a low where she was incoherent, unable to communicate, and had seizures or passed out would probably cure her of the preference for them.

Lows are dangerous besides from the above paragraph because the brain uses glucose for energy. When there isn't enough sugar brain cells can die off. A low every now and again won't hurt, but having them on a regular basis will take it's toll on her cognitive abilities. I have also read some stuff on how lows can take a toll on the rest of the body as well, not just the brain.

I think a Diabetes camp of some sort is a great suggestion.

Cinnabon

07-13-2005, 03:02 PM

Nice job Carlye...

Oh boy don't I know about these lil people thinking they know it all! LOL
I'm glad you won the pump debate, I don't understand why a doctor would not allow you to have the pump for her :bird: , its like adding life for Carlye.

Congrats!~~~~~

am1977

07-13-2005, 03:22 PM

Well... first off congratulations! :rock: I think 5.8 is a really GOOD A1c (geesh, all these people with such great a1c's..guess I'm going to have to work even harder :wink: ). But I do agree :dito: that is she's having a lot of lows, you want to be careful . I think reducing her insulin doses just a little may be the way to go...besides, who wants to be on more insulin than you really need? :dontknow: Plus, remind Carlye that reducing her insulin doesn't mean that she will have hi after hi. It just means that she will probably have more "normal" readings instead of dropping low.

Great job again! :thumbsup:

Mick

07-13-2005, 05:24 PM

It took me a long time to accept the very real dangers of LOW blood sugars. Although an a1c of 5.8 sounds great, it generally comes with accompanying lows. Now I know that we are frightened of complications, which come from HIGHS, and so it would SEEM that "The lower the better", but this is an extremely faulty viewpoint. I'd like to submit for your examination a letter from a woman on another board I post to. It is a chilling reminder of the very real dangers of Carlye's attitude. Here it is:

"Hello. My name is Karen and I really need some help. I feel like I have been put out in a field with no one else around. i was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 10 years old (1971). I am now 44 years old and diabetes is no stranger to me. I have had very few complications. Don't get me wrong I have had a few. The big one was a heart attack in 2001. It was mild but it was a heart attack still the same. In October of 2001 I fell in my home (due to a low blood sugar) and separated my foot from my ankle (this story is one for later). to my now problem.

In February of 2003 I was in a car wreck (also due to a low sugar) and now have a spinal cord injury. I can't be the only diabetic in the world with a spinal cord injury. I know that there are a lot of Type 2's out there that became that way because of being in a wheelchair. I have been trying to find someone else that is also in my unique situation. I haven't been able to find anyone. I still have the same problems that are associated with the diabetes. I had to teach the nurses in my spinal cord rehabilitation hospital how to take care of me. They said that I knew more about the disease than they did. the fact of the matter was I knew more about MY diabetes than they did. I am paralyzed from just below my breast down. I basically do all the same things I did before. I just had to find new ways to do them. The only thing I don't do is drive. It is really hard to keep diabetes in check when you can't exercise.

I guess I just basically want someone to tell me how this situation has affected them and how they have learned to cope with things. My blood sugars are great and my last A1C was a 5.9. I don't mind talking to anyone about my situation or answering questions. I would like to hear from people and especially from someone who is also in my situation."

Need I comment further? I know that if I showed up with an a1c under 6, my endo would freak out. Rightfully so. It is not a safe place for us to live 24/7, both in terms of brain damage (including memory loss, learning difficulties, difficulty concentrating, etc.) and in terms of dangerous behaviors--I myself have had one car wreck, one fall down a flight of stairs, several wandering off and getting lost (in my own neighborhood...), and multiple bumps, bruises and lacerations from unawareness of my surroundings and uncoordination. It IS indeed a very very fine line we walk, that safe and healthy range between low and high. But always remember this: One high reading will do absolutely no harm. One low CAN kill you, or, as with Karen above, paralyze you for life. Don't forget that. Please...

Stay safe AND healthy,
* Michael

gettingby

07-13-2005, 05:25 PM

Eri's mom

07-13-2005, 06:35 PM

That's great ...the A1c...at least not high like Eri's last 9.6!!!
Eri's target range is 7%...the lows are very scary...I've seen Eri lost and confused, in shock, MANY seizures and semicomatose.(that's when she was 19)...I think the hardest thing for me w/ the seizures was when she was coming out of most of them...was when she would be able to focus on me, lying on her side, teeth gritted, and would have tears falling down her face saying "Mommy, please. make.it.stop.it.hurts.PLEASE!!!"...ugh...talk about heartwrenching. It was to the point where Elle or Wil would come out and say, "she's doing that shakey dance"...and that would be w/ her just sitting in her room doing homework, listening to music or on the computer or watching tv.
Lows are horrible...and she says the highs are worse, but believe me, she does NOT EVER want to go through a seizure...or shock...again.

CarlyesHope

07-13-2005, 08:53 PM

mg_2204

07-13-2005, 11:16 PM

... Now I'm all confused about what the best numbers should be for an A1C. If you could choose your numbers, what would you like them to be for an A1C? One doc said to me I want your A1C to be 5 before surgery... and my usual doc said whoa!! No way. Be PROUD of your 6.2. Enough to confuse my little brain here :eek:

Also confused about numbers of non-diabetic people. Aren't they LOW all the time??! Doesn't seem to affect their brain. Need more info on that.

On a very personal note, I hate lows. And I hate highs! Came back from work yesterday at 4.3 mmol/L (78 mg/dl) and almost crawled home. I walk to and from work you see. And I was so hungry! Highs make me feel sluggish and extremely moody, and also sleepy. Best levels for me to be at are between 6 and 7 mmol/L (110 - 127 mg/dl). Very hard to stay within that range at all times...

nantomsuethom

07-14-2005, 06:26 AM

i mean lows like 94,88,79 these arent bad or really low numbers

These are numbers I would love to see Thomas have (and an A1c of 5.8 - 6.0). If he starts to go below 95 he feels like he has to eat something! He prefers his bg to be around 130ish.
When he is below 70 his eyes start to blur and he gets very emotional and shakey.
Carlyes' dr. must think her A1c will go even lower if she starts pumping.

CarlyesHope

07-14-2005, 06:39 AM

In all honesty, I don't think Carlye has had that many lows, and I didn't think they were that low (with a few exceptions). The doctor told us that he doesn't want her below 70 because then her body would get used to it. once it got used to 70 it she wouldn't feel it, then she wouldn't feel 60's and so forth, pretty soon, if she kept up the lows, she would have little or no indication that she was in serious trouble - he wants to assure that she always feels a 70 a 60 a 50, and that I can understand.

Between July 16 and present day she has had the following lows:
June 17 Bedtime snack 67, bedtime 53
June 20 Lunch 67, Bedtime snack 63
June 22 Lunch 68
June 23 Lunch 70

July 2 Bedtime snack 63
July 3 dinner 66
July 5 Bedtime snack 44
July 6 Bedtime snack 62
July 7 Bedtime 63
July 8 Lunch 45
July 11 Diner 67
July 13 Bedtime snack 53 (after he changed the ratios)

the docs changed her correction from 50 to 60
Changed bfast from 15:1 to 20:1
changed dinner back to 15:1 from 12:1 - which they just changed mid june
and changed bedtime snack from 15:1 to 25:1

Carlye is right in the aspect, that I don't have it, I don't know how it feels, but I can't get her to understand just how dangerous the lows are, she was off the charts high for at least 3 weeks prior to diagnosis and she was just fine (not sleepy, not cranky) just hungry but she feels if she is too high she'll go into a coma..?

As far as the pump goes, because her control was so good, he wanted to keep her there for as long as possible, he said the reason for the pump is better control, then more freedom but first for better control and if she has great control right now, why mess with it. I basically gave him the argument that school was an issue, that she missed 10 minutes of this class and 10 minutes of that class before and after lunch because of testing and giving insulin, and then this caused stress because her grades went from a's to a-'s or b's and the teachers worried and wanted her to come in during lunch which caused more stress and then this in turn affected her numbers thus defeating the purpose so, a pump would aleviate the need to leave classes 10 minutes early. He finally conceeded, but doesn't like the idea of putting her on the pump, he thinks her control will not be as good.

Please give Carlye some more stories of lows, she needs to hear it from you guys that perhaps the lows aren't the way to be.

Kelly

duck

07-14-2005, 06:46 AM

I am so confuzed :confused: my mom is mad at me because, well i think she is because i would rather have lows then highs. You guys say u have had below 40 right? Well then compared to you 63,67, and 69 arent that bad right? And also my mom keeps saying "well thats them not u" well yah, so my lows may not affect me as bad as she thinks. I apperciate that when i am low she "treats me" and makes sure i am breathing at night but having a 88 or 67 low and then takin 1 less unit wont make me go even lower. And earlier when my mom said i like lows then highs i mean lows like 94,88,79 these arent bad or really low numbers.Anyway if u guys have some more High and Low horror stories or advice I would love to hear it!!
Laugh All Day!!
Carlye

:marchmell

I need to make sure you understand that we aren't bragging about lows, we're discussing that we've had them and kinda laff at them, much in the same way we laugh at other scary occurences in life. In all honesty they are not "good" things. My endo tried to scare me off the pump with a story about a lady who started a pump, and she hadn't dialed in her basal rates yet and decided one afternoon she was tired and took a nap...Her husband didn't think anything of it until hours later when he couldn't revive her. According to the endo, the paramedics revived her but she had been low so long she had mild brain damage (finger prick from the paramedics showed 40's) and from what they can tell, she was in the 40's for almost six hours...

Do I completely believe that story? Not 100%, but I know for a fact that when I am low for a long (couple hours) time, I get pretty weird. It's not too much of a stretch in my mind that a little lower and a little longer could cause damage, especially since all our brains feed off of is Oxygen and glucose--deprive your brain of Oxygen and you're in deep doo-doo.

So, whereas I agree with you that being low is "better" feeling than being high, it is dangerous. You'll be driving soon, and if you drive when you are low you are a danger to yourself and others, and as far as I am concerned should be locked up. Also, being low impairs your judgment and I can see why your mom would worry--I'd worry too, and I know what you're going through. There's a happy medium that we need to establish, and that's the hard part Carlye.

Personally, I think you and your mom are doing a fabulous job--you should have seen me four months into this thing--I was an idiot and I can't believe I am not dead. And your mom is going to worry because she cares--I'll venture a guess that you are the most important thing in the world to her, which can be both a blessing and a burden to you. :dong: Hang in there, for a four-month old diabetic you are doing really well, let's just try and find that "happy medium" sooner than later!

:thrasher:

duck

07-14-2005, 06:47 AM

Kelly/Carlye,

You can go into a coma from being too low as well. This disease is a ball of joy, no?

nantomsuethom

07-14-2005, 06:52 AM

[QUOTE=
Between July 16 and present day she has had the following lows:
June 17 Bedtime snack 67, bedtime 53
June 20 Lunch 67, Bedtime snack 63
June 22 Lunch 68
June 23 Lunch 70

July 2 Bedtime snack 63
July 3 dinner 66
July 5 Bedtime snack 44
July 6 Bedtime snack 62
July 7 Bedtime 63
July 8 Lunch 45
July 11 Diner 67
July 13 Bedtime snack 53 (after he changed the ratios)

Wow, these are pretty low. 80's and 90's I like, 40's and 50's scare me! The only reason Thomas likes these bg is so that he can have a snack! :eating:

ksa01

07-14-2005, 07:16 AM

The lows scare me much more than the highs. The way I see it--neither is good, but the lows are much more likely to cause you serious harm and injury, coma, or even death than the highs. Once your low, it doesn't take long for you bs to go even lower and possible to the point that you can't treat yourself. Sure, being high causes problems but you have to be consistently high for more than just a few hours for the highs to start doing the damage and really high (I don't know a number but I would guess 400+) before coma is even an issue. To be safe, I would err on the side of being high rather than risk an uncontrollable low.

I think you should be careful about trying to achieve an A1c below 6 like some of us have been able to do. I was told that the goals for pre-meal bs, post-meal bs, and A1c were different, a bit higher, for children with Type 1 than they are for adults with type 1. The goals for children are higher because you are much more likely to experience dramatic changes in your bs because of hormonal changes as well as different activity levels than adults. You are more likely to suddenly go low because of this. The goal is to achieve an acceptable A1c without having lows or high---consistent numbers in your goal range. This takes time to achieve, but can be done.

In the meantime, keep an open mind when it comes to your doctor's and mother's advice. Sure, they don't experience what you do, but they do have your best interest at heart. And remember--you are still new to this too and there is still a lot to learn. In fact, you never stop learning.

Dewey

07-14-2005, 07:16 AM

Ok, I hope this is not taken the wrong way, but a few things need to be considered here:

1. The doctor should take into Consideration that Carlye may still be in a "honeymoon period," which could cause lower A1cs. I agree with Duck that the endo should lighten up some. I mean after all, we have Diabetes, and even "normal" (what is that, anyway? ;)) people aren't "perfect!"

2. Like the others said, having lows too close together can cause problems like loss of sensing that a low is present or coming on, and too much of anything is bad. However, I understand Carlye's feelings on the doctor not having "first hand physical knowledge" of the disease he's been taught to treat. I've felt that way too, at times. It doesn't justify lows, though.

3. What may work for one person may not work for another. From my understanding, Cin (gettingby) has had higher A1Cs, but has experienced many normal numbers with some lows, whereas I've had numbers that averaged in the 150s, (with more higher #s and few lows) and had a lower A1C.....go figure (:confused: ). Apologies Cin, if I made any errors. However, A1C results of one person cannot and should not be gauged by others.

4. If you want scary stories, here's three:

One time, my blood went so low (15), that I was zoned out. I was at work, and they had to wheel me to their emergency office. Luckily, I was ok, but it could have caused severe issues, or cost me my life if no one came to my aid. Additionally, I had a mini TIA (actually 2 in my life - TIAs are like mini strokes). My blood sugars at those times were in the 20s and 30s, approximately. It was at those times that I didn't feel them coming on, due to having so many lows. In one incident, the only person I allowed to come near me was my niece. I was so "messed up" I literally broke the bowl of oatmeal in two by punching it. When the paramedics arrived and asked my name, I could remember it, but couldn't say it. My cognitive functions were way "jacked." In the next incident, I was shipped off to the hospital (about 20 minutes from my home), and when I arrived, they asked me who my doctor was. When I said his name, the ER docs couldn't understand me. Since my left side was paralyzed, I had to write his name with my right hand. None of these are "pretty" incidents. I know I said "what may work for one....", but losing sensation of low sugars is something that can happen to Anyone with Diabetes.

Please know that it may be different for each person, but All aspects need to be considered. I sure hope this helps some.... :shakehand

Mick

07-14-2005, 08:42 AM

The doctor told us that he doesn't want her below 70 because then her body would get used to it. once it got used to 70 it she wouldn't feel it, then she wouldn't feel 60's and so forth, pretty soon, if she kept up the lows, she would have little or no indication that she was in serious trouble - he wants to assure that she always feels a 70 a 60 a 50
Kelly--this dangerous cycle of "Hypoglycemic Unawareness", which your doctor described, is indeed exactly what happens. We get used to 70, and don't feel 60. then we get used to 60 and don't feel 50. By the time 40 escapes our notice, it's too late--we get like a Zombie--we may be walking about, talking, appearing to do things, but in fact we are barely conscious. Kinda like sleepwalking, but worse. Our brains are stuck in molassas, our reasoning and focus are shot, our time sense is weird, and other sense perceptions go haywire. The worst part of it can be that we know something is wrong (sort of), but are SO out of it that we're not sure what or why. Once that confusion and disassociated mental state occurs, anything can happen. I know diabetics who have driven for miles down the wrong side of the highway without any knowledge of what they were doing--yet they did drive. I have had lengthy conversations while very low--and the people said I was engaged, animated and responsive--but made no sense whatsoever. We may get argumentitive, angry, some diabetics burst into tears in the 40s, some turn into statues. Some turn into raving maniacs. Our symptoms and internal experiences change from time to time. We are a danger to ourselves and to others when we are below 50. Which means we should seldom if ever be IN the 50s. The 60's should scare the living daylights out of all of us--because it's too close to that danger zone.

And, no, non-diabetics do not test low. 75-125 is about their range, except for pregnant women, who will sometimes run into the 50s and 60s. Their A1c ranges in the 5% area result from consistantly never being above 100. For us to do that, we need to average our 100-170 readings (admit it--we all get there often!) with readings MUCH lower. Even if we are not catching these lower readings (remember--we're not testing 24 hrs/day!), if we have an A1c in the 5's, we MUST be experiencing lows that we are not catching. At least that's what the math tells us...

This is serious long-term stuff. an A1c of 6 is perfect. Aim for that and stay safe.

Michael

twocute64001

07-14-2005, 08:53 AM

When I decided I wanted a pump back in the 90's I had to contact mini med who sent me a list of doctors who would approve a pump. I had seen an endo who would not even consider a pump and refused to discuss it. I was also not real happy with this endo for other reasons so changing was not a problem.

If you are comfortable with her endo, maybe you could ask him to recommend a diabetes education program for both of you. Most major hospitals have one, usually taught by a CDE. Before I started my first pump I got hubby to agree to go to a class with me, even though I have been diabetic since age 7. It was time that my husband who is a doctor himself (shrink) learn about this condition, the parts not taught in med school. Diabetes camp and CDE education classes are very helpful. Also magizine subscriptions for diabetic kids help, It is easier when this condition is shared by someone her own age.

I do understand what your endo means about being sensitive to lows, I use to be able to tell if I was at 80, but now until I hit in the 40’s I have no symptoms. I have lost the ability to “feel” lows. I had even asked about that on this forum a while back because I was not aware this could happen. It has happened to me just in this past year, and since I also lost my thyroid this year was unsure if that may have affected it.

Now what I did not mention in my previous post (as I remember none of this but my mom did) was that at 14 my parents found me unconscious one night, I had begun to swell and my thin body had more than doubled in size. No one could wake me. This was the one and only REAL serious complication we had dealt with so my folks panicked.

I regained consciousness a 9 days later, my kidneys had failed, I had congestive heart failure, and my internal organs began to shut down.

I remember none of this, I have no idea what happened in fact for several days prior to passing out. I just know that when I came out of it I was in ICU with tubes and machines everywhere. At 14 that was terrifying. I remember the pain from a spinal tap, I remember the fear in my moms eyes. I remember how worn and tired and old my dads face looked.

No one has ever been able to tell me how low I was that day, but its not something I would want to go through again. and as I said - I have no memory of that time period. Those brain cells are gone, they will not come back

I learned then how dangerous this can be, as far as I know I have not allowed myself to go low very often since. But again my first year in college - away from home - I went nuts and ate everything I had not been allowed all my life. I went away to school in the first week of Sept and on December 5th my parents were called that I was in the hospital in a diabetic coma. My blood sugars were in the 1800s range and I was dying.

This cost me my sight for a while and lazar surgery to repair it, it cost me a kidney and the loss of my freedom as my parents made me move back home. Pizza, cokes and candy bars were not worth the price that I still pay for the damage I did.

So Carlye, realize this, highs and lows are both dangerous, both can kill you and whether or not you want to face facts, you are not invincible. While I agree your lows are “not that bad” if you get to the point you mo longer “feel” low, you could end up in major trouble. While I do not have a lot of lows and do not “feel” the lows I do have until they are real low – (40’s) it worries me that someday I may not “feel” lows at all. Then where will I be?

Starlight

07-14-2005, 09:13 AM

I have to admit my BGLs arent all that good. I do have my highs- at least one a day normally a 216. But it isnt all day, just for a period of 1-2 hours sometimes more. Just because i've eaten a little too much, then it finally levels again.The other day i have a "perfect" day- all bgls in the 90s. That was great, and i felt even more great. I had a low, but it was understandable. Im scared that these constant highs everyday will cause some effect...i also have a low practically every day. Its frustrating, but i still can sense my lows coming on, sometimes even when im between 72-108.
With these bad bgls, im getting HbAIc's bettween 6.0-7.0.% Strange, strange. Tell carly to take control now, and not let it ruin her in the future- would she rather a whole lot of lollies and some kidney damage in the future or a whole lot of lollies when hopefully sometime in the future a cure comes?

CarlyesHope

07-14-2005, 12:22 PM

This disease is a ball of joy, no?

Its like heaven!
:dancing:

HeatherP

07-15-2005, 03:33 PM

I'm not sure if this is still on topic, but I had a brush w/ a nasty hypo this morning and it reminded me of something else: what it's like for your friends and family members to watch you have a bad low. My husband was on his way home already, but he had that terrified look on his face when he got there. During a "regular" low we are usually able to drink some juice or eat candy, whatever, and we're fine again shortly. But if the low goes too far and you are unable to help yourself, just think about how horrible it is for your loved ones, that aside from calling 911 or injecting glucagon, to just sit by, completely helpless to stop what's happening. The first time it happened to me, my husband said he saw death in my eyes. I was completely blank and it scared the holy **** out of him. I kind of feel worse for him in a way, to have scared him like that. Having regular lows can make you less able to detect them earlier, and result in some bad episodes. Please think of your family's feelings as well.

Carlye, you're a mature young lady, and this is your body and the daily decisions rest in your hands. It's unfair that you have developed this disease. You've only had it for a short while though, many of us have had it for more than a decade and have experienced things that you have not. Obviously striving to maintain numbers in a good range is best, not too high and not too low, but nobody's perfect and sometimes no matter what the blood sugar shoots up or drops too low. Avoiding lows should be just as important as avoiding highs. And look at it this way; when your b/s is high, generally you have some time to get it down w/ extra insulin. Lows can hit you out of nowhere - boom! No time to to treat it before the ground flies up and hits you in the head.

Please take care of yourself!

HeatherP

07-15-2005, 10:48 PM

P.S. and now I shall spend the next 48-72 hours in a perverse game of injecting insulin in hopes of keeping my sugars "normal" and overeating because I'm afraid they'll drop again unexpectedly. :willy:

KickStart101

07-17-2005, 05:50 AM

Hi Carlye and Kelly: We didn't have A1c's or meters for that matter
when I was a Kid so I'm not sure what a child's test should be in numbers.
Well, I think that's a fine A1c ya got there(Shhhh), but your Doc seems to
be very knowledgeable and cares about ya so if he says it's a bit too low
why not make him a bit happier with a bit higher A1c? ( Is he good-looking? :) )OOPS sorry, off topic....hmmm...that means that you get to eat
a bit more of something that ya like. That's actually a Good Deal for you.
IMHO I think for adults A1c's can be safe from 5.6 to 6.9. People have their own special level of tolerance to sugar.
Well, we sure don't want nothing bad to happen to ya Carlye. As already mentioned too many too lows can damage your brain cells, etc. and can
cause death. Talk about a horror show. I've had tons of bad lows since I was little...and I have to admit my brain ain't like it used to be(of course it's
partly old age also :1eye: ). Two excessive lows spring to mind which I've
already mentioned before. 1. At age 17 I went to Nursing College(Mom's idea), tons of studying, many tests. I was getting Great marks, but I was
studying more than I was eating. 3 1/2 mths. into it I collapsed in the hallway at College. I woke up way later that day in the Hospital(one whopping headache). The next day the head of the College said I would have to come back next semester when my Diabetes was under control. I
never did go back. I ended up as a secretary in the government.
2. I was over-dosed by Nurses 3 times on 3 different occasions while in the
hospital. The 3rd was the worst. I was 1.5 and the Nurse gave me my normal Day time Insulin, said, " breakfast is here" (so she claimed in the report I read) and left. Well, I was unconsious when she came in, didn't know she had tested me, I awoke for about 4 seconds to see her give my shot and passed out, not knowing I was low. My Spirit left my body and I was out for sometime. Someone up there said something to me and I floated back down into my body. Later I awoke for an instant with a room full of people and a severe pain in my chest, felt like someone had ripped my heart out,(that was the paddles) and passed out again. Anyways, lost many memories, had to relearn some but some never came back. So please please Carlye, don't be trying for lower A1c's, a low can strike like lightening and put you out permanently. That would hurt alot of people also. If this Doc says 6.0, then you will be safe at that then you can have many many years of arguing with your Mom. :D On occasion, I still say my Mom is wrong and she still says I am wrong on certain topics...hmmm...now that I think of it MOST topics. :1eye: Take Care Hun...

soremom

07-17-2005, 08:01 PM

Carlye, because I was trying to achieve as tight control as possible, I caused myself to lose the feeling of going low. It was very hard to stop doing that because I didn't want my A1C and my bg numbers going up. I have two sons I want to be around for and keeping thinking I am doing this to be around for them.

After seeing what it was doing to my 14, 13 at the time, to call 911 for me and then dealing with his 4 yr old brother, 2 and 3 at the time, was hard and made me think. What made me think more was nearly killing my youngest and myself because of a low. I turned the car off with the windows up in the middle of July. I know when I left day care and when I was found, an hour had passed, but no one knows howl long we were in the car. The paramedics said we each had probably another 15 minutes or so. I realized that I was actually hurting my family with trying to keep such tight control.

I had been on the pump before and had gone off, different story. I decide to go back on to keep the tight control but keep my numbers consistant. It has helped. I can feel the lows coming on and able to treat them. I have been back on it for over a year and have only 1 low that I needed help and that was because I over did it. It got up all at once. This may be a reason to state to your doctor about the pump. To keep the nice A1C but keep everything on an even scale. I just how doctors say you can't have a pump till you have better control or you have good enough control a pump wouldn't be good for you. I think anyone who wants one to achieve good control should get one. To me this is not the doctors call but the person who will be using it.

Kim

daddyo

07-18-2005, 09:20 AM

Carlye the A1c is good , but I think a bit low. I have had several lows and they are the worst thing ever. I have wrecked a truck and did harm to the person I hit. She and I have to live with this for rest of our Lives, Not good. now my lows are so servere that I don't feel them coming on and can not treat them on my own. I will wake up paralyised and unable to move, I have to lay there and wait for someone to find me, sometimes it takes hours, and I wonder if I'll make it, By the grace of GOD I have made it so far. The other day My daughter had developed Pancreatitis, and I was trying to care for her, I woke up in another low and could not move It toke hours to get someone to my house to bring me back, but my biggest worry was my daughter that I could not ck on or care for. Not knowing if she needed somthing or not. Now when I get these lows it will take up to three days to recover from them and the pain in my arms and legs is terrible, so listen to the doc and yes even your mother they just care, And it seems you have alot of people here that care about you also. Keep up the good work and eat a little more, or take a little less insulin, you will find that between 100 and 130 are realy good numbers but very hard to maintain. Hang in there and hey let's be safe out there :wavey: