Saturday, May 9, 2009

The proof is in the pudding (sugar free,that is)

I had my first visit with my endocrinologist since my surgery.  I met with her a few days before my liquid diet began, so we could discuss changes in my diabetes medications.  It's been about 6 weeks since then and here are how things have changed:

Weight:  from 240 to 229 (lost 21 lbs, currently I am 225.6)
Blood pressure:  from average of 135/80 to 111/61
Resting pulse:  from average of about 85 to 76
HbA1ac (3 month glucose reading) from 8.7 to 7.8

An HbA1c reading of 8.7 equates to an average plasma blood glucose level of 232 mg/dL.  I have dropped my daily average to 200 mg/dL, with my new level of 7.8.  Also, there are 3 month old red blood cells hanging out in my system, which impact the reading.  Once another few months pass, I expect my values to drop even lower.  My ultimate goal is to be between 5 and 6 for my HbA1c (100 to 135 mg/dL). Since I was diagnosed, the level has never been below 7.6. 

Here's a really nice HbA1c calculator, if you're interested. It converts HbA1c to average plasma blood glucose levels, which are the numbers you see on your blood sugar meter.

I am very proud of the reduction in my HbA1c!!! I'm such a science nerd that these kind of numbers really get me excited.  And of course, these numbers also mean I'm getting healthier.  Dr. Bao was quite excited too--she was all smiles as she reviewed my blood sugar readings.  

Since surgery I've been diligently tracking 4+ times a day.  She did say I could drop that back some.  But I find I am more accountable if I document. Skipping one reading, for me, leads to skipping the next. Not writing my food down leads to forgetting what I have eaten and almost gives me permission to do whatever.  So maybe I'll stick to my pre-meal readings only, so I know what dosage of insulin I need (if any!!).  But I'll still track.

I expect my journaling to be a big help and reminder to me when I hit that first really big stall. A reminder of how things are really changing, even if the scale isn't.  Works for me!

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