Fasting BG 2021

[skb]

I still keep a daily log of what I eat and my bg readings out of habit and since it is a daily journal I am reminded what day it is but without that I would certainly forget.

That's something I did for over 10 years and need to start again. I'm thinking that I will restart on 01.01.2022

[Grammabear]

112 this morning.

I spent considerable time yesterday trying to figure out why my insulin pump refused to accept a charge when plugged into the wall outlet using an adapter.  Finally decided to call Tandem and trouble shoot with them.  End result of that call is a 'new'(refurbished) pump to be shipped to me next Tuesday. 

[walkerwally1]

It is easy to forget what day of the week it is when you retire and every day is the same.  I still keep a daily log of what I eat and my bg readings out of habit and since it is a daily journal I am reminded what day it is but without that I would certainly forget.

I was wondering how you manage your eating habit to get an A1C of 5% which I think is awesome.  I've never had one that low.  Lowest I ever got was 5.9% and that was an isolated instance.  I think if I was dedicated enough to keep a food diary, maybe my numbers would be better too.  Good for you Wally.

When I first started to manage my diabetes after following doctors advice for years one of the things I did was to start a food diary to learn where the carbs were.  I kept close track of the macros, carbs, protein and fat and measured carefully to know pretty close what I took in and how I reacted to it.  After over 10 years I have developed a pretty good idea of what to expect from what I eat and I follow a fairly consistent diet from day to day.  I test at least 4 times a day to know where I am and that can determine what I eat and whether I can have more or less carbs.  The food diary is pretty much habit but it does keep me aware of what I am doing.  Being a T2 I can handle a certain amount of carbs and do well so keeping a close watch on my intake keeps me in a good range.

[walkerwally1]

99 this morning.  It is still in the mid 70s today and tomorrow but then it is supposed to drop about 10° Tuesday and maybe down to the 50s. 
Adding to my post above one of the that has happened by having a 5% A1c is that Medicare has decided that I don't need to test and refuses to cover the cost of test strips.  I guess they think that it is some kind of magic that keeps my bg lower and the fact that I use testing as a tool is not recognized. Trying to deal with bureaucratic morons is too much of a hassle so I pay for my strips. 

[Grammabear]

Adding to my post above one of the that has happened by having a 5% A1c is that Medicare has decided that I don't need to test and refuses to cover the cost of test strips.  I guess they think that it is some kind of magic that keeps my bg lower and the fact that I use testing as a tool is not recognized. Trying to deal with bureaucratic morons is too much of a hassle so I pay for my strips. 

It is the same for me Wally.  Because I use a cgm, Medicare automatically assumes the cgm is always 100% correct so that I never need to test my bg.  Sometimes if I get a low or a high, I need to confirm that number.  I pay for my own strips also.

[bigskygal]

108 this lightly snowing morning.

49° was the high yesterday, today's forecast is 37°/23° with some snow again in the evening.

Fortunately my secondary insurance covers my rx's and they will fill anything my dr's prescribe. However, since my pcp has decided I am "cured" of diabetes, he cut my strip rx in half (200 strips for 3 months). Unfortunately the meter/strips the ins covers is the One Touch Ultra 2 which consistently reads much higher than my secondary meter (Sunmark True Metrix) that meter more aligns with my A1c readings (last one 5.2%) so I buy my own strips for it. Seems we get cheated no matter what...

Knee still bothering me, will be taking it easy yet another day.

[skb]

Since the A1c is a count of a certain type of hemoglobin cells, the overall hemoglobin percentage greatly influences the A1c. A friend of mine happens to cross 200 mg/dL frequently (if eating badly) but maintains an A1c between 4-5%. One time the machine was not able to read his A1c, it was so low. I have suspected that he is anemic and have asked him to get the full hemoglobin panel done. But he is yet to do that.

120 today with 2 workouts yesterday and strict control on what goes in my mouth.

[Grammabear]

106 this morning.

It is windy and cold today with winds in excess of 35+ mph.  Unfortunately we have an afternoon appointment and a trip to the big grocery store in another city.  Looks like warm winter gear is in order for today.

[walkerwally1]

94 today.  It is supposed to get to 74° today and then starting tomorrow we are going to be in the low 60s to the high 50s.  Not cold by Grammabear and Barbara's measure but closer to normal for here.  They are expecting rain in the Los Angeles area Thursday and we have a small chance for some but I don't expect it.
I don't really rely on my A1c, that is one reason I test.  I try to keep my bg in a range from 70-140 mg/dl and most of the time I am able to do that.  Doctors on the other hand seem to pay attention to A1c alone and I have never had a doctor that was the least bit interested in my testing data.  My meter records each test to an app on my phone and I can print out a report showing the test results but no one is interested.  I think it is just easier to look at the A1c and make a judgement from that.  I know that before I started to take control of my own diabetes management I had an A1c in the 6% range and my doctors believed that I was doing just great and told me so but I also know I had highs sometimes as high as 300 and lows that were scary but they told me that I only needed to test occasionally and just take the pill and avoid too much sugar. 

[Grammabear]

Doctors on the other hand seem to pay attention to A1c alone and I have never had a doctor that was the least bit interested in my testing data

It is the same with me Wally.  My pump because it records every blood glucose number keeps a record which I can download each time I see the Dr.  She flat out told me "I don't need to see that" and went instead to the last A1C number I had which was 6.3%.  That number isn't bad, but I would prefer it to be lower.  Perhaps if I were more diligent in keeping my numbers lower, it would be better.  Actually no one seems to be interested in individual numbers anymore.  If I didn't have an interest in controlling my diabetes, who would?  I'm glad for the input you all give here.  It is helpful.

[bigskygal]

119 this cloudy morning.

32° was the high yesterday, today's forecast is 36°/19° with periods of snow. It is lightly snowing right now.

My pcp has never asked to see my readings all he looks at is my A1c. The eye dr always asks me also what was my latest A1c. I guess the drs think our numbers just magically go down and stay down, they have no interest in how we do it...

[skb]

I met a diabetic on Sunday who said his numbers are normal. And how does he know that. Because his reading is 100 or thereabouts. He gets a lab test done once every few months. No home testing for mister. A1c - never heard of that one before. The best part is that he is in the housekeeping business for many large hospitals in the city.

Yes most doctors only rely on the A1c and yes averages can be very misleading. There is one more thing to keep in mind. Hemoglobin cells have a life span of 3-4 months. this can very from person to person and the 3-4 months is not set in stone. Therefore the A1c is a weighted average leaning heavily on the recent numbers and lesser on the past. Back in the day, I had set a formula for myself from which I would try and predict my next A1c.

102 today morning.

[Grammabear]

85 this morning.

Our weather is only 11 deg F at this point today.  Very windy and also very glad it isn't snowing along with this wind.

We made a trip to a large grocery store in another city yesterday.  The wind was awful and the traffic was even worse.  One interesting thing I observed however was the amount of "junk food" in people's carts.  Don't people realize that for the most part you are what you eat?  We usually shop the perimeter of the store and not the inside aisles.

My husband saw a dermatologist for several areas on his face, and found out that they are considered pre-cancerous.  The dermatologist treated both areas with liquid nitrogen right there in the office.  She said the areas are likely from years of sun exposure without sunscreen.  She advised him to use sunscreen year round even in the winter because of ultraviolet rays and to wear a wide brim hat in the summer months to protect those areas on his face.  He will need to observe healing process and return next year for another exam.  It was a relief to have fairly good news.

[walkerwally1]

88 this morning.  We are getting into "cooler" weather, for here, with highs in the 50s and Thursday we could even see some rain but it is a small chance and we will probably only have wind.  Next week there are two storm systems heading to Southern California and significant rain is expected for a large part of the area with plenty of snow in the mountains and we may even get a fair amount.  This is a good thing and really needed.
Grammabear, I have been seeing a Dermatologist for about the last 5 years and have had many "pre cancers" treated with the liquid nitrogen which works quite well.  Some times it has turned out to be an actual cancer that required surgery but that is fairly simple and has taken care of it.  Many years outside without really being careful with sunscreen have taken their toll and I see the dermatologist on a regular basis.  Like any type of cancer early detection is the key.  It pays to have any spot that is suspicious checked out.
SKB, I think some doctors are totally in the dark when it comes to treating diabetes.  I know of a guy that was diagnosed with T2 diabetes and his doctor put him on insulin and told him that he could eat anything he wants as long as he covered it with insulin so he does and he never tests, he just injects insulin when he "feels" like he is high or low.  He shows up at work with coffee and doughnuts every day. 

[bigskygal]

121 this partly cloudy morning. Slept late and knee is hurting again probably both contributed to the number.

30° was the high yesterday, today's forecast is 43°/25°. About an inch of snow yesterday/overnight. Today there is some sunshine.