[tbh]

trial and error - take regular readings so that you know what effects food and exercise have on your body, and do more of the stuff that keeps it low, and less of the stuff that makes it go high. I make it sound so easy, don't I?

[tv3]

Yes you do ha.Does the diet orange have any effect you reckon??Or the likes of mixed nuts??

[robinph]

Finally went for my HBA1C test today after missing last years one. I think I'm actually going to get a bit nervous about it this time as I'm really curious to see what effect all my crazy activities over the last while will have on the numbers. There were some activities good for ones health and some bad so it may have all evened itself out though.

[robinph]

Well it was 8.0 in the end, although that is actually still a slight improvement on last time. They were surprised at my HR of 45 though, so the marathon training did do some good at least.

[tbh]

HR?

edit: nice one on the 8.0 :)b

[robinph]

Sorry, the heart rate from the ECG thingy.

There was lots of other numbers that they had about me as well, which they said were all OK, but none of them mean anything to me so the HR was the only one I remembered really.

[robinph]

I just managed to find a list of most of my Hba1c's going back to '99, although a couple of years seem to be missing from my list. It actually looks like I was managing to keep better numbers of between 6.4-7.2 for several years until the end of 2004. For some reason though since then all of the numbers I have have been around the mid 8's. Not sure what was changed back then now, but wish I'd spotted that trend earlier as they clearly didn't notice that in amongst all my other notes this morning so must be missing something else that was changed then.

Although I'm certainly not the model diabetic, I also wasn't before 2004, so not sure what may have caused that jump in the Hba1c numbers?

[tbh]

Originally Posted by robinph

I just managed to find a list of most of my Hba1c's going back to '99, although a couple of years seem to be missing from my list. It actually looks like I was managing to keep better numbers of between 6.4-7.2 for several years until the end of 2004. For some reason though since then all of the numbers I have have been around the mid 8's. Not sure what was changed back then now, but wish I'd spotted that trend earlier as they clearly didn't notice that in amongst all my other notes this morning so must be missing something else that was changed then.

Although I'm certainly not the model diabetic, I also wasn't before 2004, so not sure what may have caused that jump in the Hba1c numbers?

where were you dx'd? Might have been the honeymoon thing

[robinph]

I thought that honeymoon period was more just within the first few months though, but that was way back in '97 now so cannot remember exactly what was going on then. The numbers came down from an 8.2 in '99 though fairly evenly and then remained at the 6.4-7.2 for most of the next four years before suddenly jumping back up to 8.something and staying about that same point since then.

I could easily get them back down again though if I just behaved myself a bit more so it's more than trying to blame whatever they changed in my regime back then. Would just be curious to know what it was, more just out of interest as to which system fitted in better with my lifestyle I guess. There have been a few changes over the years as to what/ when and how much I've been taking though so remembering what was changed then is a bit beyond me.

He did managed to slightly scare me though when he said there was some very very slight signs of early retinopathy though. He was just saying it was very minor though, but with any luck that will kick me into action a bit more now. Need to keep my eyes in good form so that I can see all the bumps in the snow, and the edge of cliffs, when skiing through fog.

[colrow]

Originally Posted by jagabomb

hi just wondering out of curiosity really i suppose, what are your average HBA1c readings?? mine were always about 9ish never went higher than 9.7 and recently they are about 7.9-8ish...
yours please??

My last one was 5.7, and I got told that it was too low, and should be at 7.0, that was the advice from a stupid practise nurse in Scotland, she took me off diamicron, and my bg soon started to climb, i went to see my gp back here in Waterville, and he put me back on it. I'm werkin in Glasgow so I registered at a docs there, I don't trust them over there, except to get my drugs for free, they won't give me any strips tho, cos i'm a type 2 and dont need them!!!

I'm coming off the medical card cos i'm earning now, and I'm just applying for a long term illness book, is that straightforward ?

[robinph]

Sounds like she had just read some details about 7.0 being the number to aim for, but never realised that instruction was for people starting from a higher number. You should certainly make use of the free prescription meds that you can get being diabetic in the UK though. There was something in the last copy of "Balance", the Diabetes UK mag, that I got sent about different regions trying to restrict which type 2 diabetics that they would give the strips to but I never read much about it.

You should be able to get the test strips in Ireland on the long term illness book though, and any other non-diabetes meds for free in the UK. Not the most honest way of doing things admitedly, but the NI/ PRSI systems are in theory linked together.

[colrow]

Originally Posted by robinph

You should be able to get the test strips in Ireland on the long term illness book though, and any other non-diabetes meds for free in the UK. Not the most honest way of doing things admitedly, but the NI/ PRSI systems are in theory linked together.

Yes, I get my test strips here with no problem, I've yet to meet any professionals here or in the uk, that advocate a low carb diet, I have managed to drastically alter my diet, and cut out all the lovely, deadly sweet sticky stuff, and I steer well clear of white flour, that stuff shoots my bg right up, I fall off the regime occaisonly and have a jam donut or apple pie, but not half a dozen at a time. The biggest bug bear is feeling tired all the time, and I have to have vitamin b12 injections every 2 months or I really grind to a halt.

For breakfast I have bacon and eggs or sugar free baked beans, a bananna at break time, some kind of meat beef, ham or prawns and strawberries ofr raspberries for lunch, a bannanna for afternoon break and a normalish dinner, of meat, veg n potatoes or rice for dinner. Thats been keeping my hba1c around 6.2 ish for a couple of years, earlier this year I stared having toast in the morning, with my breakfast, and sneeaking bowls of cornflakes, that put my hba1c upto 7.4 in the summer, since then i've been sticking more or less to the above diet, and i'm getting my bloods tested next week.

On another note I've been on a medical card but thats expired and as i'm working I won't be eligble for another one, I know I have to pay for the gp, but do I have to pay for the blood tests and has anyone got any idea of the cost of them ?

I subscribe to www.diabetes.co.uk its a good site if anyones interested, doesn't follow the stricter official lines of diabetes.org

[robinph]

You won't have to pay for the visits to the consultant at the hospital or the diabetes nurse at the hospital who will be taking the blood test.

Once you've got the long term illness book then you'll be able to get any diabetes related stuff for free from the chemists. I'm also on asthma drugs as well so have those written into the prescription in the book as well, to save pointless repeat visits to the GP, but don't get those drugs for free in Ireland. Although on occasion the chemists have got confused and forgot to charge me, so I quickly run out the door before they realise.

[colrow]

Originally Posted by robinph

, so I quickly run out the door before they realise.

Excellent, you're a man after my own heart. Its nice to get a freebie now and again.

What about when I go for my 3 monthly blood test at the docs, I usually see the nurse here for that, is that free or does it count as a docs visit ?

On a completely different topic, do you know any out of work electronic technicians or test engineers, where I'm working we need more people for 3 or 4 months, good pay and long hours. perhaps thats why I'm so tired I'm doing 12 hour days, lol

have a Good Xmas

[robinph]

Originally Posted by colrow

What about when I go for my 3 monthly blood test at the docs, I usually see the nurse here for that, is that free or does it count as a docs visit ?

At the GP's they will probably charge you. Why are you getting the tests done there though?

Originally Posted by colrow

On a completely different topic, do you know any out of work electronic technicians or test engineers, where I'm working we need more people for 3 or 4 months, good pay and long hours. perhaps thats why I'm so tired I'm doing 12 hour days, lol

I might be interested in any jobs shortly as I'm almost definitely getting redundancy in the middle of January. Currently planning to blow a chunk of the pay out on as much skiing as I can though before I injure myself too badly again.