Ok. So here is the deal. The last two A1C tests I have gotten back have been high. The first was 7.9 and the one I got back yesterday was 8. I am away at college, work, and love to go out with friends (which usually means going out to eat somewhere). During the week my blood sugars are high, but at work on friday, saturday, and sunday they are in range because I am having some physical activity. This has just become really frustrating, not to mention I have not been feeling all that well. I was just seeing if anyone else has been through this or has any advice. I don't usually turn to these forums and stuff because I think I can deal with it myself...apparently not :S THANKS!
Elizabeth,
When I was in college my biggest challenge was teaching myself to test often enough. My eventual goal was not to allow more than 3 hours go by between tests. Also, if I was on a border, I’d test again in 20 minutes. By a border I mean, if I had a blood sugar of 79, I’d test again in 20 minutes in case I was dropping or if I got a 118 I’d check again to see if I was drifting up.
I stick pretty close to that pattern now. But testing often has been the foundation for me. You can (and ultimately have to) do it yourself but some of “doing it yourself” means doing adequate research and discovery ;)
The upside for you is that I am pretty sure I ‘m one of the least knowledgeable here – so take my suggestions with a grain of salt and never fear – you will likely get a lot of more seasoned responses! J
Cheers!
A-D
Elizabeth,
A-D is right. The key is testing more often. Do you have a pump? If so, you can ask your doc about different boluses for your higher fat meals. I know that when I eat out my sugar is elevated for almost 12 hours afterwards. I try and use the square bolus feature on my pump to spread out my insulin throughout the day when I eat a really fatty meal at a restaurant. It takes longer for your body to break down the fat, which is why it sticks with you longer. I just keep testing and correcting until I get it down to a science. Another thing I do is write down what I eat, how much insulin I take for it, and how long my sugar is elevated after. If you do that, you can make adjustments when you eat that same meal again.
Hope this helps!
Hey Elizabeth,
I don't blame you for not wanting to turn to forums to ask for help -- but if there's anything I've learned about diabetes in the past 9 years, it's that there is always SO MUCH more to learn about this disease! All the time!
Anyhoo, I'm Ginger, I write for www.diabeteens.com. There really could be a lot of things going on that are making your blood sugars higher.
Without knowing too much about your background yet, here are a few things to think about:
1. Are you eating more carbohydrates than you used to? Do you need to talk to your doctor about increasing your long-acting insulin dose or basal rates on your pump?
2. If you're in college, you're still going through adolescence, you're growing a lot, your body is literally physically changing -- so you may need more insulin. Even just by increasing a couple of units can make a huge difference. Your carbohydrate-to-insulin ratio could also be changing. Mine has change several times since I was diagnosed at age 13 (now I'm 23).
3. Are you as active as you used to be? For some people, college can be a lot less active because sports aren't as regular and organized, you know? When you take really regular exercise out of the equation, your insulin needs will go up.
In the end, this just means it's time to sit down and do a little research on yourself. Clearly your body's needs are changing so you've just gotta figure out the best solution to maintain your blood sugars. Totally doable! It's just going to take some patience and effort!
Check out a few of this blogs when you have a chance, maybe it could help you get started:
I am my own Diabetes Science Experiment
I hope this is helpful!
Ginger