What was your last a1c level?

6.7 but that was three months ago.  I have a feeling it's going to be worse at my next endo appointment.

my first one was 9.8 my second one was 6.6... and that is w/o the pump

latest 5.5 previous 5.4, and 8s while not on the pump....it's for some people but not for others. ;-P natalie

Batt's the Bernstein diet emphasizes very little amounts of carbs (12 grams) at every meal and a lot of protein instead. The idea is that the small amount of carbs prevent a rise in blood sugar after a meal. I tried if for about 1 month over the summer but found it terrible. I lost weight and was definitely nutrient deficient due to the tight carb restrictions. In addition, I also felt pretty unhealthy because the amount of protein I needed meant also consuming a lot of processed fats. That being said, I am sure there are 'healthier' ways to do the Bernstien diet, although I don't think it will ever be endorsed by the American Diabetes Association since they believe diets high in protein can be harmful for the kidneys 

My last A1C was 7.0.  The one before that wat 10.2 at diagnosis.  Hopefully now that I'm on the pump I'll be able to get it down a bit further.

My thoughts about the ADA... They are in bed with all of the drug companies as well as certain food companies and suggest that we eat a ridiculously unhealthy amount of carbs.  If General Mills is giving you a bunch of money there is no way you are going to tell people that yes indeed, Cereal will make your blood sugar spike.  I did Bernstein and found it not only effective for losing weight but also having fantastic blood sugars.  He is one of few doctors out there who actually has diabetes himself and draws on that experience.   There is a "healthier" way to do Bernstein... I am not a fan of eating hot dogs for meals... I don't eat "processed meats"; that is a choice.  I eat organic and wild fish and chicken as well as organic beef tenderloin and try to get all of my meat from the farmers market.  It is absolutely possible to eat lean and even vegetarian if that is your bag on Bernstein.

Kate, what would vegetarian on Bernsteins look like? I'm intrigued. 

[quote user="Greg Borkman"]

latest 5.5 previous 5.4, and 8s while not on the pump....it's for some people but not for others. ;-P natalie

[/quote]

=P

10.8 after being diagnosed for one month

[quote user="Courtney"]

10.8 after being diagnosed for one month

[/quote]

wait, just asking because my daughter has been dxed less than that and I thought you had to have 90 days of GL levels to get a a1c am I wrong? I didnt even hear of a1c until I joined this forum and googled it so I could be way wrong.

[quote user="Jessica "]

wait, just asking because my daughter has been dxed less than that and I thought you had to have 90 days of GL levels to get a a1c am I wrong? I didnt even hear of a1c until I joined this forum and googled it so I could be way wrong.

[/quote]

Actually, anyone can get their A1C tested at any time.  They tested mine right when I was diagnosed just to see how severe my condition was; I had an A1C of >13%.  This diagnosis A1C is also helpful when differentiating different types of diabetes (type 1, type 2, mature onset diabetes of the young, etc.).

However, you are right, A1C tests are usually done every 3 months or so to monitor how the blood sugars have been running over time.  The ADA recommends keeping the value below 7% while the American College of Endocrinology recommends keeping the value below 6.5%.

A1C values are calculated by taking a glycosylated (sugar is attached) hemoglobin molecule and determining the A1C percentage by how finding out just how glycosylated it is.  You can do this every three months or so since the life span of a red blood cell is about 120 days.

Ok Thanks. They never said anything about it to us in the hospital. They might have done it or maybe not. No clue there was to much I had to know right away I guess.

Yeah, so I had mine done in the hospital when I was first diagnosed too, but i had to go get more blood tests done for other things the other day, so my endo just had an extra test done for my a1c to see what my improvement is so far.

8.5 a few months ago.  Before that was 9.4, and I don't know before that.  I've been T1D for 11 years, but I've had terrible control because of anotibodies and immunities to the short acting insulins. Had to come off the pump due to my short acting not working anymore.  :(

Hi Jessica

They probably did take her A1c while they were doing all of the other bloodwork.  Just ask the dcotors what her reading was.  When I was diagnosed at 14 years old, mine was 17.1% and my blood glucose (BG) was over 1200.  Yuck!

I will have my husband ask our case manager tonight (he calls her at night for insulin dosing and I do mornings) and see if she knows. I am sure she does she told us more about her other labs that the doctors or nurses did.

Hey marps, you might be interested in this blog: http://damdiabetes.blogspot.com/

it's written by someone who, like you, is allergic to insulin. she uses a pump with a mixture of humalog and steroids. it's also a good read.

7.7 and not too happy about it.

9.3 :<

 I haven't been in the 7s since 2004.  Getting the pump and CGM soon, hope it'll motivate me to do better!

As of yesterday my a1c was at 5.3 my endo was concerned that I am going hypo way to often. I know that is not the case. Granted I really micro manage my sugars with the cgm, but I am happy with the number.