Mixed news - staying upbeat though.

[Berenice]

So my new HBA1C results are 80. Another set of blood tests today as one of the phials from the last were damaged en route.

The are looking to start me on Metformin next week once they've had results from the kidney/liver blood tests (guess which phial was damaged).

Blood pressure is still very raised but has dropped a little from last time. The nurse said that will come down more as the weight drops.

Which brings me nicely to my last piece of news. Since the last weigh in at the doctor's, on August 22nd, I've lost eight pounds. I've gone from 18st 9lbs to 18st 1lbs. My highest ever weight a few years ago was around 19 and a half stone.

 

[Windy]

Congratulations on your excellent weight loss @Berenice, you sound like you're doing well there. Sorry to hear about your delayed blood tests and HbA1c, keep going, you can do it.
Sarah

 

[rebrascora]

Fantastic result with the weight loss. Huge WELL DONE!
I think you knew the HbA1c was going to be bad news but as you probably know it reflects your blood glucose over the past 3 months so will not really be showing any of your progress over the past couple of weeks yet since you decided to take more action over your diabetes.

Many people here on the forum find a BG meter an invaluable tool in managing their diabetes. I get the impression you don't use one? The big advantage is that it lets you "see" your diabetes and how your body responds to specific foods. That can really discourage you from eating the naughty stuff, but can also be really motivational in seeing your levels reduce when you consistently eat the right things and of course it helps you tailor your diet to how your specific digestive system reacts to the food you eat.
A basic BG test kit is about £15, but it is the ongoing cost of providing test strips for it where the costs add up. For that reason we recommend people obtain a meter which has cheaper test strips. Just to be clear, test strips are individual to each model of meter so they are not universally interchangeable and the price of them varies dramatically between different meters. The two most reliable and cost effective meters recommended on the forum by people who self fund are the Gluco Navii and the Spirit Healthcare Tee2, if you are considering this option. It really can shed a lot of light on how best to manage your diabetes once you adopt a systematic strategy of testing, which we can advise you on if you are interested. Home testing gives you knowledge and knowledge gives you power over your diabetes.

If they do start you on Metformin, it is important to build up the dose slowly (usually 1 tablet the first week and 2 the second etc) and to take it with food to minimize the risk of digestive upset. Dietary changes will usually have a much more significant impact than the Metformin though so managing your diet is the key factor and ideally getting some gentle exercise each day, like a walk if you are able. These will be key to improving your HbA1c result.
Good luck!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Well done on the weight loss @Berenice - you should feel very proud of yourself!

Hope you get on OK with Met, and that it treats your tum kindly.

Onwards and downwards 🙂