New diagnosis confusion

[JMyrtle]

I'm a sixty five year old female, height five foot six weight twelve stone three ounces.
I have been diagnosed after a routine one off annual fasting blood test as diabetic with a mmol reading of 58.
My G.P. has told me to stop eating cakes, biscuits,sweets, sugar and chocolate, loose weight and come back in a year.
There is no clinic to be referred to, not even a diabetes nurse because the practice has no funding.
I feel a diagnosis on the basis of one blood test taken once on just one day is a little hasty.
What does everyone else think?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hello @JMyrtle

Welcome to the forum.

The result you were given looks to have been an HbA1c test, 58mmol/mol (7.5% in old units). This is a measure which acts as an indicator of average glucose in the bloodstream over the past 3 months or so. Blood cells last up to 120 says, and the HbA1c measures how many red blood cells have been changed by glucose sticking to them. So your one result actually relates to a longer time frame than you might expect.

I am not sure of the diagnostic cut-off, but I think I might be over 48 (6.5%) and if I’m right your result is comfortably what you might expect for a non-D person.

You might find some of the resources in the Newbie’s area helpful, Maggie Davey’s letter, Test Review Adjust by Alan S, and the Gretchen Becker book which are all highly recommended here.

 

[Robin]

I am not sure of the diagnostic cut-off, but I think I might be over 48 (6.5%) and if I’m right your result is comfortably what you might expect for a non-D person.

I think that's right, the diagnostic cut off for diabetes is 48. I know I'm not firing on all cylinders at the moment, but doesn't that make JMyrtle firmly into the diabetic camp, not non-D, at 58?

 

[Amigo]

Yes it’s very firmly in diabetic territory at 58 for a Hba1c. I was diagnosed after only one test at 52. The advice to cut carbs and lose a bit of weight was sound but to only be offered an annual follow up is poor. I hope he’s referred you for retinal screening and the foot check. My surgery has no diabetic nurse either and it’s not usual for type 2’s to be referred to a specialist clinic unless there’s specific issues.
You can do this by your own efforts but I’d suggest getting a home testing meter to help you learn your own unique food tolerance. Learn all you can and you’ll tame this. Good luck!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Oops. Sorry. Too many edits and not enough read throughs! I meant ‘firmly above what you’d expect for a non-D’ 🙄

 

[JMyrtle]

Thanks everyone.
I have to attend the optition lead community eye clinic every year for a back of eye x ray as my mother had glaucoma and I have raised pressures in my eyes kept low with drops.
I told my consultant about the diabetes diagnosis, he checked and could find no evidence so referred me to the local hospital for a second opinion from a colleague who specialises in diabetic eye care.
That consultant couldn't find anything either so he has written to my G.P. and copied me in to suggest a second blood test, which I have just booked today for Friday morning.
I have so many people querying my diagnosis so I am sure you can see why I am confused.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thanks everyone.
I have to attend the optition lead community eye clinic every year for a back of eye x ray as my mother had glaucoma and I have raised pressures in my eyes kept low with drops.
I told my consultant about the diabetes diagnosis, he checked and could find no evidence so referred me to the local hospital for a second opinion from a colleague who specialises in diabetic eye care.
That consultant couldn't find anything either so he has written to my G.P. and copied me in to suggest a second blood test, which I have just booked today for Friday morning.
I have so many people querying my diagnosis so I am sure you can see why I am confused.

As far as I am aware, your optician can only comment on changes to the backs of your eyes as a consequence of diabetes. These do not happen immediately and are one of the reasons people with diabetes work very hard to keep their blood glucose as well managed as possible - to avoid those changes occurring! I am fortunate in that I still have no changes after 26 years, but I still HAVE diabetes.

I think you should make an appointment with your GP to discuss how you feel and your uncertainty over your diagnosis. I believe you have quite clear cut diabetes because of your A1c result, but I understand that it can be hard to accept a diagnosis with a long term condition. I think it would help you to discuss this with your Dr and get some more support.

 

[Maz2]

Hi JMyrtle. It is not just sweets, cakes, chocs etc though it is carbs in general. I was eating far too much fresh fruit, dry fruit, potatoes, breakfast cereal, bread, pasta and rice. I cut them all down and my results are a lot better.

 

[JMyrtle]

Hi everyone
Thanks for the advice and support, I saw the other GP yesterday ( the wife of the GP I saw a couple of months ago) and she seemed much more knowledgeable and ready to help me more.
She explained that the human body is rather like a car and the older it gets the more parts fail, its nothing I've done and no way I could have prevented it but I have a weak pancreas and that's it.
Howeve, because of my age (65) and the fact that my reading is fairly low provided I am careful what I eat and drink my blood glucose rate should regulate itself without tablets.
The good news is that my reading is down from 58 to 51 (she said I must have worked very hard) which I have, and my cholesterol is 4.5
She is referring me to a one day seminar at the hospital and has told me to retest in three months and then, provided the reading is the below 48, she will discharge me so I will only need a blood test once a year when I have my blood pressure checked.
There is a chance my levels may creep up as I get older but with the right diet that should not happen

 

[Drummer]

I think that it is the modern diet which is wrong not the body - no matter what the age.
I am slightly older than you, fully diabetic a year ago on a cholesterol lowering diet (like that worked!!) In 6 months on a low carb diet my Hba1c came in at 41 and I am running around like a two year old.
It is putting the wrong fuel into a car which does the most damage. I don't eat potatoes, grains or sugary stuff and I do very well.