New here, obviously

[HannahJR]

Hi. Was given diagnosis on 5th March, been researching and reading since. I think my HbA1c was 79, but I was driving to work when the doc phoned so wasn't able to write things down. During that phone call I was also told my HbA1c had been 57 back in September, but I wasn't informed of that, pretty sure I was told my bloods (had 4 or 5 various tests done) were all within normal parameters, so to be told all this on 5th March was a bit of a shock and no wonder I've been feeling poorly!
After my initial research I put myself on a low carb diet. I have found it relatively easy to adapt to and 2 weeks in I feel SO much better already!
In the summer last year I had started a calorie counted diet using an app, I've now updated the app to track carbs instead of calories (although it still shows them) and I'm now well below 100g a day, often below 50. Looking back to the data from my calorie counting diet before, even though I was consuming around 1500 a day, my carb intake ranged from about 100g to 350g g a day! I thought my diet was quite healthy, brown rice, wholegrain gluten free bread, plenty of varied veg and fruit, homemade oats and seed mix (I never could stand pre-pack breakfasts full of sugar and dried fruits!) with fresh fruit and semi skimmed lactose free milk for breakfast.
Well, we live and learn eh!
Sorry, waffled on a bit, I guess I'm still in shock! I should have seen it coming as I'm quite overweight, so I'm also berating myself

 

[Docb]

Hi @HannahJR and welcome to the forum. HbA1c of 79 is heading up into the red zone but many of us have been there and got things well back into the green zone by one means or another. The important thing is knowing about it and tackling it now, heading off the complications that might occur long in the future if ignored.

Looks like you have got the basics, cut the carbs and get your weight into the "normal" category. You have also twigged that all the stuff described as "healthy" may well do nothing for you if have diabetes so again you are off to a good start. Read around the forum, check out the learning zone and keep us up to date with progress and above all ask questions. There is no such thing as a silly question on this forum.

 

[HannahJR]

Hi @HannahJR and welcome to the forum. HbA1c of 79 is heading up into the red zone but many of us have been there and got things well back into the green zone by one means or another. The important thing is knowing about it and tackling it now, heading off the complications that might occur long in the future if ignored.

Looks like you have got the basics, cut the carbs and get your weight into the "normal" category. You have also twigged that all the stuff described as "healthy" may well do nothing for you if have diabetes so again you are off to a good start. Read around the forum, check out the learning zone and keep us up to date with progress and above all ask questions. There is no such thing as a silly question on this forum.

Thanks for the welcome and also saying you think I'm on the right track. The thing I struggled to find out about was the significance of my HbA1c being 79, it sounded SO high but I couldn't find any info about what affects this possible high score might have on me or if it was possible to reduce it to a "normal" score. Anyways, thanks for the msg.

 

[Drummer]

My Hba1c was 91 at diagnosis, and I have been at the top end of normal for some years now.
I am beginning to feel like an old hand rather than recently diagnosed.
The trick is to find out what doesn't raise your blood glucose levels beyond the normal levels and then go on eating those foods.
Sounds simple, and it is, really, once your realise that for many people the modern diet is just not a good thing at all.

 

[Docb]

My HbA1c got up to 82 before I found this site and now, after a couple of years, it is somewhere in the high 30's.

It's very difficult to come up with a significance to HbA1c results. The risks with having a continuous high blood glucose increase with the level, as represented by the HbA1c, and the tme it has been there. Thats because, generally, the complications take a long time to develop and whether they develop not for any individual will depend on a bunch of other factors.

As I say, I started about the same as you and have got it down by a combination of diet, weight loss, exercise and pills and am happy that I have reduced risks to a point where I don't think my remaining years will be marred by the sort of complications prolonged high glucose levels can lead to.