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Test Results at 3 months post diagnosis - More improvements

9K views 42 replies 15 participants last post by  JT. 
#1 · (Edited)
I have a scheduled doctor's visit on Tuesday. I had to go for my tests before that, which I did today. Here are my test results.

I broke into (barely) the 5% club but honestly I was expecting a much lower HbA1C

The numbers in the bracket are what I got last month (at 2 months from DX)

1. HbA1c has dropped from 12.7(Dx) to 5.9 (6.8) :) but :confused:

2. Total Cholestrol dropped from 243(Dx) to 190 (195) :)

3. LDL dropped from 186(Dx) to 133 (123) :) but :confused:

4. HDL increased from 29(Dx) to 36 (34) :)

5. Triglicirides dropped from 232(Dx) to 121 (197) :D

6. Fasting today at the lab was 93 :D

7. Ketones detected (+) in urine

8. The Urine Routine has not detected protein this time but waiting for MAU report :)

9. The MAU report is awaited. Will update the thread later tonight

10. Lost 40 Lbs so far. 45 more to go ! :D


Observations / Concerns/ Your comments requested


1. LDL has dropped over a 3 month period but it has actually has gone up in the last one month.My LDL was 123 at a random test one month back (It's gone up by 10 points). I was expecting it to drop further.

2. Ketones in Urine. Is this normal because of the ketogenic diet ? should I be worried ?

3. How the heck is my HbA1C 5.9 ? That is a mean blood sugar level of 122. I've hardly had a reading over 120 for a long time. I have been averaging 103 for the last three months and I test 5-6 times a day. There is no way in the world my average BG can be 122 over the last 3 months. (can the 4th month make an impact ?)





I was expecting a HbA1c of 5.3, I would have been happy at 5.5, not this. Will try my luck again next time


Tony


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#3 ·
CONGRATS Tony!!

Just 2 months you have TURN IT AROUND!!! WELL DONE MATE!!! I need to catch up!!! lol..

PS: on a side note, hows everything going with you mum fasting sugars?
 
#4 · (Edited)
CONGRATS Tony!!

Just 2 months you have TURN IT AROUND!!! WELL DONE MATE!!! I need to catch up!!! lol..
(Correction : 3months)
Thanks JT. I wanted to do better on the LDL and HbA1c. But my body thought - lets leave it for next time



PS: on a side note, hows everything going with you mum fasting sugars?

Mum's fasting is still high. Today morning we saw a 199. (we had increased her basal last night) but I couldnt get her to go for that walk. I will today.

She's just not ready to eat the peanut butter at night time too. I'll try to force her to eat an egg tonight before she sleeps. Parents are difficult sometimes. But I understand that I am trying to tell her that all she has learnt for 25 years is distorted. There's no easy way to communicate that ...
 
#6 ·
1. HbA1c has dropped from 12.7(Dx) to 5.9 (6.8) :)
OMG!! :eek:

That's wonderful! That's a GIGANTIC drop! I hope you are really proud of you as you obviously worked very hard to have such good results in all your tests. Congrats! :cheer2:
 
#7 ·
That's fantastic, Tony! You did a good thing, just had your goal a bit too high, but you've found what you can do when you are focused.

No one has answered your question about ketones I see, so I will do that...they are to be expected when you low carb and it's a good thing. I find I'm not nearly so hungry when I'm in a ketonic state, so keep it up.

I'm so proud of you!
 
#9 ·
Thanks Patdart for your wishes and clarifying the question about the ketones
 
#8 ·
8. The Urine Routine has not detected protein this time but waiting for MAU report :)

9. The MAU report is awaited. Will update the thread later tonight

.

Guys, I'm so relieved. I just got my MAU report

MICRO-ALBUMIN = 17 (should be < 20)
CREATININE, URINE = 68
RATIO = 25 (should be < 30)

So it means that there's no protein in the urine, which if you guys remember was the major panic point for me a month back. The ratio has dropped from 96 to 35 to 25. I am mighty pleased with this. :D :D

Now the new issue for me is the LDL increase. Whats with that ? What do i do for this ? Less saturated fat probably ?

Do I need to worry about the ketones in my urine ?

Lets see how my doctor responds on Tuesday

Overall I am very pleased with my performance in this exam, hoping to see more improvements in 3 months again

Tony
 
#11 ·
Toneeeeee! These are stellar numbers! Give yourself a break - your body needs time to adjust. When your triglycerides drop, your LDL particle size can be converting from the small dense dangerous size to the large fluffy protective size. The decrease in triglycerides is the significant number & you just need to stay the course. Your way-of-eating is doing what it is supposed to do, and an excellent job of it! Don't worry about the LDL.
 
#12 ·
SO many people in this forum would been keen to have those Results!! It is PURELY HARD WORK and Determination!!

Once again CONGRATS BRO!!!
 
#13 ·
When I think about it, I really think its because of you all. I know I had to do the work but without you guys I would not have reached here. I would be struggling

I was diagnosed three months back. I was **** scared. Here's the thread at my diagnosis. I was so scared, so lost.

http://www.diabetesforum.com/introduce-yourself/6202-newly-diagnosed-very-scared.html

You guys welcomed me with open arms and taught me so much

I still have quite a lot of work to do, but you guys have put me on the right track.


Thanks a lot guys ! I truly mean it. I love you all
 
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#17 ·
When I think about it, I really think its because of you all. I know I had to do the work but without you guys I would not have reached here. I would be struggling

I was diagnosed three months back. I was **** scared. Here's the thread at my diagnosis. I was so scared, so lost.

http://www.diabetesforum.com/introduce-yourself/6202-newly-diagnosed-very-scared.html

You guys welcomed me with open arms and taught me so much

I still have quite a lot of work to do, but you guys have put me on the right track.


Thanks a lot guys ! I truly mean it. I love you all
Tarun,

As the others have already said, don't worry about the LDL - that will take care of itself. The two values that matter are HDL - as high as possible and Triglycerides - as low as possible. As I think I mentioned, it took me 15 months to get my numbers where I want them. Stick with the diet and you'll get there too!

Again - very well done! :cheer2::cheer2::second:
 
#15 ·
Wow Tony....just WOW! You have done such an excellent job and I, for one, remember vividly your initial posts and your fears. Be very proud of those numbers, my friend! I agree with Shanny's interpretation of your higher LDL levels. Remember that our bodies are adjusting so much to our new way of living. A while ago, I posted about people whose weight loss had stalled and I theorised that some stalls were likely related to the bodies' need to adjust after a period of rapid weight loss. This fits right in line with what Shanny said in regard to LDL levels.

Do yourself a favour and take a moment to savour those wonderful numbers! You deserve it!
 
#16 ·
Tony that's a great result in such a short time well done :)

Sent from my iPhone using Diabetes
 
#19 ·
This is great Tony! I am so happy for you. I am hard on myself also. It is the OCD in me. I want a 5.0! We will get there with the support of everyone on here/ Love this place!
 
#20 ·
Thanks again everyone.

I am more confident, more stable and more determined than I was three months back. I have a strong feeling that I can manage this and live a full life without much hassles.

I am determined to keep my BG control very tight and bring my HbA1c to 5 or even under. I have also reconfigured my targets on my andriod application (Ontrack) that I use to track my BGs. I have set my max limit to 110 for post meal number. So far over the last 10 days I have not got any number above 110, with most of the after meal numbers in the 90s of very close to 100. I'd ideally like to keep my fastings under 90 which I am trying to achieve

Lets see what my doctor has to say on Tuesday
 
G
#22 · (Edited)
Observations / Concerns/ Your comments requested

3. How the heck is my HbA1C 5.9 ? That is a mean blood sugar level of 122. I've hardly had a reading over 120 for a long time. I have been averaging 103 for the last three months and I test 5-6 times a day. There is no way in the world my average BG can be 122 over the last 3 months. (can the 4th month make an impact ?)
.
Good control. Congratulations.
As for the numbers:

ISO 15197 requires a blood glucose meter's test result to fall within +/- 15 mg/dl of the lab test for glucose values under 75 mg/dl and +/- 20% of the lab reference results for levels above 75mg/dl.

So expect those variations if comparing values of self tests with lab reports.
 
#23 ·
I cant expect my meter reading to be 15% - 20% wrong every time. Each time ( 5-6 occasions) my lab numbers have been lower than my meter numbers

I have a feeling that even though it is said that HbA1C values depend on blood sugars of last 2-3 months it maybe possible that the previous 4th month may also have some impact.

A 4%-5% contribution from that (4th) month also explains my slightly higher HbA1C.

But all said and done I am not going to bother a lot about this

It will come down for sure
 
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#24 ·
I cant expect my meter reading to be 15% - 20% wrong every time. Each time ( 5-6 occasions) my lab numbers have been lower than my meter numbers

I have a feeling that even though it is said that HbA1C values depend on blood sugars of last 2-3 months it maybe possible that the previous 4th month may also have some impact.

A 4%-5% contribution from that (4th) month also explains my slightly higher HbA1C.

But all said and done I am not going to bother a lot about this

It will come down for sure
The main thing is that your own meter produces consistent results so you can follow your trend. The fact that the readings are out of step with the lab isn't very important. For instance, my lab figures seem to be around 10% higher than my meter figures.

The HbA1c result depends on the life span of your red blood cells. So for instance, someone with anemia will get a lower HbA1c than they "deserve" whilst someone who has particularly long lived cells will show higher than they "deserve".

The various formulae to calculate a value from fasting are statistical and work for groups rather than individuals, so hitting an exact match is fluke.

You've done a great job so far, just stay with it and as you say, your numbers will come down.

John
 
#26 ·
Tony,

Each HbA1c is a snapshot of the current red blood cell state, so someone with a genetic disposition to long life cells will always be high in the absence of a short term problem such as anaemia.

Whether that pre-disposes him to diabetic complications or not is not something on which I'd care to express a view.

John
 
#27 ·
I'm quite sure the condition is more rare than we assume it is. I am not expecting to be in that group :)

This question was mostly academic in nature.

Thanks (as always :)) for your great answers
 
#28 ·
I'm following this discussion because I have a condition which requires me to have phlebotomies done every month or so to keep my hemoglobin under 14 because apparently I had a stroke(mild) because my red blood cells clumped. I've wondered what this does to my A1C, but since nothing can be done, it's purely academic.
 
#29 ·
I'm following this discussion because I have a condition which requires me to have phlebotomies done every month or so to keep my hemoglobin under 14 because apparently I had a stroke(mild) because my red blood cells clumped. I've wondered what this does to my A1C, but since nothing can be done, it's purely academic.
My guess, it will mean that your test will report slightly better values than it should. Sorry - hope I'm wrong :eek:

John
 
#30 · (Edited)
kudos to you Tony.

You are really lucky that you got all the information you needed at a early stage and have bought all your numbers in control, that too in 3 months.

Sadly for me, due to lack of funds, arrogant public sector doctors and the lack of information regards to diabetes. I have spent a whole year seeing BG between 150 to 250 everyday. (At one day even 325)

I think it's the duty of a doctor even if he is a public doc and has to attend to a crowd, that he should at-least tell a newly diabetic guy what he needs to do or something. They just write the medication on a paper, have this in the morning / night and bye bye.

Frankly, for a normal guy who has never been to a doc for 10 years, hows he supposed to know whats H1Abc or ketones and many things like that, its like all Greek to him.

It's when i started experiencing problems with my vision, especially when reading a newspaper or reading something on white background, where I am experiencing small tiny dots in my vision. That's when i found out its a complication from diabetes and I got scared I'm getting blind, I joined the forum from searching google to find some way to help myself on my own, get the blood sugar in control.

Before joining this place, i thought diabetes means i have to pop a pill morning/night and stay away from sugar, I didn't know there are many many more things I should be careful about what I'm eating, exercise.

No wonders they say people in India are dying from diabetes and losing the limbs, It's because most people don't have or rather haven't been provided the required knowledge to keep their numbers in control. Majority of people cannot afford to pay a premium to a private doc who can pamper and sit and explain personally about controlling.

Anyways, I am beginning to feel safe now that I know how to keep BG in control.. Just got to keep the pace and see my H1ABc results too, maybe in Jan end will do that test.

For now I know from a recent blood test for malaria that i had done 4-5 weeks back. It says Glycoslated Hemoglobin 11.5% , I think this is the H1Ac what needs to go low.

Congrats,
I'm next in line to the "I'm in Control" throne. Hehe .. hopefully.
 
#31 ·
kudos to you Tony.

You are really lucky that you got all the information you needed at a early stage and have bought all your numbers in control, that too in 3 months.

Sadly for me, due to lack of funds, arrogant public sector doctors and the lack of information regards to diabetes. I have spent a whole year seeing BG between 150 to 250 everyday. (At one day even 325)

I think it's the duty of a doctor even if he is a public doc and has to attend to a crowd, that he should at-least tell a newly diabetic guy what he needs to do or something. They just write the medication on a paper, have this in the morning / night and bye bye.

Frankly, for a normal guy who has never been to a doc for 10 years, hows he supposed to know whats H1Abc or ketones and many things like that, its like all Greek to him.

It's when i started experiencing problems with my vision, especially when reading a newspaper or reading something on white background, where I am experiencing small tiny dots in my vision. That's when i found out its a complication from diabetes and I got scared I'm getting blind, I joined the forum from searching google to find some way to help myself on my own, get the blood sugar in control.

Before joining this place, i thought diabetes means i have to pop a pill morning/night and stay away from sugar, I didn't know there are many many more things I should be careful about what I'm eating, exercise.

No wonders they say people in India are dying from diabetes and losing the limbs, It's because most people don't have or rather haven't been provided the required knowledge to keep their numbers in control. Majority of people cannot afford to pay a premium to a private doc who can pamper and sit and explain personally about controlling.

Anyways, I am beginning to feel safe now that I know how to keep BG in control.. Just got to keep the pace and see my H1ABc results too, maybe in Jan end will do that test.

For now I know from a recent blood test for malaria that i had done 4-5 weeks back. It says Glycoslated Hemoglobin 11.5% , I think this is the H1Ac what needs to go low.

Congrats,
I'm next in line to the "I'm in Control" throne. Hehe .. hopefully.
I wish I could say that medical assistance and advice in France was better - but no! Like you we had to do our own homework and learn what a "Hémoglobine Glyquée" (see it's even worse in French! :)) meant.

And yes, whilst a value of 11.5% is way too high, your approach is exactly what it should be. Take control of your diet and cut back as much as you can on carbohydrates - despite the official guidance to the contrary.

A quick word of warning on two things.

First, your body will take time to adjust to a change in diet away from carbohydrates. That means you will probably have a few days of "carb flu" - Your muscles will ache and you will feel just like you have flu. I promise, it will pass but stick with it. Give up a few days into it and the symptoms will go - but you end up back at square one.

Second, if your body is used to a high blood sugar, as you come down with your new diet you may get some of the symptoms of a hypo. If you do, test before you treat it - make sure you really are hypo or, again, you destroy the benefits of the hard work you've done up to that point.

Eat to the meter - and good luck.

John
 
#32 ·
Unfortunately Nicku it is not just the Indian population who are not given enough information at diagnosis it seems to be world spread, if not for this site I'm sure more of us would still be battling high numbers & wondering where we were going wrong as after all we were following the docs advise in regard to carbs at each meal etc, & then having the doc at our 3 monthly admonish us for not doing better & trying harder.
I'm glad you are beginning more confident about keeping your BG under control it will pay dividends in the long run
 
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#33 ·
You know when I was in school we were taught that we should visit our doctor once every 12 months and get regular tests done. The Health practitioner in the school took us to the dentist every 6 months

Had we continued this good habit that we could have caught our diabetes at the prediabetes stages. We could have realised our cholestrols/BP were rising. Unfortunately the day I left school I forgot everything

I'm not making the same mistake with my kids
 
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#34 ·
You know when I was in school we were taught that we should visit our doctor once every 12 months and get regular tests done. The Health practitioner in the school took us to the dentist every 6 months

Had we continued this good habit that we could have caught our diabetes at the prediabetes stages. We could have realised our cholestrols/BP were rising. Unfortunately the day I left school I forgot everything

I'm not making the same mistake with my kids
I agree with the concept but....

In the UK and France (and I suspect elsewhere) the old concept of the family doctor has died. When I was a child our doctor knew our names and our medical history - he treated a person.

Now, you get a 10 minute slot to describe a few symptoms and the doctor writes a slip for a few pills - and bye, bye! He doesn't know you except as a cash cow (with apologies to our Hindu friends).

So, your idea, whilst sound would probably turn into a simple superficial check - at your cost - and the only information you'd receive on cholesterol would be to follow the official low fat diet and we all know how effective that is in reducing triglicerides, don't we? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

John
 
#42 ·
Well, I'm happy that I'm in the US department, The accent of US people is just normal for me and understandable. :)

But my friends who are in the UK and Aussie departments, they are having a tough time there due to the accents. lol
 
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