Superb improvement with weight and with A1c, well done. Please do not look back and worry about what was, concentrate on the now and on the future. Your age is a bonus here.
Just as FYI my A1c was almost twice that of yours on diagnosis which was less than two years ago. It fell with the aid of LCHF and Metformin and now sits in Pre Diabetic levels with no known complications and I am well over twice your age. Give yourself a pat on the back 'cos you're doing great.
By the way, unless you know the breakdown of your lipid panel wrt cholesterol etc then the Total Cholesterol number tells you nothing of significance.