Cant make up my mind about this

bobrobert said:

https://www.diabetesdaily.com/blog/stop-screaming-at-yourself-over-an-a1c-result-381970/

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I agree with that idea, I think. It should be a simple piece of information allowing the person with diabetes or their carer to re-examine their approach.

I think part of the reason it can be seen as like a school report or a judgement is the way some HCPs approach it.

I've seen many on here beating themselves up, and posts saying what it disaster it was if BG rises by over 2, and many times it seems to be a contest over the lowest numbers.
Personally, I see very little point in swapping living with diabetes every day to living with continuous stress over BG readings, and the massive intrusion on lifestyle to keep them low, particularly when the targets can be self set as lower than the normal population will ever achieve.
So yes, knowing them is good information, but being ruled by them?

As an engineer I love numbers, so really enjoy tracking lots of my health stars. It is good when the numbers confirm that my lifestyle changes are working. Without doubt it can be disappointing when the numbers let me know otherwise. However, I don't stress about it, and just make some adjustments as necessary.

In simple terms if you want to control something, you have to measure it first.

Thing is the normal population don't have to achieve any thing with respect to blood sugar levels they are not diabetic I however am diabetic and there fore do need to control blood sugar levels how else can you quantify your BG other than by putting a number to it, I for one am not competing with any one. Just diabetes it's self . I don;t stress over the numbers I evaluate them they are merely data for analysis..

I don't scream at myself, I'm starting to scream at the BBC's "dumbed down for the masses" reporting.

I don't worry about my HbA1c results, I prefer to concentrate on my daily testing - the results of which tell me how I'm managing my glucose levels in real time in relation to my diet, health, (lack of!) exercise, etc. HbA1c figures are merely averages over several months and can be the result of both high and low swings in glucose levels and/or nice stable levels, and can't particularly tell me how I'm truly managing - but the doctor and nurse seem to like them for what they're worth.

There are some aspects of my diabetes that I can and should be able to control, but often there are others I can't and there's absolutely no reason for me to beat myself up over these.

Robbity

Robbity said:

I don't worry about my HbA1c results, I prefer to concentrate on my daily testing - the results of which tell me how I'm managing my glucose levels in real time in relation to my diet, health, (lack of!) exercise, etc. HbA1c figures are merely averages over several months and can be the result of both high and low swings in glucose levels and/or nice stable levels, and can't particularly tell me how I'm truly managing - but the doctor and nurse seem to like them for what they're worth.

There are some aspects of my diabetes that I can and should be able to control, but often there are others I can't and there's absolutely no reason for me to beat myself up over these.

Robbity

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I am another that gave up being interested in my HbA1c. Useful for diagnostic purposes but not for measuring control, for the same reasons you give.

I rely on frequent finger pricking and part time Libre sensors to tell me how I'm doing in real time and I have no interest in what levels others see. These are my levels, my body, my metabolism and highly unlikely to be the same as anyone else's.

It isn't a school report, a competition, or an opportunity to beat ourselves up.

What it IS is an opportunity for each and every one of us to invest in our future health. Every day. Every meal. We all decide on our own priorities, and mine have changed a lot in recent years.

I have been through
- strict control = obsessive and I ain't going there
To
- the tighter I get my control, the better I feel

at the moment, I'm in a tight control phase, but that is subject to change any day, due to low carb battle fatigue, temptation, indulgence, different info and education, depression... change is the only constant.

What I am NOT fine with, is people sniping at those who hold differing views, whether they are passing judgement on high or low control.

Each to their own I suppose. All I know is that my Ac1 seems to have now gone from 38 to 40 and I'm sorry that does give me cause for concern as it shows an upward trend which I am also seeing in my finger prick tests even though I am still maintaining good control or so I thought.