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I've been promising to do this for a while: two weeks ago I tested my HbA1c using the two home testing kits available in the UK, within an hour of getting my NHS HbA1c blood test at the hospital.
Background
I was diagnosed as T2 in March last year, with a HbA1c of 10.2% (taken after a week of low carbing - so I suspect it was even higher before). WIth a combination of Metformin and low-carbing, I got it down to 5.2% at my June test, and my GP told me that he would take me off Metformin if I managed to do the same again. In fact, when my prescription ran out in late July, I decided to stop taking the Metformin anyway.
I didn't bother taking an NHS HbA1c test until 21st November. I had my hospital blood test, before rushing straight home and performing the two home tests within an hour.
Bayer A1CNow
Time till results: ~6mins
This is the most complicated of the three tests, but is also the most fun to do. You have to suck up some blood into a little test cartridge, shake it up with some liquid before sticking it in the machine shown above. Once you've done that you have to wait while the clock ticks down from 5 minutes.
Result: HbA1c=6.6% :shock: (approximate 3 month average BG = 8.8 mmol/l)
Glucomen A1c
Time till results: 23 hours
This is postal kit. You have to fill in the reply slip and then fill two little circles of blotting paper with blood. It took me several pricks before I managed to fill them, getting blood all over the envelope in the process. I ran down the road to get the last post, and the results were in my email inbox about 23 hours later.
Result: HbA1c=5.6% :eh: (approximate 3 month average BG = 6.8 mmol/l)
NHS Lab Test
Time till results: 2 weeks (my GP is kinda busy).
Usual. I'd had three abortive attempts to get this done before, but I'd been scared off by the queues at the phlebotomy unit. Timed it right this time and walked straight in. I only cried a little bit when the needle went in and wore the little bit of cotton wool as a badge of pride for the rest of the day.
Result: HbA1c=5.1% :clap: (approximate 3 month average BG = 5.8 mmol/l)
Background
I was diagnosed as T2 in March last year, with a HbA1c of 10.2% (taken after a week of low carbing - so I suspect it was even higher before). WIth a combination of Metformin and low-carbing, I got it down to 5.2% at my June test, and my GP told me that he would take me off Metformin if I managed to do the same again. In fact, when my prescription ran out in late July, I decided to stop taking the Metformin anyway.
I didn't bother taking an NHS HbA1c test until 21st November. I had my hospital blood test, before rushing straight home and performing the two home tests within an hour.
Bayer A1CNow
Time till results: ~6mins
This is the most complicated of the three tests, but is also the most fun to do. You have to suck up some blood into a little test cartridge, shake it up with some liquid before sticking it in the machine shown above. Once you've done that you have to wait while the clock ticks down from 5 minutes.
Result: HbA1c=6.6% :shock: (approximate 3 month average BG = 8.8 mmol/l)
Glucomen A1c
Time till results: 23 hours
This is postal kit. You have to fill in the reply slip and then fill two little circles of blotting paper with blood. It took me several pricks before I managed to fill them, getting blood all over the envelope in the process. I ran down the road to get the last post, and the results were in my email inbox about 23 hours later.
Result: HbA1c=5.6% :eh: (approximate 3 month average BG = 6.8 mmol/l)
NHS Lab Test
Time till results: 2 weeks (my GP is kinda busy).
Usual. I'd had three abortive attempts to get this done before, but I'd been scared off by the queues at the phlebotomy unit. Timed it right this time and walked straight in. I only cried a little bit when the needle went in and wore the little bit of cotton wool as a badge of pride for the rest of the day.
Result: HbA1c=5.1% :clap: (approximate 3 month average BG = 5.8 mmol/l)