- Messages
- 6
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
My hba1c was 103 last time it was checked last year and it was higher than that before.i kind of neglected myself and I am starting to feel the brunt of it
Hba1c was 103
- Thread starter Baggies1968
- Start Date
Well tomorrow is a new day, you know you have a problem so you need to sort it out. Are you under a hospital team or just a GP? If GP then ask for a referral so they can sort you out with education courses (carb counting)
- Messages
- 6
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
micksmixxx
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 88
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
Hi Baggies1968,
As has already been mentioned, sir, it's never too late to start taking control. You do mention that "i kind of neglected myself and I am starting to feel the brunt of it", but you don't mention just HOW you're feeling the brunt of it. As you've been diabetic for a considerable period of time, I'm fairly sure that you're already aware that there are a number of diabetes-related complications that can befall someone that doesn't maintain good blood glucose control. (I know this from bitter experience. I've been type 1 myself for a few years longer than your good self and I've developed a number of those complications.)
You mentioned on 4th January that you'd got an appointment with "the diabetic team in 2 weeks". Presumably, you mean at Sandwell Diabetes Centre (it's at Sandwell District General Hospital ... at the rear, or the old Hallam part of the hospital). Has that happened yet? If so, what happened? Hopefully, you've found the staff that you met encouraging and knowledgeable. They're a good team there. (I live 'just down the road' from your good self, and have been using that hospital ever since I was a kid. The vast majority of the diabetes team(s) there, I've found, have been very good.)
My advice to you, sir, would be to try and 'keep on the books' at the hospital as, generally, they are much more knowledgeable about diabetes than your GP might be.
I don't know how you feel about attending courses, but there's one aimed specifically at type 1 diabetics called DAFNE (Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating). This is an excellent course, but there aren't many places available. You'd need to ask the diabetes team to try and get you on one. (Actually, some of the diabetes team are Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs) and I do believe that they run some of the course at Sandwell itself now. (I had to go to City Hospital, Birmingham.) It's a week long course, but the advice and guidance that you receive is second to none. Having had diabetes for so long, you MAY think that you know all that there is to know. You MAY, in fact, be very knowledgeable about diabetes but, to be honest, it doesn't hurt to get a 'refresher' on diabetes, and learn some of the new ideas and techniques that are in use nowadays. I've obtained more confidence in carrying out basal rate testing, when to do it, how to do it, what the results mean (how to interpret them), and how to make adjustments to my insulin doses. Plus, you'll get to meet other type 1 diabetics who MAY be going through the same as yourself. It's a good way to chat with others on an informal basis, knowing that they know just what it's like to be diabetic. (There's every chance that, with your knowledge and experience, you'll be able to offer advice to others.) (Part of the course DOES involved carb counting ... explaining how to count them, the different types of carbs, the sorts of effects that the different types of carbs will have on your blood glucose levels, etc. ... and no-one is there to belittle you or make fun of you. They really are helpful.)
Do, please, feel free to send me a message if you'd like to know more. (Click on my name and it SHOULD take you to my profile. I will check again to make sure that I've included my email address.)
As an afterthought, are you getting regular checkups of eyes, feet, blood pressure, kidney function, HbA1c level, etc.? You SHOULD be. It SHOULD be part of your overall diabetes care plan, and something that whichever doctor is taking care of you SHOULD be doing, or arranging.
As has already been mentioned, sir, it's never too late to start taking control. You do mention that "i kind of neglected myself and I am starting to feel the brunt of it", but you don't mention just HOW you're feeling the brunt of it. As you've been diabetic for a considerable period of time, I'm fairly sure that you're already aware that there are a number of diabetes-related complications that can befall someone that doesn't maintain good blood glucose control. (I know this from bitter experience. I've been type 1 myself for a few years longer than your good self and I've developed a number of those complications.)
You mentioned on 4th January that you'd got an appointment with "the diabetic team in 2 weeks". Presumably, you mean at Sandwell Diabetes Centre (it's at Sandwell District General Hospital ... at the rear, or the old Hallam part of the hospital). Has that happened yet? If so, what happened? Hopefully, you've found the staff that you met encouraging and knowledgeable. They're a good team there. (I live 'just down the road' from your good self, and have been using that hospital ever since I was a kid. The vast majority of the diabetes team(s) there, I've found, have been very good.)
My advice to you, sir, would be to try and 'keep on the books' at the hospital as, generally, they are much more knowledgeable about diabetes than your GP might be.
I don't know how you feel about attending courses, but there's one aimed specifically at type 1 diabetics called DAFNE (Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating). This is an excellent course, but there aren't many places available. You'd need to ask the diabetes team to try and get you on one. (Actually, some of the diabetes team are Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs) and I do believe that they run some of the course at Sandwell itself now. (I had to go to City Hospital, Birmingham.) It's a week long course, but the advice and guidance that you receive is second to none. Having had diabetes for so long, you MAY think that you know all that there is to know. You MAY, in fact, be very knowledgeable about diabetes but, to be honest, it doesn't hurt to get a 'refresher' on diabetes, and learn some of the new ideas and techniques that are in use nowadays. I've obtained more confidence in carrying out basal rate testing, when to do it, how to do it, what the results mean (how to interpret them), and how to make adjustments to my insulin doses. Plus, you'll get to meet other type 1 diabetics who MAY be going through the same as yourself. It's a good way to chat with others on an informal basis, knowing that they know just what it's like to be diabetic. (There's every chance that, with your knowledge and experience, you'll be able to offer advice to others.) (Part of the course DOES involved carb counting ... explaining how to count them, the different types of carbs, the sorts of effects that the different types of carbs will have on your blood glucose levels, etc. ... and no-one is there to belittle you or make fun of you. They really are helpful.)
Do, please, feel free to send me a message if you'd like to know more. (Click on my name and it SHOULD take you to my profile. I will check again to make sure that I've included my email address.)
As an afterthought, are you getting regular checkups of eyes, feet, blood pressure, kidney function, HbA1c level, etc.? You SHOULD be. It SHOULD be part of your overall diabetes care plan, and something that whichever doctor is taking care of you SHOULD be doing, or arranging.
micksmixxx
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 88
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
Hi Baggies1968,
I've just checked my profile, as I said I would, and found that my email address had 'disappeared' from there. I've re-added it, but I'm not sure whether it's diabetes.co.uk trying to protect us from people surreptituously 'harvesting' email addresses in order to send spam.
I've just checked my profile, as I said I would, and found that my email address had 'disappeared' from there. I've re-added it, but I'm not sure whether it's diabetes.co.uk trying to protect us from people surreptituously 'harvesting' email addresses in order to send spam.
micksmixxx
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 88
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
Dear Baggies1968,
I'm afraid, sir, that I need to update you on the DAFNE courses that I mentioned in my previous post. They are NOT held at Sandwell District General Hospital. I asked my diabetes specialist nurse when I attended the Diabetes Centre yesterday. There are several places where the course is held that are quite close to West Brom ... Oldbury being one of them. There's a place in Wednesbury too, but I'm afraid I've forgotten the name of the place where it's held. If you're interested I can phone my diabetes specialist nurse (DSN) and ask her for the details again, but you'd still need to be referred to get on one of the courses and, as I mentioned in my previous post, there aren't that many places available ... yet.
I'm afraid, sir, that I need to update you on the DAFNE courses that I mentioned in my previous post. They are NOT held at Sandwell District General Hospital. I asked my diabetes specialist nurse when I attended the Diabetes Centre yesterday. There are several places where the course is held that are quite close to West Brom ... Oldbury being one of them. There's a place in Wednesbury too, but I'm afraid I've forgotten the name of the place where it's held. If you're interested I can phone my diabetes specialist nurse (DSN) and ask her for the details again, but you'd still need to be referred to get on one of the courses and, as I mentioned in my previous post, there aren't that many places available ... yet.
debbieobbie
Member
- Messages
- 5
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- diabetes
I've been reading about your hba1c so high,
I was reading about your hba1c being up so high I too have a problem with it being high 89 on the last test.Now i'm getting numb feelings in my feet, this must be due to my sugar levels. Strange thing is i try very hard to get my bloods right. I check my levels at least 4 times a day. I carb count, watch what i eat, i just can't get it down.
I would like to hear if you sorted yours out.
