how do they know

Maybe shes a witch or something, what a bold statement. I'd be interested too if anyone else knows.

To be honest I dont know how they work it out but my GP looked my first HA1bc reading up in a book and he said that with my level that the book states I prob have been diabetic for 7 years but he personaly thinks for me around 5 years :eh:

I was too much in shock to ask at the time.

Hi, :?

Its just like how they work out the miles per gallon on a new car, they use perfect condition's by the book to give us results.

however today's roads and drivers including weather can cause many different styles to reach individual MPH.

Therefore doctors nurses and DN's etc; should respect our opinions and then advise accordingly.

Luckily my doctor and nurse do listen, yet the Desmond NHS staff seemed to have been on a different planet on the coarse I went on.

Roy :|

They can't know for sure, I know the consultant looked through my records for other things in past year so he could def say I had been diabetic for over a year as it showed up on one of the many blood tests that I had during a&e trips.

If you look at one of the research papers referred to on the Forum in the last week it appears many cases of diabetes come on very quickly and not gradually as some GPs suggest. I believe it's guesswork by HCPs and I'd like to see the research statistics that support the notion so we have some factual basis.

I agree with Daibell - in hindsight I realised that a very fast drop in weight (some 2 stone in 2/3 months) some few months before my diagnosis was clearly the quick onset of Diabetes. Funnily though, I never had any of the other symptoms indicating the illness - I went to the doctor experiencing shortness of breath (I was not overweight) which was the only reason she took the bloods which was the confirmation.

oh deaer - funnilly funnilly funnilly

Oh dear - I was right first time - what is happening to me today?

Not a witch, retinopathy takes time to develop so you will have had higher glucose levels for some time. If levels go up gradually people don't necessarily experience any symptoms. Unfortunately diabetes can be insidious.
There is study based on a large number of people with T2 in the UK. It is quite old (1992) but is still frequently referred to in more recent papers.
It suggests that if retinopathy is present at diagnosis then that person may have had diabetes for 4-7 years but the definition used for retinopathy was a more severe form than 'background' which you have.
Background retinopathy is the earliest stage of retinopathy and doesn't affect your sight. With good control many people have reported that they have had no progression and sometimes are told that it no longer shows on their screening photos.