Every year I trundle off to my annual appt.
The appoint is because I've been diagnosed 15+ yrs ago with a benign pituitary gland tumour which f**ks *p a number of my hormones. I also have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) which may, or may not be related to the tumour, but certainly contributes to the hormone 'interference levels.'
This year, I went in better educated, more curious, and with a list of questions - so THANK YOU ALL, you marvellous people on this forum, because without you, and your collective knowledge, I wouldn't have made nearly so much use of the appt!
Results:
The last 12 months on reduced tumour medication did not have the desired effect of showing the tumour had shrunk. It hasn't. My prolactin levels are back above (waaaay above) normal, with accompanying symptoms.
My hormones are more screwed than they were 12 months ago, and so I'm now back up on the bigger dose.
(I'm pleased about this because life has not been as comfortable since they dropped the dose)
Blood pressure and weight are both down on last year.
I was congratulated, and he made it clear that with my tumour/PCOS combo, weight loss is VERY challenging.
(I can thank very low carb for this!)
Blood results show that I am not yet experiencing menopause
(Bummer that, because I'm counting the minutes! Post menopause has got to be an improvement on the current hormone chaos.)
Apparently, with the tumour and the PCOS, my diabetes was inevitable
(that's his word choice. He also said that 'we knew it was going to happen, and I'd have expected it earlier').
We discussed my lack of T2 diagnosis
(my doc won't diagnose without an oral glucose tolerance test, and I won't take one, because the last one made me feel like death and I lost 2 days work because my eyes went blurry and I couldn't drive).
He agreed that my meter results are at diabetic levels. But they are at levels where diet and exercise are the usual treatment options.
I am 6.5-8.5 fasting, and eating carbs will take me up to the mid teens. By low carbing, I keep BG between 5 and 7, rarely as high as 8.
I talked about strictly controlling carb portions, but didn't go as far as mentioning LCHF.
But I had my Trudi Deakin book 'Eat Fat' holstered in my bag, in case I needed it.
In his opinion, if I am self funding my BG testing and keeping track of my levels, then I can carry on as I am. He thinks the OGTT is useful to catch diabetes early, and allow treatment to slow diabetes down. If I am already monitoring it myself, and controlling by diet, then a diagnosis is far less important. He stressed that if I should see my levels increasing, I should go to doc and get a diagnosis, but left it to me to decide when.
And we talked about metformin. He said that if my levels rose, metformin would be a good drug choice, but would be a post-diagnosis option, not something he would go for now, despite the PCOS.
I would have been interested to see if metformin would have an effect on my dawn phenomenon and fasting levels, but can see his argument is valid, and if I am managing without it then why take an unnecessary drug?
All in all, a VERY productive appt.
And he treated me like a functioning adult throughout.
The appoint is because I've been diagnosed 15+ yrs ago with a benign pituitary gland tumour which f**ks *p a number of my hormones. I also have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) which may, or may not be related to the tumour, but certainly contributes to the hormone 'interference levels.'
This year, I went in better educated, more curious, and with a list of questions - so THANK YOU ALL, you marvellous people on this forum, because without you, and your collective knowledge, I wouldn't have made nearly so much use of the appt!
Results:
The last 12 months on reduced tumour medication did not have the desired effect of showing the tumour had shrunk. It hasn't. My prolactin levels are back above (waaaay above) normal, with accompanying symptoms.
My hormones are more screwed than they were 12 months ago, and so I'm now back up on the bigger dose.
(I'm pleased about this because life has not been as comfortable since they dropped the dose)Blood pressure and weight are both down on last year.
I was congratulated, and he made it clear that with my tumour/PCOS combo, weight loss is VERY challenging.
(I can thank very low carb for this!)Blood results show that I am not yet experiencing menopause
(Bummer that, because I'm counting the minutes! Post menopause has got to be an improvement on the current hormone chaos.)Apparently, with the tumour and the PCOS, my diabetes was inevitable
(that's his word choice. He also said that 'we knew it was going to happen, and I'd have expected it earlier').
We discussed my lack of T2 diagnosis
(my doc won't diagnose without an oral glucose tolerance test, and I won't take one, because the last one made me feel like death and I lost 2 days work because my eyes went blurry and I couldn't drive).
He agreed that my meter results are at diabetic levels. But they are at levels where diet and exercise are the usual treatment options.
I am 6.5-8.5 fasting, and eating carbs will take me up to the mid teens. By low carbing, I keep BG between 5 and 7, rarely as high as 8.
I talked about strictly controlling carb portions, but didn't go as far as mentioning LCHF.
But I had my Trudi Deakin book 'Eat Fat' holstered in my bag, in case I needed it.
In his opinion, if I am self funding my BG testing and keeping track of my levels, then I can carry on as I am. He thinks the OGTT is useful to catch diabetes early, and allow treatment to slow diabetes down. If I am already monitoring it myself, and controlling by diet, then a diagnosis is far less important. He stressed that if I should see my levels increasing, I should go to doc and get a diagnosis, but left it to me to decide when.
And we talked about metformin. He said that if my levels rose, metformin would be a good drug choice, but would be a post-diagnosis option, not something he would go for now, despite the PCOS.
I would have been interested to see if metformin would have an effect on my dawn phenomenon and fasting levels, but can see his argument is valid, and if I am managing without it then why take an unnecessary drug?
All in all, a VERY productive appt.
And he treated me like a functioning adult throughout.
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. Would you actually gain anything by having an " official " diagnosis ? Given that your case is not straightforward, would he consider prescribing test strips , for example ? 
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