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Life after burnout

Just got my results!

Hba1c: 5.6% or 37,7 mmol/mol. So on the high end of the normal non-diabetic range.
An amazing result if one considers that I have only been back controlling my sugars for just over a month!

Whether by coincidence or not, the app I use for recording my levels was exactly spot on in its prediction of Hba1c





More than happy with this as I am with my cholesterol levels:

Total: 152 mg/dl (not certain but I think this is 3,9 mmol/l)
LDL: 87 mg/dl (2,28 mmol/l)
HDL: 36,6 mg/dl (0,94 mmol/l)
Triglycerides: 141,6 mg/dl (1.59 mmol/l)

Liver, kidney and thyroid function indicators/enzymes all with normal parameters (must remember to get previous test results to compare)

I have low hemoglobin and iron levels apparently, so I was told to take good suppliers for iron, b vitamins and follic acid. This may well be the reason that I feel so tired.

Only really worrying result was something called ESR that for men should be less than 10 mm/he but my score is 90. Apparently this indicates inflammation somewhere in my body (my best guess is my poor knees and feet, that are aching from all the walking I have been doing). I shall have to book an appointment with my doctor to discuss this.

Overall not bad I would say!

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pavlosn said:
Hi Mike D

I am forgetting my manners. I never asked how you are. I hope you are well on top of things and taming this diabetes beast as much as possible.

Keep well


Sent from my SM-G935F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
Click to expand...

Hi Paylos ... thank you As good as I can be but it requires constant vigilance. You sometimes can only do so much so it's a huge learning experience and brother, I have learned a lot. Started out as stupid and hope I've improved somewhat. I trust your wife and son are well, and as for you, keep up the fight

My best ... Mike
 
Elevated ESR can also be caused by aneamia or infection
 
badcat said:
Elevated ESR can also be caused by aneamia or infection
Click to expand...
The guy at the lab that discussed the results with me said that the low heamoglobin/iron could be at least in part causing the elevated ESR. That seems consistent with your reference to anaemia.

He also said that pain in leg joints could also be the reason.

He suggested that I concentrate on increasing my iron/hemoglobin levels through food supplements and retest after a month.

What he said seems reasonable but I will book to see my doctor just the same for a general check up and to show him the results.

I suspect trying to find out exactly what is causing this upnormal result when I don't have other symptoms could be an expensive and time consuming exercise.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 
Yesterday's results of my lab blood test are playing on my mind.

The initial elation of the better than expected Hba1c (37,7 mmol/mol) and lipid count has already passed. These were not really the numbers that I was worried about. I did not expect them to be this good this soon into my return but I still think of them as interim results with the true result to be seen at the end of three months not one.

I was genuinely relieved that the tests do not indicate any liver or kidney trouble.

I am concerned though with the low haemoglobin and iron numbers. This is a new development, something that I did not face before. On the one hand it accounts for why I have been feeling weak and hopefully with the supplements I am now taking (iron, follic acid and vitamin C and B) things will get better. The question remains though, why did I suddenly have such low numbers? Could it be that I overdid the dieting? I have not really been calorie, or for that matter carb counting. I lost about 5kg in five weeks. I don't believe this is excessive but...

The nagging worry is that by taking these food supplements I may be addressing the symptoms while possibly even masking the underlying cause.

Then there is the very high ESR count.

I need some answers and some reassurance that I am not heading down the wrong path.

Which means it is time to book an appointment with my doctor.

On another note my son is back to school today.

I usually drive him to school myself most days but yesterday I told my wife that I can no longer do that as it is a choice between that, and being able to go on my morning walk, which rightly or wrongly I view as an integral part of my diabetes routine.

I need to stick to a routine, keep the good habits going. In fact, looking back I can see that it was when I started driving him to school and my routine was disrupted that I became lax about my diabetes care in general

I enjoyed driving him to be honest but I don't want to risk it.

I feel selfish at the moment, maybe a little unfair on my wife but I need her to support my efforts to stay healthy.

On a much more pleasant note here a photo of beautiful pink trumpet vine Podranea Ricasoliana taken during this morning's walk; another 5km but at a much more leisurely pace to be a little kinder on my feet.



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Early morning Nicosia today

Weight down to 84,6kg today, which means I have shed 6kg in the last six weeks but more importantly, for the first time in over two decades my bmi is a "normal" 25. I am officially no longer classed as overweight (just).


Schoolkids heading for school
 
Seeing my doctor this afternoon. First time in two years. Not sure how it will play!
 
Hi @pavlosn

I have just been doing a quick google re anaemia and HbA1c.
I recalled reading that anaemia will affect the HbA1c, so went to find the info. However, I have just found out that different types of anaemia will affect the HbA1c differently, and may in some circumstances give a very misleading diagnosis.

There is an alternative test which is (I think) called the Fructosamine test, which is routinely used for people with anaemia, because of the known difficulties with an accurate HbA1c.

So rather than post you a superficial link, I am urging you to have a good read around yourself, and discuss it with your doc, because you may need them to do some further testing on the anaemia.

Hope that helps!
 
@Brunneria

Thank you. I am aware that anaemia does affect Hba1c. I am rather hoping that I do not have aneamia though!

My hope is that my low hemoglobin and blood iron are a consequence of the dieting rather than an underlying condition.

The iron supplements and vitamins seem to be working as I am feeling a lot better these days.

I continue to monitor my glucose a number of times a day so I know that my levels are good, non diabetic in fact so Hba1c is not really a major concern at the moment.

The elevated ESR is. Again let us see what the doctor has to say about it.

It will also be an opportunity to schedule further tests (stress test etc) to make sure that all is OK.

I guess I will have to be patient a couple more hours and hear what the doctor has to say about it all.
 
As expected doctor is concerned with low iron and hemoglobin and high ESR.

Also as expected, I was told off for taking the iron supplement and B vitamins "treating the symptoms without knowing what the underlying cause is".

He could be quoting me!

He appears to be worrying that I may be "losing blood" somewhere.

He has ordered a number of further tests:

- I have already given blood for further analysis. From what I saw, he asked for vitamin B12 level (as I take metformin) and a number of "cancer indicators". As these were also included in the last full blood analysis he had me do two years ago, but I did not ask for them to be done this time round, I am hoping that he is just including them for the same of completeness and to be thorough (I had reminded him of my dad's bladder cancer during the visit) rather than because he suspects something. He has a good poker face so it is hard to tell and some things I am too much of a coward to ask outright. I should have the results of the blood tests by lunch time tomorrow anyway.

- I am supposed to provide stool samples on three separate days to test for any sign of blood. Gross!

- I am also to have an abdominal ultrasound. I booked this for the next available date, which is next Wednesday. Far too long to wait for a worryer like me.

He also mentioned that depending on results, I may need to have a gasteroscopy and colonoscopy. There is a stay of execution on these "joys" though, pending the outcome of the first tests.

Diabetes hardly got a mention. When I asked if I could trust my Hba1c score of 5,6% or whether this was suspect given my low hemoglobin level, he said that I don't have the type of anemia that affects Hba1c and that 5,6 is a "good" score.
 
Good news.
Well, not good that you are being subjected to a barrage of tests, some of which may prove inconvenient.
But very good that he is taking things seriously, and running all those tests.
He sounds like a good'un
 
If it is any reassurance. My blood test came up with inflammation and infection. I'm still awaiting for the infection to show itself. GPs check for chest infections but no rattling etc so told I have a virus. Well I did last time I was totally ill.
I'm my normal diabetic self. Where I have days where any higher than normal bg wipes me out. My tolerance for anything other than normal makes me feel fatigued.
I believe inflammation and infection markers are my normal. At least have become.
Luckily I was discharged from cardiologist with mild atherosclerosis.
Some argue inflammation causes this. Some argue long term use of statins help with inflammation in the vessels. I'm not sure. I still don't take a statin because my cholesterol is 4.2 total and good breakdown results too.
Hdl is to be highest number to be excellent and ldl is to be the lowest (mine is less than 0.1). Or so I'm left to believe?
 
I have been taking statins for at least the last two decades. I suffer from familial hyperglycaemia, which is a fancy way of saying hereditary high cholesterol. Without statins my cholesterol could easily exceed double figures with most of that being LDL or bad cholesterol. With statins and Low carb diet my latest figure was 3,9 of which LDL was 2,2 and HDL close to 1.

I am not sure that 0,1 number for your LDL count sounds right. It seems far too low. I am not sure we don't actually need it to be higher to be healthy.
 
Sorry I ment less than 1.0 for ldl. Sorry.
Wow well done on fantastic cholestrol results, very impressive.
You are a trooper.
My partner who isn't diabetic has statins for high cholesterol and yours are better than his.
Fantastic result.
 
A refresher recently stated hdl needs to be higher than ldl as hdl is the components and ldl are the carriers! Apparently!
If too many carriers but not enough components transportation is less effective. (Reminded me of coals from newcastle by freight train trucks. Ha ha)

Did you get told similiar?
 
I am the worst at having to wait.

Only slept a couple of hours last night. Too stressed.

Thankfully my morning sugars were not affected by this being 5,0 mmol.

Morning walk became an exercise in managing stress levels rather than any attempt for extra fitness.

I wish I did not find waiting for medical test results so stressful, logic says I should be relaxed about them but this is a trick I have never managed to pick up. I remember even taking my pregnant wife for pre natal routine ultrasound checks was enough to keep me up the night before.

Thankfully I managed aged to find another hospital willing to give me the abdominal ultrasound test at 6 today. In Cyprus who you know is at least as important as what you know. I called a doctor friend of mine who managed to convince them to fit me in at the end of their normal appointments.

"Turn up at 6 and they will be expecting you" he said. "If they ask who referred you give them my name". He is a professor/consultant head of one of the departments in the hospital.

What department?

Gynaecology!
 
Being in the waiting room for tests (and results of tests) is awful. I just have to tell myself that worrying won't change a thing, only make it worse. Good that you only have to wait till 6. I hope all goes well for you - and that they don't start looking for female body parts!
 
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