I have been T2 Diabetic for over 12 years. During that time I once never tested at all, relying on the odd HbA1c tests. These all seemed fine at the time so I thought I was doing OK. Then all sorts of complications started and gradually I realised that I had no idea what was actually going on in my body regarding blood glucose levels.
Then I came here to this forum some 15 months ago and saw that many people whether newbies or not were regularly testing their Bg levels throughout the day. So, I started to do the same.....what an eye opener that was ! Bg levels up in the 15's and higher yet my HbA1c was always supposed to be OK. How was that ?
I found that because of testing before meals and then 1 and 2 hrs after meals, sometimes 3 and 4 hrs even, there were certain foods which were definitely BAD for me. I cut these foods out totally first of all using a low carb diet. This worked for a while but I found it too restrictive and started to carefully re-introduce them back in very small portions. That kept the Bg levels under control providing I kept strict control by testing frequently. I now use a reduced carbs/low GI/GL method to control my bg levels. This seems to work very well for me.
I was then put on hypo inducing drugs, Byetta and a small amount of Gliclazide. The pre and post meal testing then was imperative as I frequently found my Bg levels, because they were well controlled during the day started to plummet after meals and I ended up in hypo territory. Not a place I relished ! I had to test to know this. It was also important as a person who drives long distances frequently I needed to know exactly what was going on. I couldn't just guess what my levels were. It would be criminal to drive with low or high Bg levels. I usually feel bad whichever direction my bg levels are going but I have to test to know which way as sometimes the symptoms can be similar. We are all different in this respect.
I have just gone through 6 months of Cancer treatment and my HbA1c climbed to 7% :shock:
For me that was horrendous.......I now find that my HbA1c has dropped to 6.8% despite the fact that I almost daily had Bg levels of up to 23.9 mmol/l because that was a side effect of the drugs I had to take ! If I only used the HbA1c as a benchmark I would be totally wrong in how well my Diabetes was controlled. My daily averages were sometimes as high as 9 mmol/l, that is the true indicator not my HbA1c level. A graph of my daily readings looks like the plans for an Alton Towers Rollercoaster ride........ :shock: The levels are still dropping thank goodness. Mainly now I am aware of all this and can take steps to get back my previous good control which was all levels 98% on target as compared to the present 34% which is improving all the time. Without testing pre and post meals I would have no idea what is going on.
Good control allowed me to discard glasses which I needed for distance and my eyesight has gone back to pre 2001 levels......all because of tight control, even after 12+ years. I am sure that I have also staved off other complications which can result from poorly controlled diabetes.
This is all from my own experience over time and what I do/did may not work for some. It worked for me and I am a staunch advocate of regular testing, particularly for newbies and even if you are experienced. No two days are the same and there are always variables which can affect Bg levels so I never take things 'as read'. A little testing doesn't stress me out, doesn't make me paranoid, just gives me peace of mind and power over my Diabetes. I remain firmly in control which is exactly how I like to be.
Ken