Hooray for me!

[dreamer_easy]

My hba1c blood test came back with a 6.3 average. To translate this into English, I'm managing my diabetes very well, and considerably better than on the last test earlier in the year. Huzzah!

(Ryss, you asked about my thyroid - turns out I had it checked at the start of the year and all was normal. I'd forgotten all about that amongst all the needles that get stuck in me, so thanks for reminding me to ask!)

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bigjobbies_/]

Hemoglobin A1c - it's basically a hemoglobin A molecule with a glucose molecule stuck to it. As the average blood glucose level increases, a higher percentage of hemoglobin get a glucose molecule attached.

Red blood cells get turned over roughly every three months - so measuring the A1c level gives a good idea of how well controlled you've been over the previous three months.

Levels between 6 and 7 indicate good control. Yay !

You probably knew most of that - I don't think the 1c stands for anything exciting - it's probably the aribtary name somebody called the peak on a chromatograph....

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

Ta - I must have been told all that when I was first diagnosed, but a lot of it has fallen out of my brain by now. :-)