A diagnosis of diabetes requires new vocabulary words—and some choice expletives. Many words in diabetes lingo have four letters, but only a few—diet, carb, shot, ouch, test, high, meds, cash—can be shared in polite company.
Whether you’re on an exam table wearing nothing but a flimsy gown, receiving results by telephone, or staring at a meter that says 126 mg/dl or above, a diagnosis of diabetes rocks your world.
I’ve inhabited this world for more than 36 years (diagnosed age 4 with type 1). My sincere hope is that we’ll find cures in my lifetime—or yours. But until that day, let’s take good care of each other. Here’s a list of the lab tests you should get (pdf) to monitor diabetes and prevent complications.
Kelly Rawlings is the Editor of Diabetic Living magazine. She has had type 1 diabetes since 1973. Follow Kelly on Twitter: @KellyRawlings.
When you hear “You have diabetes,” you’re not alone. There are many people with diabetes (PWDs) who are happy to help translate. In fact, PWDs are the most caring group I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. Millions of PWDs talk the talk and walk the walk (and poke the fingers and count the carbs) every day. They provide a wealth of information, approaches, and—most important—support and encouragement.
Here’s one bit of encouragement: Concentrate on the ABCs of diabetes. Diabetes management involves three key goals: managing blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipids (cholesterol) to prevent or minimize damage to your heart and blood vessels, eyes, nerves, and kidneys. You likely will require medicine, and often more than one type, to achieve the targets. The targets, below, are general guidelines; you and your provider may decide tighter goals are best for you:
A is for … A1C (blood glucose)
Less than 7 percent
Blood glucose after fasting and before meals: 70–130 mg/dl
Blood glucose 1–2 hours after starting a meal: <180 mg/dl
B is for … Blood pressure
Less than 130/80 mmHg
Controlling blood pressure can provide great value in reducing blood vessel complications.
C is for … Cholesterol (blood lipids)
Total cholesterol: Less than 200 mg/dl
LDL (bad) cholesterol: Less than 100 mg/dl
(with heart disease: Less than 70 mg/dl)
HDL (good) cholesterol: Men: Greater than 40 mg/dl; Women: Greater than 50 mg/dl
Triglycerides: Less than 150 mg/dl
My numbers have much improved since I have discovered the diabetes online community (it’s all about diabetes, 24 hours a day). The bonds I have with PWDs on social networks such as www.tudiabetes.com, www.diabetesdaily.com, and www.twitter.com (search for the hashtag #bgnow to see blood glucose results) have encouraged me to check my blood sugars and do the dozens of things I do each day to ensure I enjoy many more years to come.
July 14, 2009, was the world’s first diabetes test-in, when hundreds of people checked their blood glucose levels and posted the results online. I look forward to another blood sugar check fest, www.bigbluetest.org, on November 14, 2009, World Diabetes Day. Checking blood sugars no longer needs to be a lonely endeavor or a hidden burden.
Please poke with me, for all of us.
Whether you’re on an exam table wearing nothing but a flimsy gown, receiving results by telephone, or staring at a meter that says 126 mg/dl or above, a diagnosis of diabetes rocks your world.
I’ve inhabited this world for more than 36 years (diagnosed age 4 with type 1). My sincere hope is that we’ll find cures in my lifetime—or yours. But until that day, let’s take good care of each other. Here’s a list of the lab tests you should get (pdf) to monitor diabetes and prevent complications.
Kelly Rawlings is the Editor of Diabetic Living magazine. She has had type 1 diabetes since 1973. Follow Kelly on Twitter: @KellyRawlings.
When you hear “You have diabetes,” you’re not alone. There are many people with diabetes (PWDs) who are happy to help translate. In fact, PWDs are the most caring group I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. Millions of PWDs talk the talk and walk the walk (and poke the fingers and count the carbs) every day. They provide a wealth of information, approaches, and—most important—support and encouragement.
Here’s one bit of encouragement: Concentrate on the ABCs of diabetes. Diabetes management involves three key goals: managing blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipids (cholesterol) to prevent or minimize damage to your heart and blood vessels, eyes, nerves, and kidneys. You likely will require medicine, and often more than one type, to achieve the targets. The targets, below, are general guidelines; you and your provider may decide tighter goals are best for you:
A is for … A1C (blood glucose)
Less than 7 percent
Blood glucose after fasting and before meals: 70–130 mg/dl
Blood glucose 1–2 hours after starting a meal: <180 mg/dl
B is for … Blood pressure
Less than 130/80 mmHg
Controlling blood pressure can provide great value in reducing blood vessel complications.
C is for … Cholesterol (blood lipids)
Total cholesterol: Less than 200 mg/dl
LDL (bad) cholesterol: Less than 100 mg/dl
(with heart disease: Less than 70 mg/dl)
HDL (good) cholesterol: Men: Greater than 40 mg/dl; Women: Greater than 50 mg/dl
Triglycerides: Less than 150 mg/dl
My numbers have much improved since I have discovered the diabetes online community (it’s all about diabetes, 24 hours a day). The bonds I have with PWDs on social networks such as www.tudiabetes.com, www.diabetesdaily.com, and www.twitter.com (search for the hashtag #bgnow to see blood glucose results) have encouraged me to check my blood sugars and do the dozens of things I do each day to ensure I enjoy many more years to come.
July 14, 2009, was the world’s first diabetes test-in, when hundreds of people checked their blood glucose levels and posted the results online. I look forward to another blood sugar check fest, www.bigbluetest.org, on November 14, 2009, World Diabetes Day. Checking blood sugars no longer needs to be a lonely endeavor or a hidden burden.
Please poke with me, for all of us.
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