• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • A1Cs
  • Contact
  • Archives
  • Taming The Tiger
Scott's Diabetes

Scott's Diabetes

Helping you see your strength

Who’s tricking who?

May 5, 2008 By Scott K. Johnson 16 Comments

The lab technician was so bad that I actually had to tell her to take the needle out and try again.  She was after “old faithful”, a reliable vein that no other lab tech has ever missed.   I have a pretty high tolerance for the lab draws, but even I couldn’t watch this.  It felt like she had the needle buried all the way in, and was twisting it around like a cooking spoon in some mashed potatoes.  She hit the mark on her second attempt, and a couple tubes of red gold later I was out of there.  That was Friday, April 25th.

My endo appointment was one week away, and I couldn’t wait.  I was excited to hear what kind of result using symlin would have on my A1C.  I have never expected a lower A1C as much as I did for this appointment.

I was so excited that I tried calling in on Monday and Tuesday to get the results over the phone.  Monday they hadn’t arrived yet, Tuesday they were there but the nurse would not give me the result over the phone.  I resigned myself to patiently wait until my Friday appointment.

Friday morning rolled around and I could not WAIT!!!  Is that crazy or what?!  I was excited for my quarterly endo appointment!

Headshot of Bernard HopkinsIt was almost like watching a rigged boxing match.  I watched every punch, every blow, every miss.  I watched an early round knockdown.  I watched a masterful boxer steadily and methodically pick apart his opponent.  I watched the momentum ever so slowly drain out of one fighter, and as if it were some sort of siphon, it filled the other with confidence and energy.  For twelve rounds it was very clear who was winning the fight.  And the judges gave it to the other guy.

My A1C has gone up a bit, and I am shocked, stunned, saddened, and crushed.  Unsure of what to think, unsure of what to say.  Unsure of which way is up or down, right or wrong.

I felt that my blood sugars had been better than ever for the past three months.  Better than ever, other than the five years of my life pre-diagnosis.  Do you understand what I’m saying?

So what’s next?  I need to let my emotions draw down a little bit, then sit back and analyze the tape.

I’ve not been logging much, so maybe my “good” blood sugars have not been all that good at all.  I test with about five different meters, which creates a boatload of confusion and chaos trying to download into a single program or logbook.  I don’t have any records to point back to and say “Look!  I really DID do so much better than my crappy A1C indicates”.

Maybe I’m not catching my highs.  Even with doing upwards of 8-10 tests per day, there are many spots where I could simply be missing trouble.  I’ve tried some of the CGM devices out there, and may move towards one solution soon.  They are very expensive though, which is unfortunately a show stopper for me currently.

So for the time being, I will be diligent about entering all my tests into my pump, so I have a single data source.  This will give me a little better picture of what is going on.

In the meantime?   I HATE HOW UNFAIR DIABETES IS SOMETIMES!!!!

Filed Under: Blog Posts Tagged With: Lab Draw, Symlin, Unfair

guest
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

16 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Primary Sidebar

Image of Scott K. Johnson
Scott K. Johnson

About Scott

Patient voice, speaker, writer, advocate. Living life with diabetes and telling my story. Patient Success Manager, USA for mySugr (All opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily represent the position of my employer).

Diagnosed in April of 1980, I recognize the incredible mental struggle of living with diabetes. Read more...

Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Tweets by scottkjohnson

Footer

DISCLAIMER & POLICIES
I am not a medical professional. Nothing on this site is medical advice and is not meant to replace medical advice. Contact your doctor for questions about your health. All opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily represent the position of my employer

Here are my advertising policies, disclosures & guidelines, privacy information, and terms & conditions.

  • He was the best I could ask for
  • #ScottsDeathRide 💀🚴‍♂️ – I rode 103.3 miles through Death Valley!
  • #ScottsDeathRide 💀🚴‍♂️ – weeks 13-15 – In a RUT!
  • #ScottsDeathRide – Raffle for sweet cycling gear!
  • #ScottsDeathRide 💀🚴‍♂️ – weeks 10-12 spokes and spikes

Copyright © 2021

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.