Day 12 - Fourteenth Camp Blog Entry
July 29th, 2009 by SteveWebinar Tonight! - see below to get more info on how to attend.
Like it or not, diabetes care involves numbers. Some might say too many numbers. But one number that anyone with diabetes should know is their own hemoglobin A1C number, plus what it means.
I continue to meet patients from other practices that don’t know their last A1C value. It might be because the doctor draws the test after the visit and doesn’t get back to the patient about results. It could be that the doctor doesn’t order the test at all. That still happens. Worse yet, the doctor may draw the test and have the value at hand, yet not know how or when to act on the results.
A hemoglobin A1C test looks back several months and is an indicator of the average level of blood sugar control. It is expressed as a percentage. Recently, there has been an emphasis on converting the value to a number the patient can better relate to: the average blood sugar level in mg/dl, which are the units displayed on glucose meters in the US.
The A1C can be measured with a simple finger poke, or may be drawn from the arm. Some devices can report the result in minutes; others are handled like any other laboratory study and take a day or two to result. The ADA recommends that A1C values be targeted for 7% or lower. Anything higher should be evaluated for possible changes in management or discussion of existing diabetes self care practices with the patient. Other organizations suggest A1C be under 6.5%. There is already a major report that suggests the A1C test be formally accepted as one way to diagnose diabetes. The results are working their way through the diabetes medical establishment for final adoption.
Therefore, today’s Diabetes Challenge Question of the Day is about the A1C: YOURS: how often each year do you get your hemoglobin A1C measured; and if so do you know the most recent result? What kind of advice do you get from your diabetes doctor about your A1C levels? Is it supportive, critical or dismissive? Is your most recent value 9% or higher? If so, do you have a plan for getting it lower? And when do you get your next A1c to see how you’re making progress?
Webinar Tonight
I will not be posting an informational blog today due to the scheduled Diabetes Webinar tonight. The Webinar is scheduled to start at 8 PM CST and end at 9PM (Central Time). Updated links are posted to the site http://lionscamp.com/webinar.htm. Attendees from last Wednesday night are invited to rejoin the webinar next week if you had to leave early. During the day, join me at my twitter site for more one liners and candid photos of your kids being kids at http://twitter.com/Dr_Steve_Ponder . If you have any questions or comments about camp, please let me know anytime at Stephen.Ponder@dchstx.org.
Photo Gallery - check back later in the day and I’ll have a few posted.
Last 5 posts by Steve
- Halloween and Diabetes CAN mix! - October 5th, 2009
- Introducing Healthy Families of South Texas - October 5th, 2009
- Complications 101 - About Kidney Failure - August 23rd, 2009
- The Sleep Bolus - August 18th, 2009
- The Dirty Truth Behind DCCT - August 16th, 2009
July 29th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
My daughter’s last A1c was done on Tuesday, July 21st, and was 6.8%. It is tested with a finger prick and the doctor tells us the results as soon as he walks in to speak with us. He is always very supportive and helpful, speaking to my daughter face-to-face. He is a Type 1 and speaks to her with knowledge and understanding. Her A1c is checked every 3-4 months, and has been since her diagnosis 3 years ago. The highest so far has been 7.6%, which did not surprise us because a lot of that time period was spent working out kinks in the use of the pump. She had problems at first with the infusion set becoming bent and not delivering insulin. We switched to an angled set, which solved that problem. There were other problems as we all adjusted to the pump, but the diabetes nurse, who also is a Type 1 and is married to the doctor, allows us to call her cell phone at any time of day or night. She has always helped us solve issues quickly. Our next appointment is in 4 months.
July 29th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
I wanted to mention that our diabetes nurse, Kelly Crumpler, has been a camp nurse at Texas Lions Camp for years! She is the sole reason my husband would consider sending our daughter so far from home. She so enthusiastically supports the camp and the wonders it does for the children that my husband realized it might be a good idea after all. We were sorry to miss Kelly’s week at camp, but we couldn’t fit the first session in our schedule.
July 29th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Our daughters last A1C was 7.3 and that was done on July the 20th. We have gotten hers done every 3 months over the last 3 years. We have recently started seeing a new doctor at a satelite office in order to be close to home. He is a doctor that will tell you exactly what he has on his mind which can be a good thing but also can be a bad thing. He doesn’t mind if he hurts your feeling or the childs so that being said i have learned to use other parents and websites and read alot to try and give our daughter the best outcome.
I just wanted to thank you Dr Ponder for this camp and what you do for the kids!! YOU ROCK!!!! If we where closer to you we would be your patient in a heart beat! Please keep posting and tweetering we love it!!
July 30th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Paulla:
Check out my website http://www.diabeteshousecall.com. You might be pleased to know that we have developed a working method to see our kids with type 1 diabetes in a virtual way, plus the exciting thing is that BCBS of Texas is now paying for it! I expect others to follow suit. A new era has dawned!