A1c Countdown: It's Endo Time
Endo time...
Only 24 hours before the American Diabetes Association announced their new A1c guidelines for children 19 years old and under, Arden was in her Endocrinologist office for her quarterly appointment. We missed her previously scheduled appointment in April because of an illness. At that time the Doc told us, "Arden's A1cs have been good for the last year and a half... let's just get back together in June".
Skipping a quarterly appointment made me feel strange but the three months seemed to fly by and before I could wonder what happened to the time, it was June and I was signing Arden out of school just like we have every three months for the past 8 years. It was Endo time. I found myself thinking about those numbers as I drove to the office.
"Diagnosed in August of 2006... first Endo appointment was in early September..."
Then I counted off the months. "October, November, December... December of 2006 was her second visit. Then four in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 - we just skipped April of 2014, so this is maybe, Arden's 32nd visit to her Endocrinologist.
This thought made my heart heavy until I remembered my recent trip to the Dominican Republic, and I was quickly reminded that there is an entire planet full of people living with diabetes and most of them can only wish that they were able to visit a doctor. I adjusted my thinking and instead of the number 32 feeling like an albatross, it started to feel like a life preserver.
I walked into Arden's 32nd Endo appointment with a fresh set of eyes. Arden however, was not in the same mindset - she was preoccupied, unusually nervous and she seemed just a bit unsettled. When I asked her why she said, "I think I get a blood draw today... I really don't want to do that". A few minutes after we got into the waiting room a nurse called our name and we were off. These visits have their own pattern. Height, weight, blood pressure and other vitals happen in a room thats no bigger than a walk in closet, then we head down the hall for a hemoglobin A1c test and blood draw when necessary. The nurse started with Arden's A1c, loaded the sample into the machine and then ushered us to an exam room, "No orders for a blood draw in the computer", she said. Arden was relieved but confused, "I always get a blood test in the summer", she told me as the nurse left the exam room. Then she smiled as if she had gotten away with something big. About a month ago Arden experienced serious and sudden needle anxiety while at a dentist appointment, this was new for her, and I never imagined that it would translate to her Endo appointments because while she doesn't enjoy the blood draws, she has never resisted them or been afraid.
After the nurse left the exam room we chatted about softball for a minute (Arden's 9 year old All Star team had just won their tournament the day before) and then I snuck back to the phlebotomists room to get an early peek at her A1c result.
Arden's A1c has been steadily improving for the past two years but this was our first experience with skipping a quarterly appointment and I was irrationally concerned that would mean an increase from Arden's last result of 6.7. When I arrived in the room, it was empty and there was about one minute left in the process... just enough time to get my phone out of my pocket.
Watch the ten second video before you read on - trust me.
My heart did a backflip when "6.2" appeared on the screen, a back flip. In July of 2009 Arden's A1c went from 8.5 to 8 when we switched from shots to the OmniPod insulin pump. In October of 2012 I blogged about the factors that I believed helped get us to her new best of 7.5. I remember just hoping for 7.4 in June of 2013 when Arden's A1c made a serious leap to 6.5. We stayed steady for some time around 6.7, and to be honest, staying steady felt like a bigger accomplishment than achieving a decrease. The decreases come as you make adjustments but who knows if they are anomalous... steady is, well, steady... it's balance, it's relief. I love steady!
That said, I'd be lying if I told you that 6.2 didn't make me wonder what a number that began with five would feel like...
Oh, and we did need to get blood drawn on this day, but that's a whole other story...
Arden does not experience significant or frequent lows. Achieving a desirable A1c under those conditions is not healthy nor an indication of health. Steady is much better than fluctuations that "trick" you into feeling good at A1c time. Please remember to read my discloser, it will remind you that I have no medical training and this site is not meant to replace your doctor because my words are not meant to be advice. Arden's Day is just a blog.
NEW A1c guidelines from the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association just announced their new position on A1c targets, for children under the age of 19, who live with type I diabetes. What follows are snippets from the ADA story.
The Association now recommends that children under the age of 19 diagnosed with type 1 diabetes strive to maintain an A1C level lower than 7.5 percent. Previously, target blood glucose levels – as measured by the A1C, a test that reflects average blood glucose levels over several months – could be as high as 8.5 percent for children under 6 years of age, 8.0 percent for children 6-12 years of age and 7.5 for adolescents under the Association’s guidelines. These targets were set because of concerns over complications caused by low blood glucose, or hypoglycemia.
“The evidence shows that there is a greater risk of harm from prolonged hyperglycemia that would occur if children maintained an A1C of 8.5 percent over time. This is not to say we are no longer concerned about hypoglycemia, but we now have better tools to monitor for hypoglycemia,” said Jane Chiang, MD, Senior Vice President, Medical and Community Affairs, American Diabetes Association and one of the lead authors on the Association’s Position Statement. “The 7.5 percent target is evidence-based; however, we want to emphasize that blood glucose and A1C targets must be individualized to safely achieve the best outcomes.”
I want to urge you to click over to the ADA now and find out more about the changes and the reasons behind them.
We've been aggressive with Arden's BGs for the past two years and the results have been nothing but fantastic. Arden received her latest A1c test yesterday and I'll be posting a blog tomorrow about her result and how we've been able to achieved it.
NPR: Father Devises A 'Bionic Pancreas' To Help Son With Diabetes
So many times I tell people, "You'd have to live with us for a few days to really understand type I diabetes".
NPR posted a wonderful audio interview with Ed Damiano, the man who is working on the 'Bionic Pancreas' at Boston University. I've embedded Rob Stein's report here for you to listen to... after you're finished I encourage you to head over to NPR's site to read the entire interview.
Image by Ellen Webber for NPR
DexCom’s Forthcoming Mobile App Platform to Integrate Data from Insulet’s OmniPod System
Well, well... This sounds like a positive step!
From Market Watch...
SAN DIEGO, Jun 13, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Insulet Corporation and DexCom, Inc. announced today their intention to enable DexCom’s mobile App platform, which is currently under development, to integrate data from Insulet’s OmniPod System. This will be the first version of a mobile App that is capable of incorporating glucose and other diabetes-related data from patients’ devices and displaying the integrated data via a smartphone App. This event also marks the start of DexCom's open architecture approach to diabetes-related data which will include an “approved by DexCom” indication to validate the authenticity of devices and Apps integrating DexCom CGM data.
“Providing OmniPod users and their healthcare providers with easier access to their management data is another key step in making diabetes a smaller part of life,” said Duane DeSisto, President and Chief Executive Officer of Insulet. “Through DexCom’s mobile App platform, OmniPod users will have greater access to the data that is so essential for understanding and improving diabetes management. We are proud to help people with diabetes gain greater and easier control over their disease and we remain dedicated to providing advancements that further this mission.”
“More than ever, we believe that effective diabetes management depends on timely and accurate data. That is why we are excited to complete development of the App and integrate data from Insulet’s OmniPod system,” said Terry Gregg, DexCom’s CEO.
Read the entire announcement here.
21 Things I Learned Being a Stay-at-Home Dad
I don't know how to best say this, so I'm just going to blurt it out. If you have never seen, or had, a pelvic exam, let me tell you something -- it's not how you imagine it.
If you were just thinking that what this Father's Day really needs is an Internet post full of life lessons from a stay-at-home dad who wrote a book (that won a literary parenting award), boy, did you click on the right link. If that's not what you were thinking, I'd read this anyway because not only do I say vagina about halfway down the page, but also there's some meaningful stuff on this list. Let's face it, who would you rather take advice from, an award-winning author who says "vagina" or those stuffy expert types? Happy Father's Day!
21 Things I Learned Being a Stay At Home Dad for the Last 14 Years.
- Plainly, sorting the laundry, folding the laundry and putting away the laundry is the scourge of my existence.
- I'd always wanted to have children, but I was unprepared for how the news that I would soon be a father would affect me. I immediately began to imagine all the things that I would need to do and instantly felt the pressure of another person's life depending on me.
- Putting a baby in your wife's belly gets you an invitation to her OB/GYN appointments.
- I don't know how to best say this, so I'm just going to blurt it out. If you have never seen, or had, a pelvic exam, let me tell you something -- it's not how you imagine it.
- When your wife (or really any woman) asks for your opinion about baby accessories, she is just being polite. I may be overgeneralizing, but they don't care, even a little bit, what you think. And, to be honest, it's probably better that way.
- I didn't initially expect that I would become more emotional than I already was, but this job will change you.
- Don't eat Doritos before you coach your wife through childbirth and definitely don't forget to have your mother leave the room when the baby arrives... my wife is still annoyed that my mom saw her vagina.
- Once you've feel it, you'll never forget how warm and thick baby vomit is.
- You can drop a baby without hurting them -- if you get a lucky bounce.
- Everyone should watch a lion eat with their 2-year-old.
- Dangerous elements aside, don't try and control which experiences get to be part of the recipe that creates who your children will be one day.
- Endless decisions are made and carried out by our moms in homes all around the world. Each step holds the hope of survival, growth and prosperity, but as important and plentiful as these women and their work are, it goes unseen by most.
- You can't bank sleep, so enjoy it when you can.
- There is no such thing as gender specific tasks.
- When my children become adults and find themselves reflecting on our time together, I want the feeling to endure more than the words themselves. Like the difference between being told that you are loved and the feeling of being hugged by a person who loves you. I want them to feel my hug wrapping around them... always.
- Most guys wish that they had a closer relationship with their fathers. Break that cycle.
- Life really is about the pauses in between the moments.
- Being told that your child will require an infusion of man-made insulin multiple times throughout the day and night to stay alive is devastating.
- Don't stop and don't give up.
- I was estranged from my father for most of my life and only reconnected with him in his last few years... I wish we had found each other again much sooner.
- If you open your heart, your family will fill it with a glorious feeling that transcends description.
Excerpted (blurbed really) from LIFE IS SHORT, LAUNDRY IS ETERNAL by Scott Benner. Copyright © 2013 by Scott Benner. Excerpted with permission by Spry Publishing LLC.