Hi, all…
It's been a loooooooong time since I posted here - partly because I'm incredibly boring <<grin>>, but mostly because I really haven't had much new to report.
First of all, I haven't been diagnosed with diabetes..."pre-" or otherwise. I started looking here for info a few years ago when I started having tingling/burning in my feet and, sometimes, in my hands, as well as extreme fatigue. At that time, I bought a home monitor because my doc was, let's say, a little less than eager to pursue DM testing. Pretty much, he was a little less than eager to pursue testing of ANY kind and brushed off my complaints of the tingling with a shrug and a mumbled "tingling, huh?" Instead, he headed past "Go" and directly to, "I think you're depressed" and tried to shove depression meds down my throat. I refused them.
I ended up going back to him with my AM fasting sugar results, most around 115 but some as high as 136. I more or less twisted his arm and he consented to an A1C. When the result came back at 6.0% he proclaimed that I was "fine" and that I should stop the "foolishness" of checking my sugars.
I sought guidance here and several exceptionally kind people advised me that, while my results weren't horrible, they certainly DID warrant attention to my diet in an effort to, hopefully, reduce my BG readings. I took the advice eagerly to heart, reducing my carbs and making certain that the carbs that I do consume are in the form of fresh fruits and veggies. While the tingling didn't go completely away, it was reduced to the point that the only time I really noticed it was when I was sitting very quietly or trying to get to sleep.
In May '09 I once again twisted my doctor's arm and got another A1C - it was down to 5.1% (YAY me!) and my AM fasting sugars averaged around 75 (woohoo!). I was feeling great, proud of myself and felt clinically vindicated even though my doctor continued poo-poo'ing everything.
Despite continuing my careful diet I've recently noticed that the tingling is back to its previous intensity. So, too, are my AM sugars - averaging around 117. Once again, I pushed and cajoled my PCP into an A1C (5.9%) and, once again, he told me that I was "worrying over nothing". I stood my ground and pushed even harder than ever for a 2-hour GTT. With a huge sigh and a roll of his eyes, he consented. Finally!, I thought.
Yeah, well, my problems didn't end there. When I went back to my PCP for results I found out that the lab had screwed up and had given me the 50 gm glucose solution they give to pregnant women instead of the standard 75 gm adult dose. Using the 50 gm solution my results were:
1/2 hour: 145
1 hour : 156
2 hour: 144
My doc says the results "are nothing to worry about. You're not diabetic, not even close, and it's time to let this go and stop making mountains out of mole hills." I tried arguing with him that 1) although the results aren't flamingly high, they ARE elevated compared to the normals I've read on the Internet, 2) the results would probably have been even higher if I had gotten the correct 75 gm solution, and 3) I should be ordered a repeat test with the RIGHT solution this time. My doctor refuses to order another test because, in his opinion, "it would be a complete waste of medical resources since these results are perfectly fine."
It concerns me that my tingling has returned. It particularly concerns me since those symptoms have returned in conjunction with an A1C that has jumped from 5.1% to 5.9% & AM sugars that have climbed, too, even though I've maintained my healthy diet.
In your opinions, do I have reason to be concerned or is my doc right that I'm just worrying unnecessarily?