A lot of the diagnosis stories I read from the T1 report levels at diagnosis well above “nondiabetic norms” – often, it’s the person’s first brush with DKA. Some of my RL T2 friends have been diagnosed at blood glucose levels over 300-400, with A1c over 10, and the typical “syndrome” (hunger, thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss). This contrasts to my own diagnosis at 170 mg/dl fasting, 7.8A1c… which almost seems low/“normal” by comparison.
What was your blood glucose level, and A1c, at diagnosis?
Man, that was a long time ago…I don’t remember the A1C, but I believe my BG was 32 (576).
My mom knew right away when I wasn’t eating but drinking ALL the time and sleeping thru class. After the doctor took my BG in his office he was on the phone getting me a room at the hospital. I just remember being scared of taking needles for the rest of my life…but I got over it, had to.
My A1c was 12.7. Had the thrist, and some other symptoms, but no DKA or any other issues. Now, a little over a year later, much better A1c (5.69 in May, last check), thirst subsided. Still no other issues, praise God!
539 on a 2-hour post of a pretty hefty meal; 360 or so the next day when I was “officially” diagnosed. A1C was 10.8 or so - now (about 2 months later) down to 6.6
Well I had the flu and was not getting better. So my mom was seeing signs she did not like so i went for blood work. I was working that day. My mom come to pick me up early and I knew it was not good. I knew as I was drinking a 64oz Nathens sugar lemonade. That I was not only getting dx with diabeties but did not know i was also in DKA. I walked in hospital well my mom filed paperwork they thought i was coming be ambulance.She no i was sitting in the waiting room. They were like no way they were AMAZED! that i had worked with my blood sugar reading at10064! SCARY! not only was i admitted. I WAS HEADING FOR INTENSIVE CARE! Were i was hooked up to all sorts of ivs, monitors, stuff. And the start of countless needles, and endless finger sticks,And being ME! i was like just get me my suppleys. And teach me what i need to know. And my brother will lead me the rest of the way.They were like NO! your staying for awhile.Actually my new DR and friend that day came in and said I was in the best hands with my support team. My mom said were supposed to go to Florida next week. He said why not go .It did stop us before. And if you need him call. So DIABETIES! is just away of Life! WITH ADJUSTMENTS. Who else could say I was just dx with DIABETIES and what and i going to do next? I AM GOING TO WALT DISNEY WORLD. Thats my story of my dx. I do not recall my a1c. It was probally really bad and CRAZY! well TAKE CARE!
I’ve been horribly anemic since I was a young teenager, and went to the dr. for an iron check, because I was feeling really tired again. He ordered a bunch of tests … I didn’t pay much attention to what, because I thought I already knew what was wrong. Then the hospital lab called to ask me to come back in for a re-test. All of my bloodwork looked great (cholesterol, etc.) except for one thing – the A1C my doctor had tacked onto the lab slip. That was so high they thought there must have been some kind of mistake.
But there wasn’t. My A1C was just over 12, and my FBG was 350. Based on that, I was given a diagnosis of “definitely diabetic,” not pre-diabetic or “let’s wait and see” or anything else. Except for feeling tired, and a mildly persistent yeast infection (which I never used to get), I didn’t have any symptoms. The last time my FBG was tested, three years before, it was 85. I wish I could know what they would’ve found had we done an A1C then.
I was just dx’d on 10/10/08, but din’t find out my A1c until a few days later… I was 304 BG with 12 A1c… the way I found out… wasn’t because of symptoms, but a simple “wellness” check for my insurance… I had been feeling the typical symptoms, but thought that it was a kidney infection and that I was possibly getting dehydrated… never did I think of Diabetes…
I think that when a person is prediabetic and even having the metabolic syndrome that presages diabetes, they ought to not only get testing supplies, but also be put on metformin, because the problem, insulin not getting into the cells, is obviously already going on, and metformin could stave that off. I know it would have helped me a lot.
There has been quite a lot of research in favor of this, especially since weight loss is a common side effect of metformin. However, doctors are reluctant to prescribe therapy that might be rejected by insurance companies, patients are reluctant to spend money on medications unless they are absolutely necessary, and insurance companies may not cover metformin until after a definitive diagnosis of diabetes. (Many insurance companies do not cover testing supplies at all, or do not cover sufficient testing supplies.)
I had a really weird diagnosis story, but my first experience with diabetes started at the ER in DKA. BG of 798, but my A1c was only 6.2. I spent a week in the hospital, AND I was not diagnosed as a diabetic until months later.
