Today, I had my A1C tested to see if I have moved the needle on my pre-diabetes. The worst part of this experience has been the waiting. This has been a brutal three months, trying to clean up my diet and get rid of sugar and carbs, get more exercise and try fasting.
What does it mean to lower my A1C? The A1C measures the average blood sugar over three months. What does the A1C measure? I'm not a scientist, but thanks to Google, I can find what the CDC says:
When sugar enters your bloodstream, it attaches to hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells. Everybody has some sugar attached to their hemoglobin, but people with higher blood sugar levels have more. The A1C test measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have sugar-coated hemoglobin.
I won't know the results for a few days, but I am refreshing my healthcare provider's test results page regularly to see if they have posted. Argh.
As mentioned above, the last three months have been horrible. (I'd like to say that after the blood test I broke free and had a donut for breakfast, pasta for lunch and a slice of cake for dessert. Alas, no.) I feel like I have been cramming for an exam without any interim homework assignments, quizzes, or papers where I am getting feedback on my progress. Which leads me to my proposal...
Instead of getting my A1C checked every three months, my doctor should check it every month. I could tell if the changes I am making in my diet are making a difference. Am I going up, or down? Think of those monthly tests as homework checks, pop quizzes or midterms, instead of having everything based on the final exam. I had check points along the way. If I got tested once a month, I'd have twelve data points instead of four. Even if got tested every six weeks, that would be okay as I'd have a midpoint check to gauge of how I am doing instead of floating in a sea of uncertainty.
If I were to bring my sugar down in the first month, I know I should stay the course. I would feel a sense of accomplishment, or realize that I need to escalate my efforts. If my blood sugar got worse, I would have to be more aggressive. Maybe I would need to exercise more. Maybe I am sneaking too many treats. Maybe I could occasionally have a bowl of pasta. Maybe I could figure out how much and how often I could eat dessert.
More regular testing would also help my sanity. I've been living with a cloud of doubt and worry over my head.
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