hba1c

A hba1c is a test which works out your average level over a long period of time. This test is done by a simple finger prick just like a bloodcount test but you need a little more blood. A hba1c is normal done every time you have a hospital clinic appointment and it helps your diabetes team see how good your levels have been and how good your control of your diabetes is. If your hba1c is high the hospital will help you work out why it is high and how you can get it back down, they wont get annoyed or angry with you as they are only there to help you.

At the beginning of last year my hba1c went all the way up to 13 because I didn't have good control of my levels at all. I went through a bad patch where I decided I didn't want to be diabetic anymore so I didn't do my bloodcount and just gave myself insulin for the food I was eating. I would just make up what my bloodcount was and put it in my pump so that it looked like I was doing my levels when I wasn't. I thought no one would find out what I was doing but because I was making up what my levels were, it meant that when my levels were running really high I wasn't giving correction as I didn't know they were. so my levels just stayed high. When I was doing this I had no idea what I was actually doing to my body, my body got used to having high levels and I was making myself really ill. When I found out that my hba1c was 13 it made me realise that I really need to change and get it back down to normal.

So I set myself a goal to get my hba1c below 8, I knew it would take a lot to get it down that much but I knew I would be able to do it in the end. I didn't care how long it took me, I would do it. I started doing all the things I should have been doing like checking my levels and correcting, using temp basals to help get my levels down, changing the amount of insulin I was getting and  things like that. Every time I went to my clinic appointments I couldn't wait to see how much my hba1c had gone down. Sometimes I got a bit upset as it had gone up and I felt like it was never ever going to go below 8. However I never gave up I carried on doing everything and anything I could to get it lower.

Last week I had a hospital clinic appointment and for some reason I had a feeling that my hba1c was maybe going to be below 8 as my levels had been really good for once. After having the hba1c test done you have to wait a while to get the results s while we waited we got called by the doctor. I walked in to the room and sat down as the doctor was looking through my notes. She then looked at me and said wow, your hba1c is 7.2 (55). I honestly couldn't believe it was 7.2, that's the lowest my hba1c has ever been and I have been diabetic for over 11 years. The doctor was so impressed with me, she said that normally when someone's hba1c goes to 13 they never get it back down to 7. I was so happy I couldn't believe I had finally got it down that low :)

I realised that if I couldn't control my levels now it was going to be a lot harder then I got older and I don't want my diabetes to ruin getting good GCSE results.  I don't want my diabetes to control me and make it a lot harder to do things I want to do so I did something about it. I started looking after myself move and caring about what my levels were and what my hba1c was and that is how I got my hba1c down and back to normal.

Here are some tips to get your hba1c down:

• Set a goal for your hba1c so that you have something to work towards
• Have a reason why you want your hba1c to be lower
• Make sure you are doing all the things your hospital have told you to do
• Correct high levels
• Change the amount of insulin you are having if you are having constant lows or highs at a certain time of day
• Ask your diabetic team to help you if you are struggling or finding it hard

All of these thing will help you get your hba1c down, however don't get upset or annoyed if your hba1c goes up high because at the end of the day it is only a number. The hospital wont get annoyed with you if it is high as they are there to help you, not tell you off. As long as you are doing the best that you can that's all that matters.
If you but your mind to something you can do it, never give up.  

Pressure

Having diabetes can be really stressful and emotional at times, you can sometimes feel like there is a lot of pressure on you.  Trying to achieve perfect numbers, carb count accurately so your levels don't go high or low, trying to get the right balance of insulin to food, trying to not over treat low levels or high levels, trying to keep your levels perfect when your ill, excited or sad, trying to get a perfect hba1c. No mater how much your try, it can sometimes feel like you are going backwards with your diabetes instead of forward. It can be really hard at times but don't worry you're not the only person who feels like this, everyone goes through a stage like this.

As you can probably tell from my last post my levels have been running really high because I have been ill, my cannula feel out in the night, I've had ketones and some other things. I have been trying everything to get my levels down and back to normal but nothing really seems to be working, I have tried using temp basals, corrections and it seems to work for a while but then my levels go high again, its been so annoying.

I have a hospital appointment on the 9th January (Thursday) and I have been really worried and scared about going. I really don't want to have my hba1c done because I had worked so hard to so hard to get my hba1c down to 8.1 (it used to be 11.4)and now this happens. My hba1c is probably going to be really high again. I did think about asking the hospital not to do my hba1c as I have had a bad patch with isn't my fault and I have been doing everything I can to try and sort my levels out but it hasn't really been working.

After talking to some people I realised that at the end of the day you cant always have perfect levels, perfect hba1c, its just not possible. We are human and we cant be perfect at everything. Its not our fault if we have a stage where are levels aren't perfect as long as your try you best and get your levels back on track it doesn't matter. Always remember you are stronger then you think you are, you will get through times like this I promise