The A1C for T1D | My 2 Cents

When I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes it was due to an A1C test that I received while applying for a life insurance policy. I applied with 2 companies and one of the companies did not test my A1C and the other did.  I am lucky that I was tested as it resulted in a 12.8% A1C and I was in the Dr's office the following morning.

A lot can be said about your A1C results and I have had many different reactions to my own results. After I began insulin and used an off label drug during my honeymoon stage I was able to get my A1C down to a 5.7.  With numbers like this I would get asked often if I was even a "real diabetic." I was even told by someone that I shouldn't share that A1C value with others as it might make them feel bad and I was still honeymooning so it wasn't accurate.

Let's all be real here...the A1C is simply a metric that we use to quantify a small period of time and the control in which we have over our blood sugar.  It does not factor in life, stress, emotion, or anything else that we deal with.  If we took other measurements and used them like we do our A1C we'd all be failing in one way or another.  Weight, blood pressure, BMI, cholesteral...these are different metrics that are used to measure where we are with our health.  These numbers all fluctuate throughout our life given different circumstances that we all deal with.  Same holds true with your A1C.

I see parents of T1D children on Facebook forums bragging about A1C results. I hear parents of T1D childred talking about other kids with T1D and how their A1C results are better or worse than their own.  At the end of the day we are all working with the same broken pancreas and facing the same challenges. We don't know what it's like to walk in the shoes of others...we can only relate to the struggle of keeping our blood sugars in line.

Take your A1C and use it as a tool. Don't compare it to others. Don't worry that your Dr is going to be "mad" or "upset" with you based on your numbers.  Dr's are here to provide care and assist us in managing our disease. They only see the numbers and are not walking in our shoes day to day. They rely on these metrics to get a glimpse into how well we are managing.  It is up to us to help them understand why our numbers are what they are. Then they can provide guidance to get us back on track.

Don't let a bad A1C result destroy you. It is simply a measurement in time and tomorrow you start fresh on your journey to your next one.