Diabetes Health Type 1: I Finally Lowered My A1C!

I once had an Endo tell me that with syringes, I would probably not be able to get my A1C down much lower than the 7 that I had long been hovering at. He also lived with Type 1 diabetes and he thought that was about the best I could do without a pump. I thought so too after hearing that.

I had tried for so long to lower it. I was frustrated and felt like the A1C test was always a disappointment. I made a few small changes in my regular diabetes management. My insulin hadn’t been absorbing very well since scar tissue had built up after way too many injections in the same spot on the back of my hips. I generally take 7 shots a day so it gets difficult to find good real estate on my body for shots. When I started rotating and using my arms and legs more, I started seeing much better, stable numbers. I was shocked at how good my numbers were, despite not having made any insulin dose changes, and I was encouraged.

I also started taking insulin in the morning with my coffee and splash of flavored creamer. I only needed a small shot to keep my blood sugars from rising, but without it, I had been waiting until closer to breakfast to take insulin. The way I do mornings, sometimes breakfast could be hours away from my morning coffee.

After a few months of making these tweaks, I went for my A1C blood draw. I did it on the first morning of our recent staycation from work. A couple days later we got the call from the nurse. My husband and I stopped what we were doing and stood still waiting for the news. The drum roll started in my head. I had prepared myself for disappointment but still hoped for the best.

The nurse started the conversation with “The doctor says you have great diabetes control”. Sorry, what? Did you say great?! I was thrilled. My hubby gave me thumbs up and a big smile. We asked for the exact number and it was a 6.5. I know many people achieve an even lower A1C, but this one is a huge triumph for me. Every little step in the right direction makes me happy. I know how defeating a rise in A1C can be and to see a substantial drop, one that even got a compliment from my doctor, meant everything to me. The emotions got to me and I shed a few happy tears shortly after I hung up. After so many years with Type 1 diabetes I felt proud of myself. I’m on the righ