At this time of year my body submits to a pretty thorough going over.
Testing times!
For a couple of days last week I was on tenderhooks around noon–the hour the post usually arrives chez nous–waiting for my January test results.
Every three months I have a test to measure hemoglobin A1c (average blood sugar levels) which charts how well these are being controlled.
At the end of year, the list of tests is longer and includes liver, kidneys, blood cells, PSA (prostate), cholesterol–a full service, in car terms!
All the results from this comprehensive check-up are important, but I was most concerned to see the blood sugar average.
The test at the end of October had shown an uncharacteristic spike.
Michel, my doctor here–who has helped me adapt to the condition and been my monitor over the last thirteen years–decided to supplement my daily pill (30mg gliclazide) with something new.
But I had a mind to delay the daily dose of Januvia he’d prescribed–to continue to eat moderately, to watch my weight and to exercise regularly and see if the October result was a rogue reading, before taking another drug to counteract a possible trend.
Michel also prescribed a dose of vitamin D as a boost to my overall well being– 2.5 mg a month.
Vitamin D is in the news as a possible addition to the diabetic’s armoury.
No definitive results have been established yet confirming that the vitamin is effective in reducing insulin resistance, but the evidence is mounting and the general beneficial effects to be gained from regular consumption convinced me that I should go ahead and swallow!
The system works well here. We ring the local nurses’ office the night before and a nurse comes the next morning to take a blood sample. She dispatches it to the clinic for analysis and as often as not we get the results by post the following day–taking the waiting out of worrying.
At noon I was listening for the post van.
By quarter past I knew I had another 24 hours to wait–no envelope.
It arrived the next day, but it didn’t help my anxiety to discover that the clinic had changed the layout and formating–it was not immediately clear where to look!
I found it though and it was GOOD NEWS!–the level had virtually been restored.
Next for the third degree, in ten days time–the eyes!
Robin Ellis 