# Hba1c test at 104 - Now What?



## Steve S (May 23, 2018)

Hi, 
I hope I am posting in the right place.
I have just been called back to the Doctors after a general blood test to be told I am probably diabetic. Quite a surprise at the age of 54.

Looking online an Hba1c test of 104 seems to be extemely high - would I be right in think that?

I have an appointment with the diabetic nurse at my Doctors later today, what should I expect?

As yet I am not on any medication, I had blood taken earlier today to confirm the diagnosis but don't see a doctor again for a further ten days.

Any advice as to what to expect would be greatfully received.

Steve


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## Spireite72 (May 23, 2018)

First welcome to the forum  Steve  .Yes 104 is high. My first DSN appointment was more a sit down and go through your diagnosis do’s do nots. Anything you’re not sure about write it down before you go, medications diet what happens next. It can be a little overwhelming at first and half you wanted to ask you will most likely forget. So it helps to have questions written down. Also take a pen and note paper as you will also not take everything in ( if your anything like me)it’s a lot of information. Try not to worry to much stress can make managing Diabetes more difficult as it affects our Blood glucose levels (BGL). Please use the forum there are a lot of very knowledgeable people that are all supportive and understanding. It’s been a great help to me over the last 4 weeks since my diagnosis. There are lots of great Ideas and recipes on the forum and tips to manage diabetes so have a good look around the forum. Ask as many questions as you need. Good luck today hope all goes well with your appointment.     Wayne


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## Ljc (May 23, 2018)

Hi @Steve S Welcome to the forum.  I know it’s probably impossible atm but try not to worry. My Hb1ac was 115 at dx (Diagnosis) back in 94/5 it’s now very much lower as yours will be in due course.

It’s good to hear they are acting quickly and not leaving you stewing for a few weeks.
How did you come to be diagnosed.

My advise is
Take pen and paper with you to make notes and a bag/folder to put in all the leaflets etc they are likely to give you .
Take a list of any questions you have.
It would be great If someone can go with you, a second pair of ears is very helpful as well as the additional support they can give.
The nurse may want to check your blood pressure, check you feet or I’ll arrange for them to be checked
S/he should also arrange for your eyes to be checked out.
Your diet will be discussed and you may well be introduced to the eatwell or healthy eating plate 
If your  told to reduce carbohydrates that is good.
This appointment will likely be more to give you info.

With the right info and a bit of work Diabetes is a condition that can be managed well many of our members have ended up fitter and strange as it probably sounds often healthier than they’ve been for a while.
Nor do we live on lettuce and fresh air. We are going to give you a nice big supprise
Have a read through this thread,
what-did-you-eat-yesterday.

Please let us know how you got on and feel free to ask questions.about Diabetes


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## Pine Marten (May 23, 2018)

Hi Steve S, welcome to the forum, and good luck with your appointment (or, I hope it went well!). I was 57 when diagnosed and as I recall I *think* my number was 12 (in old money, which = 108).

Not much to add to what the others have said, except that you've made a good start by coming here. You are at the start of a journey, so take your time, reflect on what you learn at the appointment, and let us know how you got on. Other than taking a deep breath and not panicking, reducing carbs is the first thing to do, ie. bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and eat lots of green leafy veg. There are plenty of good recipes here, so have a read around the different threads and you'll soon pick up a lot of useful information.

All the best to you


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## trophywench (May 23, 2018)

I's a 'surprise' whatever age you happen to be and however lousy you feel and why you went to the docs - hence that means you are completely normal!

Why would your age be a surprise?  It's not restricted to infants or octagenarians - just a chronic condition that can manifest at any age if the circumstances are right for it to happen.  Things like being very overweight can make it MORE likely to happen, but doesn't cause it automatically - there are indeed quite a lot of overweight folk in the world  who don't have diabetes.  Fact is obesity (whatever happens to be the reason for that) puts an awful strain on every organ in your body so hardly surprising when one of them displays its inability to cope.  And guess what? - having undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes over X amount of time (because the symptoms of it are not even felt by the person or seen, for years sometimes) can actually result in that weight gain!   Thus it's not simply a matter of being that person's own fault and the press very often get this wrong - because it doesn't make the shocking headlines they think people want to read and sells more of their paper.

It's a complicated subject but basically - whatever 'Type' we have, our body has difficulty adequately dealing with one thing only - carbohydrate.  (and here - sugar is simply 'another carbohydrate - albeit that sugar has the highest concentration of carb of any foodstuff that exists - hence although obviously packing up unnecessary amounts of it should be the first thing to do, (so if you have eg 3 sugars in your tea or drinking a whole bottle of 'full sugar' Coke a day - that's a really bad idea) it isn't the whole story by ANY means) We're perfectly OK however with protein and fat.


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## trophywench (May 23, 2018)

Oh PS - my reading at 22 yrs old - was 13 = 119.


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## Ralph-YK (May 23, 2018)

Welcome to the forum Steve, from a fellow T2.  I didn't get much help, advice or information from my nurses. I was told nothing about diet.
I expect you'll be put on some medication straight away. Metformin and maybe another.
Ask for test results in writing. Make sure you know what test results are for.
To confuse matters there are two scales that may be used for an HbA1c test. And one of them looks similar to finger prick test result (which actually tells you something different).
There's some info about tests on the diabetes UK website:
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/testing


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## Bubbsie (May 23, 2018)

Steve S said:


> Hi,
> I hope I am posting in the right place.
> I have just been called back to the Doctors after a general blood test to be told I am probably diabetic. Quite a surprise at the age of 54.
> 
> ...


I'm  not sure age is entirely relevant nowadays in a diagnosis of diabetes Steve...since diabetes is being diagnosed in children...those in their twenties there seems to be no age bar or limit...many of us have had diabetes for several years (or certainly pre-diabetic) before we knew or received a diagnosis...I agree with @Pine Marten you'll be able to lower those BG levels especially once you begin to reduce your carb intake & increase your activity...I won't add to the advice given above except to reinforce what other members have said...type 2 is a perfectly manageable condition...once you have had your appointment please let us know how that went & if you have any specific questions post them here...no doubt one of us will be able to answer them for you...good luck.


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## Steve S (May 23, 2018)

My meeting with nurse has had to be postponed for one week. Off to look for something low carb for tea, then walk the dog.


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## Brando77 (May 23, 2018)

Hallo, mine was 98 at 56yrs Young. Once you get on meds and start eating good it gets better. It can be managed, just read and ask for tips on here from experienced people....I did and it helped me more than the Doc.
You can control it.


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## CathyB (May 23, 2018)

Hi Steve, on diagnosis I was double your number, I was put on Metformin  am happy to say I have not had any issues with it. What I did do though was completely overhaul my diet, I chose the low carb option and borrowed a neighbours dog to start walking (I see you are already doing that ), it took me around 3 weeks to get into single numbers and then another coupon weeks to achieve a steady balance.  This would never have happened without the help of everyone here and the advice to test before hand after eating to learn what I react to.  My daughter made me smile today when I met her for lunch, she said she thinks my diabetes is the best thing that could have happened to me, I eat better, feel better, I’m losing weight and she reckons I’m much nicer to be around


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## Ralph-YK (May 23, 2018)

@CathyB are you saying your HbA1c was 208? I believe Steve's is 104.


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## Grannylorraine (May 23, 2018)

Welcome Steve. Mine was 120 on diagnosis at age 54.  It will take a while to get your head around it, but with help and support you will get through it


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## Ljc (May 23, 2018)

Sorry to hear  your appointment was cancelled .
Don’t forget to ask us any questions you have about Diabetes.

When your ready for a little light reading  head on over to this thread
useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes.
I suggest you start with  Jennifer’s Advise, maggie Davies letter, Test review adjust by Alan S .
Their is a lot more info there

Also their  is a link to a book  that is often recommended ,
Type two Diabetes the first year by Gretchen Becker. She has T2 herself and goes month by month through her first year with this condition .
Also a link for a glucose meter the SD Codefree meter, that is the cheapest one we know of to self fund , sadly most T2s who are not on medications that can cause hypo’s (low blood  glucose) are seldom provided with a glucose meter
We here consider that trying to control Diabetes by learning what carbohydrates our bodies can and can’t tolerate is a like driving in the dark with no lights , you see Diabetes is very individual in this respect .


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## CathyB (May 24, 2018)

Ralph-YK said:


> @CathyB are you saying your HbA1c was 208? I believe Steve's is 104.


On diagnosis it was 22


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## Alister (May 24, 2018)

Hi Steve saying 104 is a bit high is like saying the Pacific ocean is a bit wet (I was 109 on diagnosis but I see other members here were even higher, eve if they were mostly T1's.
Considering that result I don't think post poning your apt for a week was particularly good. when I had my original finger prick fasting test at the pharmacy with a result or 21.7 (different figures) I was advise to see doctor as soon as possible & if I could not get an apt go to A & E which is where i ended up.
while not wanting to alarm you (& i am not a medical expert) I would be inclined to recommend the same if you do not get seen reasonably quickly.

All I can say is the experience at A&E was amazing & the treatment I received 1st class. I was given an immediate dose of insulin to bring my level down, as well as a saline drip to rehydrate me & then asked to see one of their Diabetic nurses the following day (which was a Saturday). In my case I was placed on a basal insulin & issued with a BG Meter with test strips on prescription. I am now awaiting an apt with a consultan but my self test figures appear to be very good so it seems to be working.

From what I have seen here some GP's tend to be a bit slower to react to things & don't fully understand the condition.


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## Ralph-YK (May 24, 2018)

CathyB said:


> On diagnosis it was 22


HbA1c of 217. WOW


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## CathyB (May 24, 2018)

Ralph-YK said:


> HbA1c of 217. WOW


Trust me, I felt awful, eyesight was all over the place, I had severe mood swings at work and home, felt so tired all the time, was drinking about 5 litres water a day but still couldn’t quench the thirst and I could pee for England.....thought I was just stressed


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## Alister (May 24, 2018)

Not a hba1c of 217 I had a finger prick test that was 21.7 mmol/l i was bad but not THAT bad


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## Steve S (May 25, 2018)

I'm determined not to panic about this - I am seeing it as an inconvenience I have to learn to manage. With the right monitoring tools and help from the doctor it should be perfectly possible.

I have lost weight over the past few years, probably as a result of the un-diagnosed condition, a few more days are not going to make any difference. Again "Don't Panic" as was stated on the front cover of a certain book!

I am already tweaking my diet - I walked passed still warm jam doughnuts in Sainsburys only yesterday.(I have been known to eat a full bag to myself.) I like to cook so I don't eat much pre-processed food or ready meals. Reading the forum people talk of low carb diet not no carb. I won't know how that's going to work for me until I have the tools to monitor my blood sugar. I see some creative meal planning on the horizon, after all I have a collection of more than 200 cook books to refer to. I should be able to adapt something.

In the meantime - I'm thinking about what I eat and drink and adding extra time onto my daily dog walks. At least the dog is very happy!


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## Bubbsie (May 25, 2018)

Steve S said:


> I'm determined not to panic about this - I am seeing it as an inconvenience I have to learn to manage. With the right monitoring tools and help from the doctor it should be perfectly possible.
> 
> I have lost weight over the past few years, probably as a result of the un-diagnosed condition, a few more days are not going to make any difference. Again "Don't Panic" as was stated on the front cover of a certain book!
> 
> ...


I agree Steve another few days won't make much difference particularly since you're already implementing measures to reduce your levels...lowering your carbs...walking the dog...a good start & a good attitude...there is no need to rush...pointless...we all need to find a routine that is sustainable long term...as for recipes there's a great low carb selection...you'll be surprised at what you can eat...good luck with your appointment...be interested to hear how that goes.


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## Drummer (May 25, 2018)

I started out at Hba1c of 91 and in 6 months it was 41 - and without really trying - I don't know if I am just lucky or if I just settled on a really good diet - I ate a maximum of 50 gm of carbs per day put cream in my coffee and although I have been lowering the carbs for a while to try to get rid of more fat I am really not bothered at all by diabetes.


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## Poppy460 (May 25, 2018)

Hi I was a mere 93 when diagnosed 2 years ago at 52. Some super advice has already been given but I would add, don't just use one or two sources for your information, research. It was only by doing a lot of reading that I found out I had so many contributing factors and they weren't the lifestyle or being obese.


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