The Results are Finally In!

After four weeks of waiting, one lab mess up, and numerous games of phone tag with doctors, I finally know what the heck is going on! The verdict? Type 1 diabetes. This always made the most sense because I don’t fit a Type 2 Profile. So what exactly does this mean? Eventually I will become completely dependent on insulin. I tested positive for GAD 65 antibodies, and a low c pep-tide (insulin production.) Most likely because of diet, my pancreas is hanging in there pretty well.

I am in what is called a honeymoon period. These are the last remaining days that my pancreas will produce insulin. Eventually my immune system will kill off all existing beta cells. The honeymoon can last anywhere from 2 months to 1 year. It tends to last longer in patients diagnosed with LADA, a topic I will discuss in a different post. Usually, prolonging current beta cell function is a good thing. However I never seem to do things the easy way. My case is rare, and treating it is looking like a huge pain in the rear.

My blood sugars are all over the place. On a good day they will be completely normal, the next they are way too high. This occurs even when I eat the exact same meals. If I take insulin on a day my pancreas wants to work, it could throw me into a dangerous low. On high blood sugar days, glucose floating around in the blood could cause damage to my organs. So what the heck do we do? I gotta tell you, technology never fails to amaze me!

In the 1990’s the fist continuous glucose monitor was introduced. It is designed to check your blood glucose every 5 min, and follow trends in your blood sugar levels. When you take a traditional finger stick reading, it only gives you a glance at your levels for a particular moment. If taken at the wrong time, the reading isn’t always useful. With a continuous glucose monitor, you are able to see the whole picture. This allows for better blood sugar control, and will help my doctor discover the right treatment.. CGM’s have come a long way since the 90’s. The one I am about to receive is the best one to date. It’s dabomb.com…..meet the Dexcom G4 platinum……

How it works: You insert a small transmitter underneath your skin, and the transmitter sends your information to a hand held device. The screen shows you current blood sugars, and where they are headed. This allows you to correct blood sugar levels well before they spike or drop. So much better than just finger sticks! (By the way, CGM’s are not a replacement for finger sticks. They are to be used in conjunction with a standard blood glucose monitor.) I feel so lucky to be diagnosed at a time where there are so many resources to make diabetes easier! When my dad was diagnosed 40 years ago, he had to pee in a cup to check his glucose! Not nearly as cool as a CGM!

If you are looking for more information on the Dexcom, I found a video of a girl who gives a nice Q and A session about the device. You can find that here.

I think every diabetic should have one of these! Before diagnoses I didn’t even know these CGM’s existed. Hopefully you found this information useful! If you know any diabetics, tell ’em to consider a CGM 😉 .