Several things have happened the last
few days affecting the new members of our support group and a few others we
know. All of us were upset and wondered why the doctors cannot
include some of this in their instructions. Other people wonder why
the other professions seem so entrenched in their dogma that they are
worthless in helping with education.
Another blogger and I had this
discussion a few years ago, but I still see people that insist that
they test at one hour after eating and others argue that they should
be testing two hours after testing. A.J and I were talking recently
and A.J said he needed to test. A friend of his said that was not
good, as he should have tested an hour prior. He clearly stated that
the test was worthless now. I asked why he would presume to know
when it was best for A.J to test. He said that is what his doctor
had told him.
I said doctors don't know everything
and they figure one hour is good enough so some people will not see
the actual high. A.J had finished and said that his doctor had said
to test several times to determine when his high point was. He
continued that he had been told to start testing as the half-hour
after first bite and test every 15 minutes until the readings started
to decrease. After doing this three times per week for three weeks,
he has found that about 115 to 130 minutes pass before his high
point. I said I have also done this and I normally have about the
same range, which means I use the two-hour mark for mine.
I said we have several individuals that
reach their high point at 90 minutes and a few that reach theirs at
60 minutes. I am even aware of one individual that does not reach
his high until 150 minutes. A.J then asked the person if he had even
done the testing to determine when he generally reaches his high. He
said no, but would follow what his doctor had told him to do.
Then I asked if his A1c was always
higher than expected. He thought for a while, and finally said many
had been. A.J asked if he thought we were blowing smoke about
testing where his high point after meals occurred. He hesitated and
said that is why you do all the testing. A.J told him this is just
part of the problem of not knowing the time when you blood glucose
hits its high point. Next I asked if he tested before eating and he
said he did. I said that was good and by knowing the approximate
time to the high point he would then have a better picture of how the
food he consumed was affecting his blood glucose.
A.J did say that his high point could
be one hour, but without testing he could never be sure. A.J
continued that he does the testing about once a year to confirm that
the average is still at two hours. He then said that as we age or
change the food we consume, this could easily change.
I asked what medication he was taking
and he replied Lantus and Novolog. I added that I take the same
medications, but I am aware of changes that can happen. This is one
reason I test more often than many doctors want me to.
A.J's friend said that he probably had
some things to learn, but he would do some extra testing to find out
when he reached his high point after eating. A.J thanked him for
opening his mind for alternate suggestions.
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