Doctors like A1c numbers, because they are small and tidy, and they
can tell patients to "work towards" them without specifying how...
Pages and pages of numbers make them nervous.  But in terms of your
general control, they can be deceptive. It's an average, not a
summation.   If you wake up with low numbers, peak madly after
breakfast, go reactive hypo at 11, eat biscuits and peak again, and so
on through the day, you may have a better A1c than someone who
consistently never goes above, say 7.5 (135) all day, but also never
gets down below 5.5 (100).  The latter is certainly better for your
health long-term.  And the numbers are not consistent for the last
three months, as the emphasis will be on the last month, with the last
couple of weeks as the most obviously represented.  So it is perfectly
possible to have good A1c numbers while eating all the wrong foods,
except in the couple of weeks before the test.  Most doctors don't
understand this either.  Mine didn't want me to test just after
Christmas (so I think he does understand) but as I don't do Festival
Food, I did, and the number was unchanged.  (5.9, could do better. )
He has decided that I am doing better for me than he can, so is
leaving me to play at present... Good man...

So, please don't sweat the day-to-day too much.  All the illnesses are
probably because you have a disordered hormone system (which we know
you have) and a damaged immune system (all those years of high
numbers), and it will all take a while to settle.  The common reaction
amongst many diabetics seems to be "I didn't fix it in a minute, so I
won't bother any more".  This leads to blind amputees on dialysis, and
as you will have realised, this crampos one's style immeasurably...

You spent years getting ill, may have to take a while to control, and
will be doing this forever - patience!

Keep up the good work

Helen Howes

The recent weeks tend to have more effect on it than a similar time
earlier, so make sure you tell your doctor about the change in
your bG readings.

They claim recent weeks wont count but when i had a sinus infection mine
went from a 5 to a 6 and my endo redid the test cause its a diff office from
Gp  and it was back to 5.5 so i dunno <shrug>

Just keep eating right and workign on overall health and dont sweat the
number tooo much..of course if its crazy high and your  numbers are good it
could be your running high as you sleep or somthing..im which case you could
try a timed released met or somthing..no big deal.

KROM

Used to be that A1C was considered an average over the last 90 days or
so. As I understand it, as a better understanding of the underlying
mechanisms has emerged, it is now considered to be indicative of the last
month or so, heavily weighted to the last one or two weeks.

Your A1c will reflect what's been going on in recent weeks, & if illness is
the reason for the higher bgs (& thus A1c) it's not a character judgment!
It's just a fact of life that sometimes things happen that throw us off
track and we can't always control either the events or the fall-out.

Your medical team *should* understand & not badger you over it;
they might even be surprised it's not "worse" & congratulate you.
I hope you get to feeling better!
bj

yes, your A1c will be higher if your bg levels have been higher for the
last 2 months

the red blood cell lasts about 3 months to 120 days....... and the
glycation of those red blood cells is what is measured....... however,
the measurement also reflects more towards the last 4 weeks of this 120
day period

there is no failure in not having a great A1c when you have been
sick.... it's just something that happens, so don't let it get you down

take care
kate