One of my recent posts highlighted how diabetes can blind side us on any given day. It doesn´t fit into the mold of life, especially MY mold of life. This has me wondering, "What is diabetes control?"

Some people in my life have questioned whether or not I am out of control as a diabetic. They wonder if I know as much as I seem to know or if I actually practice what I preach. They wonder how I can blog about numbers like 47, if I truly manage this disease.

My statements to them are always the same: everyone´s diabetes is different. Mine is complicated by other health conditions. I also have a history of lows; lows that sneak up on you and catch you unaware.

Diabetes control is a touchy subject. What is control? To me, control isn´t just about the A1c or the averages you get on a daily basis. Certainly, a person with a 13.0 A1c isn´t in control of their diabetes. But that isn´t the entire story.

What would you say about following scenario: logging blood sugars daily, basal testing on a regular basis, changing insulin to carb ratios and correction factors when life shows the need, counting carbs accurately, keeping up with the modern research, regularly seeing a diabetic specialist, eating in moderation, and exercising on a daily basis...is that a person who is in control of their diabetes?

That person has an A1c of 7.3. That person also experiences numbers like 265 and 47. That person is me.

I don´t consider myself an out of control diabetic. No, I don´t always do things right. But most of the time, I am dead on with where I need to be with my diabetes management. So why should I be put under the spotlight with my diabetes management?

I know that I open my life up to the online community by blogging. I´m also not afraid to speak about my diabetes management in the real world. Goodness knows, I´ve heard things out of my own father´s mouth saying that if I´d only do THIS or THAT, my A1c would be closer to his 6.2%.

But the truth is that it wouldn´t. Because we are all different. My diabetes isn´t your diabetes. My diabetes is harder to control, even with the best of management skills and the best of intentions.

After sixteen years of this disease, I´m POSITIVE that I know what I´m doing. I´m familiar with basal testing, with eating correctly, with doing it all right. But that does NOT mean that my life and my numbers show the blood, sweat, and tears that I pour into this disease.

I wish that my diabetes was like my father´s and like those of you out there that have perfect diabetes routines with perfect diabetes responses. But sadly, it isn´t. So my A1c of 7.3 means that I experience the ups and downs of this disease. It means that I take the risk of your judgement by being honest with my story. I´m just wondering why I have to be judged when I share the brutality of diabetes.

This is for all the diabetics out there that don´t get the numbers they want. You do it all right, but you don´t get an A1c under 7%, you still get the highs\lows, and you still face the judgement of others. Here´s to the knowledge, the actions, and the results all matching up for once in our lives! And here´s for diabetic sticking together, because we have to in order to beat this disease.