I got my blood work results in the mail last week. All the usual suspects...kidneys, CBC, liver function, thyroid...came back within normal ranges. But my A1c was totally off the charts.

Back in July, it clocked in at 7.2%. I wasn't surprised by that because I'd switched from the pump to Lantus and had a few bumps along the way. I was also struggling with getting my exercise numbers into a decent range. So 7.2% was good, all things considered.

But now, my A1c has jumped to a whopping 8.6%. It hasn't been that high since 2007 when I wasn't taking care of my diabetes at all in the midst of college and living on my own. I have to say that this result totally shocked me. I want to say that something is off, something has to be off!

I know I had about a month's worth of highs thrown into that 3-4 month range, but does that really affect my A1c THAT much? My meter checks with the control solution. And I'm testing often enough to know that most of my averages are completely accurate. I've also used the sensor during this time, didn't see any abnormal or unusual spikes.

So how much weight does one bad blood sugar carry? Does four weeks of highs mean one bad A1c? Could a 7.2% jump to an 8.6% with just that short amount of elevation?

Apparently so. Unless my doctor's lab has it all wrong. Which leaves me very frustrated. Because I worked hard, even during those high times. But some I just couldn't control. Leave it to changing regimens, resistance, and the start of Accutane/birth control...my numbers aren't under my control at the moment.

My averages are into the 170's now, which is much better than the 200's and 190's that I was seeing over the last few weeks. But I'm still out of range, out of where I want to be, out of my comfort zone. And I'm seeing horrible spikes that leave me fatigued, cognitively impaired, and dehydrated.

I'd planned to postpone starting a detailed logbook and Symlin until the middle of December and into early January. School is taking all my focus right now. Not to mention that my health is hitting a few bumps in the road from the stress of surgery, school, new medications, and life. Unfortunately, my body can't handle school if I don't get these blood sugars into a better range.

I can't study when I feel so groggy. I can't focus when my brain is on glucose overload. I can barely get myself out of bed.

So Tuesday, I'm starting a detailed logbook, using the One Touch UltraSmart meter. I'm hoping that gives me a little more information to judge where I need to set my insulin levels for boluses. Once I feel like I have that under control, I'll start Symlin for my breakfast bolus and see how that goes.

Sometimes I just wish that I could pray or think away these numbers. I wish that I could have a one-on-one with this disease. I really need a two week grace period. One where the numbers stay aligned where they should be, leaving me with energy and a strengthened immune system. One where I can focus on the 7 exams and 3 papers that I have. Instead, I'm going to be fighting between taking care of my body and taking care of the books.