Hi Marcie,

Here it is November already--surely you got your lab results? You never came back and posted them? My guess is that you were diagnosed as pre-diabetic (since you weren't over 200 at any time, according to your meter and you weren't over 126 fasting). Of course, the lab results are more accurate than the meter results.

My lab seems to report values 5 less than my meter does (ie: if my meter says 105, the lab may report only 100). I've never actually taken the meter with me and did a check at the same time, but I've checked at home just before heading to the lab. It only takes me about 5 mins to get there from the house, then there is some wait time, but....

Also, borderline (which isn't supposed to be used any more) is the same thing as pre-diabetic.

Being diagnosed as such, you have the chance to turn things around. Otherwise, with time, you will become officially diabetic.

Take care and I hope things are going well with you.

Good luck!

---Deb.

P.S.
Sorry this board isn't that active sometimes.

Hi, Deb --

Thanks for your thoughtful reply.

Actually, though, what I wrote was a response to someone who was discussing their own OGTT.

I've had type 2 since Sept. 2000. Sometimes it's a real pain in the behind, but most of the time I can just get on with life.

About your meter readings being different from the lab's results: The blood that your meter tests is your capillary blood, a mixutre of both venous and arterial blood. Your meter then does some kind of magical calculations to make it come out approximately the same as a venous sample -- the kind of blood that the lab techs draw from your arm. Even if there weren't this distinction, it's quite possible that the labe could draw two samples within minutes of each other, and they would probably not read exactly the same. Your blood sugar changes all the time over the 24 hours, and it doesn't take much to make it vary. Besides which, even the blood testing machine that they use in a lab has a range of variance that's allowable and considered inconsequential. And then there is the allowable variance in your meter -- just 5 years ago, the range considered okay could vary by 15% either above or below your actual level. I don't know what it is now -- I haven't kept up with that info.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that minor differences in your blood sugar readings is nothing to worry about. However, the trends of your blood sugars can tell you a lot. For instance, if it's consistently high a couple of hours after you eat 60G of carbs and close to the goal your doctor has set for you after you eat only 40G, I think you can see that it would be telling you that 60 is too much. A lot of women have definite upward swings at certain times of their cycle, so this could tell you that your period is coming if it's been a month, and it's starting upward again.

There are so many things that can affect your blood sugars -- and those of people without diabetes, too -- that you just can't let individual reading worry you terribly. I'll admit they can be pretty irksome. Sometimes it's high because it's "tattling" on you, other times it can be high when you've done everything right.

Take good care of yourelf. Marcie

Hi Marcie,

So I wrote to the wrong person?!! Ugg! Oh, well. I'm glad you wrote back. I wonder what that person's results actually were? They never posted back with them?

Thanks for all the head's up/pointers on things (ie: difference between the lab and the meter's results), and when to begin to worry (ie: when you see trends), and other things.

You said you were dxed in 2009, but didn't say how? I was dxed in 2001 with the O.G.T.T. I wasn't pregnant, and the results were:
fasting-97, 1/2 hr 220, 1 hr 218, 2 hr 219 and at 3 hr, I came down to 115. It's been 8 years now and I'm still not on medication for the diabetes. I lost close to 30 pounds and eat better since my diagnosis. All of my a1c's have been in the 5's, except for two years ago, when it was 6.08% at one time. My fastings are usually around 97 most mornings, but I have problems after meals, especially if I eat too many carbs.

I have a friend who also has diabetes & she started on insulin almost a year ago now. I like the way she describes my "type" of diabetes. She says I don't have the usual diabetes, but I do happen to be carb-challenged. Ha!

I keep hoping to see people share their stories if they are similar to me (experiencing normal fastings, but abnormal post-prandials). I need to know how it may progress. Some say maybe I can keep going for who knows how long, and others say no matter what I do, I will eventually will progress. Uggg!

When I read posts asking: Does stress affect blood sugar levels? I laugh and say "yes!" OH, my! Yesterday, I was stressed-out because I had a flat tire in the morning & had to find someone to drive me to work. I felt my usual "uh-oh, I wonder if my bs is high?" feelings---heart racing and I looked at my neck when I combed my hair before leaving. My vein was really pulsating! Anyway, it was maybe 45 minutes since I had eaten breakfast, and I was really surprised to see my blood sugar at 198! Goodness!

Well, thanks again for writing. Take care.

---Deb.

Hi The Marquis,

I guess I wrote a reply to the wrong person. Sorry! But I "met" Marcie on here, so that was nice. Anyway, I will copy/paste my post I thought I had sent to you in here. I was hoping to hear your results of your O.G.T.T. Sorry this board is a little slow sometimes.

Here is my post to you:

Here it is November already--surely you got your lab results? You never came back and posted them? My guess is that you were diagnosed as pre-diabetic (since you weren't over 200 at any time, according to your meter and you weren't over 126 fasting). Of course, the lab results are more accurate than the meter results.

My lab seems to report values 5 less than my meter does (ie: if my meter says 105, the lab may report only 100). I've never actually taken the meter with me and did a check at the same time, but I've checked at home just before heading to the lab. It only takes me about 5 mins to get there from the house, then there is some wait time, but....

Also, borderline (which isn't supposed to be used any more) is the same thing as pre-diabetic.

Being diagnosed as such, you have the chance to turn things around. Otherwise, with time, you will become officially diabetic.

Take care and I hope things are going well with you.

Good luck!

---Deb.