I didn’t have that far to go.
When my A1C came back at 7.1% in July, I could see not only from the lab result but also from my Dexcom graph that I was hovering just above my goal of an A1C under 7%. The nurse practictioner was very encouraging that I was very close to getting my A1C where it needed to be to conceive a child, and that it would probably only take some small modifications in insulin and in my habits (::cough:: bolusing early ::cough::) to snag that coveted A1C.
I was groaning about how far away my next appointment was (in all honesty, it was the standard 3 month wait) so my NP offered to order a A1C lab for me that I could take in two months, instead of waiting the full three.
Well, the date for the lab draw finally arrived on September 19, but I hemmed and hawed about whether I actually wanted to go in after all. Recent travel and my latest PMS cycle wrecked havoc on my blood sugar, spiking my blood sugar worse than I had seen in a long time. I wasn’t sure if getting my A1C done would be helpful or just a discouragement.
After another week, and with much more stable blood sugars, I finally decided to get it done. The lab tech said that the labs close at 8pm, so when that came and went, I didn’t think I would hear anything that day after all. But at 11:30pm, an automated email from my clinic arrived in my inbox, telling me I had a new message in the patient portal. I logged in, checked my test results, and found this:
Now, I have to admit, it was sort of anticlimactic to see the A1C result I have been waiting for just as I was about to go to sleep. I sort of mumbled to my husband, “It’s 6.9%” before turning off my phone and rolling over to go to sleep. Looking back, I wish I had waited until my next appointment because there was no hug or high five or way to go waiting for me, even though I knew what this number meant. This was the first time my A1C has been under 7% without the aid of other diabetes medications (that means, no Victoza) and I found out in my pajamas.
The next morning I did get a message from my NP telling me good job, and that it was great to have the A1C under 7%, on the way to 6% as I prepare to conceive. Of course, I immediately freaked out, wondering if I had misunderstood everything and that I needed to be at 6% or less in order to get pregnant. I ended up emailing not only her back, but also my endo and Jenny Smith from Integrated Diabetes Services, to make sure I had the stamp of approval. Well, I did.
I never thought so many people would be involved in this decision. Such is the life of a type 1 diabetic, right? But I found myself suddenly incredibly anxious, wanting to make sure that everything was good to go. I suppose this is the beginning of all that pregnancy worry and stress I keep reading other moms-to-be talking about regarding their blood sugar and their babies health. I never imagined I would start thinking about that before I was even pregnant!
In the end, yes, I have been given the “green light” to try to get pregnant. So, you know, stay tuned, I guess.
My next endocrinologist appointment is on October 26 and I will hopefully be even lower. Clarity’s 14-day A1C predictor has me sitting at 6.4% so I’m very hopeful for where I’ll be, and even more hopeful for where I can stay!
