The Results

Every three months Vince sees his endocrinologist for a quarterly check up. They do blood work to check his kidney, liver, blood pressure, cholesterol, and of course his A1C. His A1C number tells the doctor what the average blood sugar has been over the past 2-3 months. With this information, along with looking at his recorded blood glucose checks everyday, they can gather enough information to tell whether or not his diabetes is under control. They also use this information to make adjustments to his pump settings (basal and bolus rates) as well. The goal for a type 1 diabetic is to get an A1C under 7%.
Vince usually runs in the 6's however, he had lots of low blood sugar reactions, which is common when trying to keep your A1C as low as possible. The goal is to have the lowest number possible without having to many weak reactions. About a year ago, when Vince started on the continuous glucose monitor and the insulin pump, his A1C raised to about 7.4 and stayed pretty steady at that level. This is an okay number for a diabetic, however, Vince is not personally satisfied until it is in the 6's. When starting on the pump, it is very common to have a period of adjustment time until you get the right settings. Once you accomplish this, the pump is an awesome tool to keep your diabetes in check, and also gives you a slight bit more freedom on the foods you eat.
Vince recently had a check up and was told his A1C was down to 6.7! This was such a relief to us! He is finally back down to where he likes to be, however he has had some weak reactions. The doctor made some changes to his basal rates and said this should help.
We are also going to be visiting our nutritionist to help with some information on foods that would be helpful in keeping the blood sugars steady and also aid in weight loss.
Visiting the Endo every three months can be trying on my nerves, as it is the time to get the results from Vince's blood work. Hearing that all his major organs are in perfect shape and knowing that he has brought down his A1C to his personal goal is so great.