Monday, August 10, 2009

Magic Number 6.5

We just got back from T-Bear’s checkup with the ped endo, and it went GREAT! He had his first A1c test, and it was 6.5%. WoooooHooooo!

Okay, since most of you probably have no idea what that means, the A1c test is a key indicator of how well BS is controlled. Although we test four times a day, and his BS numbers have been on target most of the time, it’s still possible that he could be having spikes that are not showing up during those test times, or some other goofiness may be going on. The A1c test basically analyzes a drop of blood and can tell how often frequently there have been BS highs over the past three months. For a kid T-Bear’s age, you want to keep it 8% and under. Our Diabetes Educator said that 6.5% was perfect; right where we want it to be. I could have done cartwheels right there in the exam room.

Another bit of good news. We talked to our DE about getting a pump, and we’re another step closer. We’re going back in October to meet with the dietician, and at that point, if T-Bear’s numbers have remained good, we can probably get Dr. A to sign off on a pump. Then we can get into pump classes in November. By the time we’re trained, T-Bear will have reached his 6-month anniversary, so the insurance company should approve it. Wouldn’t it be awesome to be pumping by Thanksgiving?!?

Also, Brother Bear has decided to participate in the Panda Study. When we go back for our appointment in October, Brother Bear will come along to get enrolled in the study and have his bloodwork done. That should tell us whether or not he’s at risk for developing T1, and if he is, he’ll have bloodwork done every six months to catch it if it begins.

Onward and upward…

3 comments:

  1. Great news!!!!! So happy!
    Is Brother at a much higher risk simply b/c he has a sibling with JD? Is Angel too little to do it? How do they determine if he is at higher risk - a genetic test?
    Ok, sorry to interupt your happy news with all these questions. just curious!
    Oh, and I'd love to see you do some cartwheels!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yay! Glad it was a good visit.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The "higher risk" question has sort of a "yes and no" answer. The initial testing is to check for the genetic marker for T1. Since T-Bear has T1, and presumably the marker, there's a pretty good chance both of his brothers have the marker. But, since there is no clear indication what triggers T1, having the marker does not necessarily increase risk. Angel Bear could be in the program, but I'm not gonna be the one to hold him down while they poke him :) My plan is to see how it goes with Brother Bear, then see if Angel Bear is willing to do it, too. He'll have had his five-year shots by then, so we'll see how he does with that. Funny how kids can develop an aversion to being stabbed. I know you know all about that...

    ReplyDelete