A1Cs in 1980-90s

My first recollection of having an A1C done was maybe in 1983. The doctor (GP, not endo) ordered the test, and verbally gave me the result. It was something in the teens. Don’t recall if she told me what normal range was. (Before DCCT, there wasn’t much talk about this.)

I moved to a new state/city/job, and started seeing an endo and diabetes group, where I got regular A1C testing and learned how it was used. Don’t have records, but I was still in the ‘teens’, and attended a 10 week diabetes education program. Learned the Exchange system for meals, and started using NPH and Reg, with meal time BG testing with ‘correction’ units. (Prior to that was doing one injection/day Lente, since age 5, no BG testing).

I think I stayed in the 9-10 range for the next several years, before being diagnosed with retinopathy, treated with many laser sessions and vitrectomy.
Why 9’s ? Because that was what they said was excellent/good control !
(found this old document recently).

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I was on the same regimen as you early on. I got to see an endocrinologist in 1991 and had my first A1c–it was something like 8.5. He very quickly worked with me to get it below 7.

Thanks for a look back at the “good old days”.

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Sounds about right :cheeky: