Meta Study: Long-term Glycemic Variability and Risk of Adverse Outcomes

Okay, all of that may be true, but I was saying that A1C number to the mom of a young boy, who will be a man one day. And I said, “Maybe not at this young age, but at some point…

20 years from now, with improvements in insulin and technology, and once he is older, I do not doubt Samson will be able to hit those numbers.

They didn’t have A1C’s when I was 5 years old, so I don’t have a reference point for it. But I do know that control got much easier when I got older. So that is why I made that statement.

3 Likes

Maybe he will, I certainly hope so! I’m just saying, it probably depends on what his health and other life factors look like at that point, and it’s hard to know what that will be for anyone, which is why YDMV is always applicable and even probably relevant within the same person over time. I also do hope and believe that with improvements with insulin/tech it will become easier for everyone, regardless, though to what extent is unclear.

1 Like

I agree with all you said. But want to emphasize that for parents, it’s important to realize that what you see at age 4 or 5 does not necessarily mean that’s what you will see later in life.

The most important element of control is mostly missing at that young age - the person’s self awareness of their D.

Managing someone else’s D is much harder than doing it yourself.

6 Likes

Agreed!

2 Likes

Yes, that’s what I hope for! Samson already wants to look at his numbers and he’s starting to be able to read the numbers correctly; if he sees 157 he’ll say “one-fifty-seven” in the right order. So I can see a glimmer of that independent future on the horizon!!!

7 Likes

I’ve been closing and moving all day so I’m just now catching up.

@Eric, totally get what you are saying. I understand your points and encouragement.

1 Like

20 years from now, with improvements in insulin and technology, and once he is older, I do not doubt Samson will be able to hit those numbers.

Well 20 years from now, we’ll have had a cure for 15, right? :wink:

7 Likes

Definitely very true. I also think it’s a different disease when you have additional chronic health conditions, not only because those other conditions can directly interfere with healthy diabetes-related activities and/or BG stability, but because diabetes is now just one of numerous health management tasks rather than the top number one task to deal with.

Before I had all these other (auto)immune conditions, I was able to devote all my health attention to diabetes. I might have had temporary distractions during some stressful periods, but overall I could make diabetes my top health priority if I really decided to. These days diabetes is just not top priority anymore. It’s just one of numerous health issues I have to manage every day.

7 Likes

8 posts were merged into an existing topic: How Glucose Variability impacts HbA1c measure

9 posts were split to a new topic: Is a lower HbA1c always better?

2 posts were merged into an existing topic: How Glucose Variability impacts HbA1c

Also, I don’t know how to split off the threads but I’m sort of wondering if some of these comments need their own thread? @Michel maybe?

1 Like

So sorry, @TiaG, should definitely have done it:( Will do now.

[EDIT] Done. It was a dififcult split, and I did my best to make the children threads coherent. I did have to paste fragments of posts across. I hope that everyone will be comfortable with how the contents were split. Let me know if I made a mistake somewhere :slight_smile:

1 Like

Same with Liam. Because he can now recognize highs from lows (numbers wise) and because he can read the numbers, we play the “beat the dexcom” regularly and I try to have him check HIS OWN BG once per day. Yes I still have to oversee things but he gets the supplies out, knows what they are called, and can set everything up…I have to help him with those things that require fine motor skills… Like getting the black dot on the test strip to touch the blood drop.

My goal for Liam is to make him self aware and self sufficient as soon as possible. I want him to understand why it’s important and why he is the best person for the job. I do NOT trust other people… That’s my biggest fear with public school… He may be “just a number.”

All works in progress and it’s slow at times, and we go backwards at times, but our boys are young still. Lots of time to get them prepared for life as adults in the world of diabetes. You’re doing great with Samson!

7 Likes

I really sympathize with you and everyone that has had a toddler diagnosed. As much as I fear for the first year of college, I think it is scarier to let a child go to school when he/she cannot take care of themselves without outside help. I suspect that your son will be able to do it with a little supervision quite early. Perhaps do what the sports obsessed parents do and don’t enroll him until he is 6, that way he can be a beast on the sports field and perhaps take care of himself by then.

4 Likes