Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Diabetes clinic

As I said in my last post F had a Diabetes clinic appointment on Friday. I had downloaded her BGLs from the Xceed monitor to the CoPilot software to be able to show the doctor just how her levels were going. I went armed with print outs But I was most looking for to finding out her HbA1C.
This is the value which tells the doctors what the blood sugar control has been like over the past 3 months. It tests how much sugar has stuck to the haemaglobin cells. These cells live for about 3 months.
Three months is also how long since F transferred over to the sulfonylurea (Glybenclamide or Glyburide in the US).
All the articles I have read have about KCNJ11 mutations said that patients can get HbA1C levels of about 6 or lower on the oral medication. So going on F's averages I was hoping for 6.2.
It was over 16 at diagnosis, 9.8 after 2 months on insulin, 7.8 in September 2010 and 8.3 when admitted for the transition in November.
It was 5.5 on Friday. I was so excited. It's almost "normal". It may go up and down a bit as she grows and we change doses but it means that the drug is working. Her blood test the previous week was to check her C-peptide levels. C-peptide is what is left over after the body makes insulin from proinsulin. We also got the results for that it was 0.7. I'm not sure of the units but the doctor said it was normal levels.
The glybenclamide is helping her body to produce insulin.


I am so thankful that God has provided us with our own little miracle. I am thankful for the endo team at the Mater. I am thankful for Professors Frances Ashcroft and Andrew Hattersley for working it out.

4 comments:

Jules said...

You have been blessed!

Catherine said...

Hey Mel,
Can I interview you on my blogs sometime soon? You have an exceptional story to share - you know, to the millions of people who read my blog...

Melissa said...

Sure Cath. I am trying to get the message about Neonatal Diabetes out to as many people as I can. I want more people to know if they could benefit from this discovery.

Dave McLennan said...

Maybe I should FB you about it. I don't know even what the best questions would be to ask! I will try and come up with something and send it on.

Love,
Cath