I was reading last night and again a mom wrote about coming from the Doctor and how upset she was because her child’s A1C was 8.2. She tried everything and was so upset that the number ‘was not better’. She realized how important the number was to her child and she felt like she failed again. I have written about this before but it needs repeating.
STOP IT!!!!!!!!! It is just insane to keep beating yourself up.
Did you hear me: STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The A1C is a number. It is a gauge. It is a barometer on blood glucose numbers that are there to map-out a course of action. Yes, a long time high A1C is something you surely want to correct. But when you are driving and your GPS says those magic words ‘Re-routing destination’ do you yell and scream at it because you went off the guided roadway? NO. And neither should you when you receive ‘a bad’ A1C number.
I tell EVERYONE this just in case you read this ‘self-beating’ from someone on line or hear it at a support group meeting. Jump right on and encourage them what it means…..and tell them to work toward the steps they need to get to the ideal A1C. Let’s all work to get this stigma of ‘failure’ out of the equation. There is enough to feel bad about, don;t you think?
But this idea of FAILING MUST stop. Let’s work together to encourage those to use the A1C as just the tool it was meant to be, And leave the yelling for going off the guided mapped roadway to spouses while traveling in a car.
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7 replies on “STOP IT…….It Happened Again.”
Love this analogy Tom – re: GPS telling you which direction to go!!!! Thanks!!!!
AMEN. The A1C is a guide nothing more and nothing less.
Just came from the dr on tues. & am beating myself up for the a1c it’s hard not to because we worry about his health but I do really like the rerouteing thing & try to look at it that way! I live reading other people’s insights in things
Start over—today—day one after the Doc’s appointment. In 20 years with our daughter, we have started over 80 different times. Each time begins a new time. A gauge, not a test.
It begins now.
Good luck and onward we go.
Thanks for sharing! I see too many post in Facebook group of people beating themselves up over an A1C. My rule of thumb, if it’s not 15, its OK.
I have to wonder how many parents are learning their attitudes from their endo teams. When we were in the 6s, it was too low, despite the fact that she had very few readings <70 & Dexcom data to prove it. When we hit the 7s, it was too high. Our attitudes start with the endo team. A1C is only one measurement of management.
I have heard that the A1C is not totally correct all the time. I had one lady to tell me that she could tell me how to beat the A1C even though your numbers had been high. I don’t know how true it is and I didn’t ask her to tell, cause at the time I felt it probably wasn’t true and I still think it probably is not true. But I too get upset when my kids numbers have gone up or are still the same.