False health alarms change you?

[KnottedYet]

At my 5 year check-up when my cancer-man declared me "cured," I went out for coffee and did the same thing! I announced to the barista I was cured, and she said "congratulations!"

Kinda silly when I look back on it, but damm I was so happy and excited I just had to tell a REAL HUMAN BEING right that moment!

I wonder if baristas get the same life-story type stuff that bartenders do?

[Triskeliongirl]

That's certainly good news you don't have diabetes, but if I were you I would my doctors exactly what tests were run and what were the results (not just 'normal' but the numbers, the ranges, even better ask for copies of the lab reports). For example, even a slightly elevated fasting blood sugar can be a predicter of future diabetes that can be prevented by dietary changes. Changes in your blood work over time can be another good indicator, another good reason to have it all in your files. I ignored borderline results for years (at my doctors insistence), and in my case it would have been better if I changed my diet sooner.

Regarding mammograms and false positives. Yeh, we have to all make our own decisions, but I will continue to be screened for whatever I can be screened for. In my case I was sick of years and years of borderline abnormal paps. Finally, when I had a hysterectomy for a variety of reasons, only in part due to the abnormal paps, they checked the tissue and indeed found cells in the very early stages of cervical cancer, but the good news is they were surrounded by a ring of normal cells so it means they removed it all.

[shootingstar]

That's certainly good news you don't have diabetes, but if I were you I would my doctors exactly what tests were run and what were the results (not just 'normal' but the numbers, the ranges, even better ask for copies of the lab reports). For example, even a slightly elevated fasting blood sugar can be a predicter of future diabetes that can be prevented by dietary changes. Changes in your blood work over time can be another good indicator, another good reason to have it all in your files. I ignored borderline results for years (at my doctors insistence), and in my case it would have been better if I changed my diet sooner.

Regarding mammograms and false positives. Yeh, we have to all make our own decisions, but I will continue to be screened for whatever I can be screened for. l.

After I see my family doctor, I often just want to hear what my sister-phsyician's opinion is. She lives in another province so I would consider her opinion not definitive because she's not here to have examined me. But she does explain to any family member, in far greater detail, medications, diagnoses and doctor's directives to patients. And she has advocated on behalf for family members for better care, patient's right to info....

She felt the nature of the 2nd blood tests was not a good testing method. In her opinion, for real verification and 2nd time closer testing for diabetes 2, there should be 2 hr. glucose test. One ingests pure glucose and after 2 hrs., they test your blood if your insulin production will respond quick enough or properly.

so good point, Triskin, ... I do now want to cut down my sugar intake to near 0 except for special occasion treats (like my birthday soon...). Rework my good carb intake..

By the way, the sister-physician herself.....about 4 years ago...had a health scare and elevated blood sugar bordering on diabetes 2.

She knew what her doctor would tell her, so instead of seeing her doctor, she just went ahead and went on low GI diet, lost 50 lbs. over 6 months. Yes, she was overweight. And yes, doctors should follow their own advice. Her blood sugar level is normal as a result of completely changed eating habits and exercise. But she is self-monitoring herself because she is pregnant and diabetes triggered by pregnancy can happen if she regains too much weight post-birth.

[Triskeliongirl]

Shootingstar, I am only guessing here, but it sounds like you may have had a borderline high normal fasting glucose, high the first time and perhaps normal the second. I too have a marginally elevated fasting blood sugar, that may or may not be elevated in any one test. My diabetes shows up with the test your sister suggests, the glucose tolerance test. My blood sugar rises too high and takes too long to clear when I ingest sugar (or any carb for that matter). But there is one more key test, also having your insulin measured (at both the 0 and 2 hour points of the oral glucose tolerance test). If you are not overweight it may not be type 2, but can be type 1.5 which is caused not by insulin resistance but by an undersecretion of insulin. THat is what I have. Even though I lost 35 lbs and am at a healthy weight (22% body fat) this didn't go away, it never will, my body simply doesn't make enough insulin, so I can never eat very many carbs. I also had gestational diabetes for the same reason, not from being overweight and insulin resistant, but from undersecreting insulin and not being able to keep up with increased demand of the fetus. If you don't understand this stuff, at least show my post to your sister.

I don't want to scare you either, you may be normal, but if I were you I would find out more about what was tested, and consider geting an oral glucose tolerance test.

[roadie gal]

When I was 2 years old I had a painful, swollen knee that wouldn't get better. The doctors thought I had bone cancer and wanted to amputate my leg. (This was around the same time that one of the Kennedy kids had bone cancer, so doctors were very aware of it.) My parents asked them to biopsy first. It was found that I had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, not cancer. So I got to keep my leg. To this day, whenever I run, ski, whatever, I'm thankful for my parents insistence and that the original diagnosis was false.

On the other hand, my sister has a genetically based breast cancer. So I will continue to get mammograms (and Paps, etc.). My chance of getting breast cancer from my genes is much higher than the chance that the radiation from the mammograms will cause me to get cancer. For me, the risk is far outweighed by the benefit.