OT - gestational diabetes and long-term monitoring

If you had gestational diabetes here are a couple of things you should
know:

Gestational diabetes doesn't just go away. Once you're diagnosed with
gestational diabetes you are, essentially, diabetic for life. You
should have an annual glucose tolerance test. Chances are none of
your health providers told you this, so call your doctor today and ask
for a lab slip.

You were probably monitoring your own blood glucose while you were
pregnant, and you probably put your tester away in a closet somewhere.
Dig it out, pop in some fresh batteries, calibrate it, buy some fresh
test strips. Do spot-checks of your blood glucose levels and LOG THE
TEST RESULTS. A consistent reading above 130 (fasting or two hours
post-prandial) merits a chat with your healthcare provider.

If you're currently pregnant or nursing tell your doctor you've heard
that gestational diabetes can develop into full-blown adult-onset
diabetes despite healthful living habits. Tell him or her that you'd
like more information on post-pregnancy treatment. Ask about taking
an "insulin pill" after you wean your child. Such medication can help
normalize your blood sugar without insulin injections, tho you will
probably have to do regular blood glucose self-monitoring.

If you change physicians be sure the new doctor knows your history of
diabetes and that you must have an annual glucose tolerance test.
Yes, you'll have your records transferred, but how frequently do you
see a physician actually READ YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY? One of my doctors
couldn't be bothered to read my name correctly from the chart; I
didn't stay with him long enough to let him misdiagnose something or
misprescribe something because he was too busy to read my history.

Not all women who have gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes -
about 60% of us will. In this age of 5-minute "comprehensive exam"
visits with our doctors it is our obligation to keep abreast of
information about our health issues and to educate our healthcare
providers.

Undiagnosed diabetes can kill you. See http://www.diabetes.org for
more information.

Wooly "don't you like my new bracelet?" Grrl

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Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET.
This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%.
Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...

Hi Wooly,

Oh yes, I know what diatetes is, have been a type 2 for over 30 years
and my two nieces both have the type 1 due to their pregnancy and the
fact that it runs in our family.

Hugs,

Nora