So, I get a complete metabolic panel, blood count, chemistries, thyroid function, etc., every six months or so, due to my known insulin resistance and those lovely thyroid nodules I had to have biopsied after discovery last year (all colloid, fortunately--though we also ultrasound them every six months to document stability) . . .

So this time, all numbers are pretty good (no thyroid antibodies or blood abnormalities) except my fasting glucose--and it really was fasting, a 7:30 AM draw--was 103, and my hemoglobin A1C was 5.7. These were the highest they've ever been--I've tended to run fasting glucoses in the low 90's and an A1c around 5.4 for a long time (a decade or more)--and are just borderline for impaired glucose tolerance according to the new reference ranges, which have just changed over the last few years. (Normal fasting blood glucose used to be 65-109--now listed by most labs as 70-99; normal A1c used to be anything below 6--now listed 5.7-6.5, with reading above 6.5 considered frank diabetes.)

Yes, I am 52 now; yes, there's been diabetes in my family; yes, while I try to eat a good diet, I do tend to treat myself to ice cream regularly. Looks like that' s going to be gone now--I do want to nip this in the bud before it gets worse. (No more muffins for me, Melody.)

I'm going to rededicate myself to a lower-carb diet, and try to build some more muscle. I'd actually lost a few pounds (212 to 207) lately with some effort, but likely have to make more effort in that arena (I know building muscle may increase my weight, but that's OK). Of course, muscle building is tricky for me--I can't do weights like I once did, owing to the rather extensive cervical spine degenerative disease I have: spurring, disc bulges, foraminal narrowing, nerve compression; when I lift weights I'm subject to a lot of compressive neural effects (anyone have some suggestions here?) AND--thinking about increasing my R-lipoic dose from 100mg/day to maybe 150, to try to get some more of the glucose moderation effects.

There go the gluten-free fig Newmans. Sigh.