My doctor is satisfied with 6.2 for me.

If you get down to 5.5 and don't have low blood sugar attacks, that is good too. If you feel sick at 5.5, or weak, then that is your answer.

The targets for diabetics are a bit more liberal...than for those with insulin resistance. Getting a diabetic who has an average glucose of 300 during the day down to 130 (HbA1c=6) is a big improvement. Getting an insulin resistant person down from 6 to 5.5 is much different. If you are 6 now, I wouldn't sweat it. Just stay away from fructose and sugar.

Losing weight without trying can be a concern that there is a slow growing cancer somewhere. (usually the lung). Having a blood iron going down is also a warning sign. But it can also mean that you are eating sensibly, and avoiding the "terrible" things like alcohol and sugar.

My oncologist was worried too (I'm at my two-year mark for good checkups after having uterine cancer) and he ordered CT scans of chest, mid, and lower abdomen. He also ordered a CA-125. Nothing. Doesn't mean I'm in the clear, but what else can he do? I guess we could run some blood work for iron like you said.

I don't think so. I've never lost an ounce in my life without very strict calorie control, no matter what I eat. Until now. Believe me, I love getting on the scale and seeing that I dropped another 2 lbs., but it's a little scary too.

As an illustration:

A friend of mine's mother suddenly had intestinal problems.
She is 84... suddenly her hemoglobin went down to 5 (anything below 11 is considered low). She was bleeding from a tumor in her colon, which was believed to be a spread from 15 yrs ago endometrial cancer. Very slow growing.

They had to give her blood tranfusions before they could operate on her. She did survive (this was over Xmas), and is doing pretty well, but needs alot of physical rehab work because of weakness.

So I do hope you do NOT have the dreaded cancer!

Have you had the thyroid checked? It can get overactive and weight loss is one sign of that.

They've been doing pelvic exams and taking cells as in a PAP in the area where my cervix used to be every three months. As for it spreading to my colon...I'm due for another colonoscopy in another year...they always ask me when my last one and my last mammogram was, so I've just assumed that I'm doing everything I can on schedule to keep an eye on things. Maybe I've been whisting in the dark about the cancer...but I don't know what more I can do than I'm already doing. As you've said, mrsD, endometrial cancer is one of the less aggresive cancers and grows very slowly.

I did have my thyroid checked and that was normal.

I still think that the simplest (and most likely) answer is that I'm teetering on the edge of diabetes. I don't know if you've ever had cancer mrsD, but in the C-Club there's a term known as "cancer-head" where you can let the worries run away with your life. Anyway, PN has been doing a pretty good job doing that lately.

Having said that, you are a very kind person to have such concern about my well-being and thank you for that.