HA1C-Fliss

[Guest guest]

I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond to your posts but my

computer has been giving me a fit. I am going to have to take it in

to somebody to look at but my son and I had done some tinkering on it

this weekend and it atleast, so far, is behaving somewhat. Hope I'm

not jinxing myself.

The HA1C, in the states, will provide a measurable indication as to

how well your blood glucose has been over the previous 3 months. I

would also suggest you have a C-peptide blood test done as well. C-

peptide is a by product of insulin production. When the beta cells;

which house the islets of Langerhans; produce the preinsulin it also

produces a protein peptide chain. This is the c-peptide. The

mesurement of this peptide will coincide with the amount of insulin

produced. I dont know if this test is available in GB but it would

certainly give them a lot of information as to how well your beta

cells are functioning.

I have been wanting to write to you about your question regarding

sphincteroplasty and pancreatic divisum. A transduodenal

sphincteroplasty is a procedure used to mainly treat sphinter of oddi

dysfunction (the other sphincter as well but have forgotten its name

at the moment) and strictures found primiarily in close proximity to

the sphincter. It can be used also for divisum to allow for greater

flow depending on the degree, placement and depth of the ductal

divisum. It is often used as a first attempt with divisum and can be

helpful with that depending on what damage has occurred to the

pancreas and the ducts distal to the divisum. Often times the

doctors will not really know the degree until they are actually

inside the body and see the organ for themselves. Scopes and scans

can only show so much.

I had this surgery almost 2 years ago to date. That is when the

surgeon held my panc in his hands and found that it looked like

a 'walnut " , his words exactly. It was not succesful for me but I

have known people with whom it had been. Sometimes it can buy some

time, so to speak, before needing more invasive surgeries such as the

Puestow, Whipple, Beger or the total.

I hope this helps and good luck with the Endocrinologist. I have

been stalling but need to find one myself. I guess I am just taking

on one tasks at a time these days. Oh and by the way. when I first

started out having to count my carbs I purchased a book by Corinne T.

Netzer " The Complete Charohydrate Counter " . It has every thing you

could imagine in there and the amount of carbs listed. It has been

very helpful. It even has the foods one would fine in many of the

franchise type restaurants and in the frozen foods from the grocery

store. It even had boiled peanuts in there, a very southern

delacacy...LOL.

Give my best to Jim and the boys.

Warmly,

Chrissy