The results of a blood test from a couple of weeks ago are almost all favorable. Here are the highlights:
Slightly High: Triglycerides
Slightly Low: Hemoglobin & Iron Saturation
Normal: Sodium, Potassium, Total Cholesterol, White Blood Cell Count, & Red Blood Cell Count
In December 2020, I was hospitalized with dangerously low potassium levels. In 2021, I was hospitalized (separately) with dangerously low hemoglobin levels and with a white blood cell count near zero.
The real surprise from my recent blood test is that my HbA1C (A1C) is 7.3. Controlled diabetes is marked by an A1C of lower than 7.0, so I am just about there. The last time I had my A1C tested, it was 9.5, down from 10.5, down from 10.6. I continue to inject myself (in my belly) every day with two types of insulin.
Also, my creatinine level, which is an indicator of kidney health, is in the normal range. In January 2021, I had kidney failure (both kidneys) which required a week in the hospital followed by six weeks of dialysis, seven days a week, four straight hours each day. Thank God (and the doctors and nurses) that I recovered.
Pending (sometime in January 2022): coronary bypass surgery (4 or 5 bypasses) ... Twice a day for the past month, I have been taking a prescription pill to dilate my blood vessels. My blood pressure is low, and this pill lowers blood pressure, so I often feel lightheaded. Also, I have been taking a prescription diuretic pill once a day since I was hospitalized with congestive heart failure in August 2021. I have an appointment with my cardiologist on January 10, 2022. I then have to meet with my cardiothoracic surgeon to schedule a day for my surgery.
Continuing (typically every two weeks): appointments with my podiatrist for lingering diabetic ulcers in both of my feet
Continuing: A new prescription (inhaled powder) for my asthma/COPD has me breathing much better. In 2021, I had a thoracentesis procedure that drained 650 milliliters (22 ounces) of fluid surrounding my right lung.
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