In article >,
Boron Elgar > wrote:

> On Fri, 09 Nov 2007 09:38:06 -0800, Dan Abel > wrote:

> >Well, guess what? Your doctor determines when you are a diabetic. If
> >you don't like it, find another doctor. They all have different
> >criteria.
>
> Um...your doctor may decide to TREAT you as if you were a diabetic,
> but if s/he diagnoses you as such and you do not meet the standard
> medical criteria established for the disorder, guess what...your
> doctor is wrong. Being diagnosed as a diabetic has tremendous
> repercussions for acquiring health or life insurance. It isn't
> something you want for fun on your records.


I was diagnosed in 1972. It's a little late to worry about it being on
my records. I have no life insurance. We have no need for it. I've
had the same health insurance for 30 years. I will have it for the rest
of my life, at minimal cost. I currently pay US$2.39 a month for the
three of us. My daughter will fall off in less than a year. I expect
that my cost will drop to zero at that point.

I have to agree that there may be criteria for diagnoses of diabetes,
and that I was really referring to treatment. My sister is diabetic.
She takes no medications, and has a fasting blood sugar below 100. Why
is she diabetic? Before she lost those 20 pounds, her FBS was higher,
and she has a family history on both sides for serious diabetes (the
needle). It's just prudent to consider her as diabetic, even though she
isn't on meds.


> >I thought the GTT was dead. That's what my doctor told me back in the
> >70's. Maybe it's back?
>
> 70s, huh? Dead for what reason?

Don't know. I had three of them. Flunked them all, but no treatment.
I was told to take one every year. When it was time for number four, I
told the doctor. He said they didn't do those any more. Perhaps he
meant not for people in my situation, but he didn't explain that. They
had some other test. After a few years, they didn't do that one either.
Now they have even another test.


> commonly used to determine gestational diabetes, too.


Not worried about that.

:-)


> It's a pricey test and takes a lot of time for the patient stuck at
> the lab, so it isn't requested unless necessary...

Tell me about it. Usually the test got aborted when the lab tech saw I
was about to pass out from low blood sugar.


> Go look on Quest's site for making a lab appointment and the 3 basic
> categories for lab work uinder "doctor's orders," you have to chose
> one of the following:
>
> For a child under the age of 12
> For glucose tolerance testing
> Routine
>
> Do you think they'd do that if no one has done them in 30 or more
> years?

I knew that they still did them, but rarely. It's dead as the routine
tool for diagnosis of diabetes, at least to my knowledge, unless it's
changed again.