It never rains but it pours!
Right after I finished the root canal treatment (I still need a final restoration of that treated tooth), my glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) conducted on Wednesday came back with elevated numbers!
A glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) at about 28 weeks is ordered by most healthcare practitioners routinely to check for gestational diabetes, a high blood sugar condition that some women get during pregnancy. (from http://www.babycenter.com)
This Wednesday when I checked in for the test, I was given a bottle of glucose drink (I chose the lemon flavor) and was asked to get all of it down within 5 minutes. One hour later, the lab technician took a blood sample from my arm to check my blood sugar level.
Then on Thursday I was told that the reading was abnormal, which suggests the possibility that I might not be processing enough insulin to process the extra glucose in my system.
As to abnormal blood glucose level, different practitioners use different standards. Some will say that if your one-hour blood sugar level is 140 milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood plasma (mg/dL) or more, you need to have the glucose tolerance test. Others put the cut-off at 130 mg/dL to catch more women who may have gestational diabetes. (from http://www.babycenter.com)
Since my blood work came back with elevated numbers, the next level of test—the glucose tolerance test—is ordered. This fasting, three-hour test, which involves a higher-concentration glucose drink, is used to diagnose gestational diabetes. (from What to Expect When You Are Expecting
The good news is, like any screening test, glucose screening test won’t give you a diagnosis. So a positive result doesn’t mean that you have gestational diabetes. In fact, only about a third of women whose screening test shows elevated blood sugar don’t turn out to have gestational diabetes.
I hope I belong to this group of lucky women. I will find it out next Monday. Good luck to me and my baby!
Related post: Survived the GTT
From Lina, Healthy Pregnancy, Pregnancy | Lina | 
March 14, 2008 8:05 am | 
Comments (1)
Oh! Wonderful job!
Very good and helpful post.
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