\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n \tRelated story \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tGlenn Close Shares Health Update After Being Spotted Using a Cane\t\t<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/article>\n \t \n\tSpencer, a self-described \u201cSouthern girl\u201d who grew up in Alabama, wasn\u2019t seeing a doctor regularly because she felt healthy. \u201cI didn\u2019t have any health issues at that point that I could feel,\u201d she said. \u201cI was very overweight, but I felt good, and that can be a dangerous combination.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tType 2 diabetes can develop over years without noticeable symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/a>. An A1C test measures average blood sugar levels<\/a> over the past two to three months, but patients shouldn\u2019t assume it\u2019s included in every blood draw.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cPatients should understand that an A1C is not routinely performed as part of a standard laboratory blood draw and will need to be specifically ordered by the clinician,\u201d Scott Nass, MD<\/a>, lead family medicine physician at SwiftCareMD, tells SheKnows<\/em>.<\/p>\n \n\tAfter her diagnosis, Spencer\u2019s first priority was getting her A1C under control. \u201cSo first, I had to get that controlled,\u201d she said. \u201cSee, you don\u2019t [always] feel bad when your A1C is high. There\u2019s no pain.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t[Pull Quote: \u201cThere\u2019s no pain.\u201d]<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tFor Spencer, that meant bringing her A1C down to what she called \u201ctextbook [levels].\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe American Diabetes Association (ADA)<\/a> recommends an A1C target of 7 percent or less for most people living with diabetes, though the right target may be higher or lower depending on factors such as age, health history, and the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).<\/p>\n \n\tToday, Spencer eats fewer refined carbs than she did before her diagnosis and exercises whenever she can. \u201cAm I 100 percent on top of all that? No. Could I be better? I could be a lot better.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tFinding a doctor she felt comfortable with<\/a> took some effort, too. Spencer said she had to \u201cshop around\u201d for someone who understood her anxiety about her health because she \u201ccan\u2019t be nervous all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDiabetes and high blood pressure both raise the risk<\/a> of kidney disease, which is why Spencer asked her doctor for a uACR (urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio) test. It checks for albumin, a protein that can leak into urine when the kidneys\u2019 filters are damaged. She said her results were normal.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThis matters because kidney disease is often silent in its early stages,\u201d Craig Zebuda, MD<\/a>, chief medical officer at Yunara Life, tells SheKnows<\/em>. \u201cIdentifying damage early allows us to take steps to slow or sometimes prevent progression through better blood sugar and blood pressure management, lifestyle changes and kidney-protective medications when appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tSpencer would rather know where she stands. \u201cLet\u2019s say you get a diagnosis that you\u2019re borderline; borderline can be helped!\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \n\tShe\u2019s sharing that message through Detect the SOS Collective<\/a>, a campaign in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim, the American Diabetes Association, National Kidney Foundation, Mended Hearts, and WomenHeart. It encourages people with high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes to ask their doctors about uACR testing.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThis is my story. And I want to get as many people to hear this story as possible,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \n\tIf you have type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, these questions are worth bringing to your next appointment:<\/p>\n \n\tSpencer has lived with type 2 diabetes for about two decades and also manages high blood pressure.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019ve been managing it, but as I\u2019m aging, it\u2019s getting to feel like whack-a-mole keeping things in order,\u201d she told People<\/em><\/a> <\/em>in January.<\/p>\n \n\tHer longtime friend Sof\u00eda Vergara participates in Detect the SOS as a caregiver advocate<\/a>, and the two appeared together in a Super Bowl game-day ad about kidney screening. For Spencer, sharing her experience is a chance to reach people who might not think they need testing because, like her, they feel fine.<\/p>\n \n\tSpencer understands why people might put off a test out of fear, but she\u2019d rather know what she\u2019s dealing with.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAnd even if you get a diagnosis that says right now you\u2019re in kidney failure, wouldn\u2019t you want to know that? There\u2019s stuff that can be done!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Glenn](\"https:\/\/www.sheknows.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-sheknows-2020\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
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\n<\/section>\n<\/p>\n\n\t\tGetting Her A1C Under Control After Diagnosis\t<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tWhy Spencer Asked for a uACR Kidney Test\t<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\tManaging Diabetes and High Blood Pressure Over Time\t<\/h2>\n