OET Reading 6C1

Part C, Extract 1

I’d heard there was a new woman GP in town, so, at my doctor-husband’s urging, I booked an appointment for a routine check-up. I was feeling well and had no need to suspect anything was amiss. The GP detected nothing out of the ordinary and, with the exception of slightly elevated cholesterol levels, my blood tests came back normal. My GP told me to try to lower my cholesterol levels with diet and exercise and she’d see me again in six months. I embarked upon a calorie-controlled, low fat diet and worked out most nights for 45 to 60 minutes on my treadmill and weights machine. I was feeling fit and healthy and was close to my ideal weight when the time arrived for my follow-up visit.

7. Why did the narrator decide to lose weight?

1. She felt bad about her being overweight.
2. Her husband wanted to see her slim.
3. She thought of facing a severe health setback.
4. Her GP advised her to do so.

In preparation for the visit, my husband organised repeat blood tests and sent a copy to my GP. The results arrived the following afternoon. Though my cholesterol had lowered from 5.6 mmol/L to 5.2 mmol/L, we were both surprised to see that my fasting blood glucose had gone from a perfectly normal 5.2 mmol/L to a perfectly diabetic 9.3 mmol/L. A follow-up fasting blood glucose, organised by my husband, confirmed I had diabetes.

8. Why was the narrator shocked about the blood test results?

1. Probably she thought of checking her blood infections.
2. The blood glucose levels reached extreme levels.
3. The blood test results showed no changes in her previous conditions.
4. The tests revealed that she had no traces of diabetes.

A few days later, my GP reaffirmed that I had type 2 diabetes and warned me of the complications if this was not treated correctly with a combination of diet, exercise and oral medication. “l wondered how diet and exercise were going to save me, when previous dedication in this area had let me down so badly.” The following week I dutifully attended a session with a diabetes dietitian. Of the six people at the clinic, I was the only one who had taken the fast lane to the dark side, everyone else was pre-diabetic. Along with our new healthy eating habits the dietitian recommended 30 minutes of brisk walking five times per week. I wanted to protest that I was already outdoing this, but sensed the futility of commenting.

9. In the third paragraph, the narrator used the words “l wondered” to:

1. express her concern over continuing the same diet plan.
2. emphasize the doctor’s role to assist her in reducing blood sugar.
3. express anger on her old GP’s plan.
4. to show the relation among several factors which triggers depression.

Eager to avoid the threatened complications, I got stuck into the job at hand. I took my pills, cut my carbs, worked out and drew blood from my fingertips. Soon, I reached my ideal weight. But all of this did little or nothing to lower my blood sugars. Weekly they continued to rise.

10. What do you understand about the narrator’s mental condition from the fourth paragraph?

1. She is irritated.
2. She is feeling tense.
3. She is frustrated.
4. She is disappointed.

Meanwhile, I carried a deep sense that part of the puzzle was missing. I became paranoid that some aspect of my lifestyle had contributed to this rapid progression, wondering if diet tonic water or my shampoo could be the hidden enemy. While I told myself that denial is one of the phases of grief and perhaps normal under the circumstances, I continued to obsess.

During one of my many sessions browsing diabetes sites on the internet, I found a site that stated that type 1 diabetes could, and did, occur in adults of any age. Many GPs were said to be unaware of this, passing it off as a variant of type 2. People in this group were usually neither overweight nor sedentary. This type of diabetes was sometimes referred to as latent autoimmune diabetes of adults’ (LADA) or ‘slow onset type 1’. The more I read about LADA, I became more convinced I was reading about myself. I mentioned it to my husband but he had not heard of it either, so for a while I dismissed it. I figured that if the general medical profession didn’t know about it, then it was probably some unfounded new age idea. I couldn’t let it go though, so I kept reading about it. I learned that a blood test, measuring GAD antibodies could confirm type 1 diabetes. I wanted to have this test done so I pressed my husband to write out the pathology request. I was out the door with it like a bullet.

11. How did the narrator find the LADA Test?

1. Her husband found it for her.
2. Her first GP advised her to take it.
3. She found it while reading a blog.
4. One of her friends suggested it to her.

Two weeks later the results came back strongly positive. Perhaps most people would have been unsettled with such a result, but I simply felt relief in one fell swoop, my questions had been answered. I now knew why there had been no prediabetes and why exercise and diet had not spared me. I was referred to an endocrinologist who confirmed type 1 diabetes, and who encouraged me to be proactive in my own treatment. Indeed, he confirmed what I’d already read — that starting insulin early might spare my remaining beta cells.

12. Why does the narrator feel happy with the test results?

1. The test results obtained positively.
2. The test results confirmed that she was attacked with low level diabetes.
3. Her GP found that the test is the benchmark to certify.
4. She found a new test to diagnose diabetes.

As flexibility is important to me, we agreed upon multiple daily injections consisting of long acting insulin at night, and rapid acting insulin prior to meals. I’ve not looked back. Within 12 hours of my first shot I knew I was on the right path, as immediately I felt more energetic, less sleepy and generally more cheerful. I’m glad I learned about it early as I’ve been fast-tracked to a treatment that works and in doing so, have avoided the frustration of taking medication more suited to type 2 diabetes. Though knowing my true type of diabetes may neither alter long-term treatment nor outcome, I feel at peace with my diagnosis and can now just get on with my life.

13. What made her feel more energetic and less sleepy?

1. Her first injection dosage.
2. Her husband’s support.
3. After her GP motivation session.
4. Wanted to show her strength to the society.

14. What does the word “it” refer to?

1. Medicines.
2. LADA.
3. GP’s support.
4. Blog.