The Rule when it comes to managing diabetes is maintaining a blood sugar between 80 and 120 mg/dL by all means necessary. This does not take into consideration that some people might function better with a higher blood sugar. For all intents and purposes this is for safety reasons. Clocking in at no higher than 120 mg/dL is evidenced to delay the onset of long-term diabetic complications.

However, in my blog about Jeff the Trucker, in order for Jeff to be considered safe to drive -- the Federal Standards said that he must maintain blood sugars between 140 and 200. Whereas conventional medicine says the safest range for blood sugars is between 80 and 120. If Federal Standards say that you can function better with a higher sugar - why is it that we are encouraged to keep them lower? I understand this from a clinical perspective this is to delay the onset of complications. But in reality - the complications result from the fluctuations in blood sugar level and not so much the level at which it is sustained.

So herein lies my question for all diabetics out there - do you feel better or worse when your blood sugar is 80 compared to a blood sugar of 130? Compare being high and being low - what are the strengths and weaknesses of each?

I'll start - I prefer my blood sugar to be higher (<120 mg/dL) rather than lower (<80 mg/dL). When I am higher I know I am never on the verge of being disoriented, uncoordinated, or likely to lose my ability to think clearly. Having a higher blood sugar allows me to continue on without worrying if I'm too close to having a reaction. My weakness of being high is the inconvenience of needing water - ice, cold water. Now how do you all feel about your highs and your lows? It's okay. I know it's frustrating as H-E-double hockey sticks to test, treat, and repeat - only to find that your numbers aren't always perfect. Tell me about it. No, really -- please, do!!

About a year ago, I met a guy named Jeff Mather. Well, we never met, personally. But we spoke many times over the phone about diabetes and how it has affected our paths in life. Jeff had lost his job, the one he had for over 10 years. The job he wanted to have since he was a little kid. According to Federal Safety Guidelines, if a trucker takes insulin - they are no longer safe to drive across state lines.

Jeff wrote letters every day. He posted to online forums. He contacted politicians and pleaded to every diabetic organization in existence to get him back on the road. And sure enough - his perseverance paid off. He took his predicament all the way from Washington D.C to National Public Radio. The story on NPR included details on how Jeff was able to qualify to drive again.

While diabetes advocates are pleased that it's now easier for truckers to keep their jobs when they go on insulin, they're not entirely happy with the way that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCSA) will decide whether a trucker is safe to drive. In order for a trucker to be considered "safe" to drive, his HgA1c must be between 7 and 10. This means that in order to keep trucking - one must sustain a blood sugar between 140 mg/dL and 200 mg/dL. Yes, this is flawed. I was going to use another choice F phrase to describe it.

FMCSA expressed it wants to see a higher test result because they feel people with lower scores who are aggressively managing their diabetes with insulin, may be more likely to have periods of very low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, that could make them pass out or feel woozy. Diabetes expert Christopher Saudek, at Johns Hopkins Hospital, says the agency's reasoning is flawed. And he says it puts diabetics in a bind.

"Essentially what you're saying with this kind of a rule is that if you are controlling your diabetes at all well, if you get it to 6.8 or 6.5, then you're liable to lose your job," Saudek says. "So congratulations. Your A1c is in a good range, but you aren't going to be able to drive your truck anymore. That doesn't make any sense."

Jeff, I'm so proud of you for not giving-up. You're driving your truck and I'm sure you're doing it in good health. Enjoy all that you've worked so hard to regain. Best of luck to you!