Update to my saga!

[rosserk]

I've posted below on my previous thread but I'm not sure how the system flags new activity and wanted to update the people who previously tried to help me with my problem. I hope it's ok to start a new thread?


http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/do-i-have-diabetes-or-not.73856/page-14#post-893156



Good morning everyone
To begin with I would like to thank Eurobuff and Elizabeth for their support and encouragement in helping me move forward with my quest to get my health back on track. I think I would have given up the fight if it hadn't been for your support. Thank you!

On Monday I finally went to see a different Doctor at my local surgery.

I went armed with my meter and printouts of all my readings over the last three months. Which he studied in great detail, to my amazement!

He agreed there's something very wrong going on with my blood sugars which need looking into ASAP. He has ordered a barrage of tests which includes a glucose tolerance test and a test for Lada at the Hospital and will be making a referral to a specialist as soon as the tests are all completed, even if the tests rule out diabetes. Throughout the visit which was well over half hour long he quoted the WHO guidelines and explained many of the things I was told on the forum. He also told me a number of things about recent findings in diabetes, which was encouraging, he agreed with a lot of the information I was told on the forum. He was actually singing from the same song sheet as many of the forum members.

He said an A1c test does NOT rule out diabetes
A 'normal' healthy persons blood sugars will 'seldom' go above 7.8 and will return to pre meal around the two hour mark
Normal fasting blood sugars do NOT rule out diabetes
Persistent 'Spikes' above 7.8 are not 'normal' and should be looked at because they are damaging particularly if BS do not return to post meal readings at the two hour mark
Two readings above 11.1 regardless of when they were taken 'are' a diagnosis of diabetes. As I have had dozens of readings above 11.1 it is highly likely I am diabetic, even allowing for the margin of error in lab results compared to meter readings.
There are many different types of diabetes which all act differently and he mentioned Lada as a possibility.
The extreme lows are worrying and there has to be an explanation for them, which needs investigating. I don't seem to have the lows as often as I did at the beginning but he was concerned I was taking 900mg of Gabapentin three times a day (a massive dose) which can cause low blood sugars so he told me to stop taking them immediately, which I'd recently done anyway.
He also said 'continue' taking my blood sugars and gather all the information I can because it was excellent evidence that the Endocronologist will look at and it will help lead to a diagnosis.
He told me not to mess with my diet at the moment and to continue as normal because he doesn't want a sudden change in diet messing with the results particularly the GTT.
He agreed only eating twice a day would lower the A1c test but already there is an upward trend in the readings which he thinks will likely continue. Stopping the Gabapentin may also mean the numbers will increase.
He apologised for the problems I'd had with the diabetic nurse and said none of what happened was my fault and any issues should not have been addressed with me.
I told him I'd been advised stress could affect my blood sugars and asked if it was possible I could just be suffering from stress which has impacted on my blood sugars. He said not to the extent he was seeing in my readings.

It is a huge relief I now have someone taking me seriously and willing to work towards a solution to get my health back on track, I almost gave up!

Thank you for all your help, I will let you know what happens

 

[4ratbags]

Its good to hear you have found a Dr who listens. Heres to moving forward. Do fill us in on your progress.

 

[Stemar]

I've posted below on my previous thread but I'm not sure how the system flags new activity and wanted to update the people who previously tried to help me with my problem. I hope it's ok to start a new thread?


http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/do-i-have-diabetes-or-not.73856/page-14#post-893156



Good morning everyone
To begin with I would like to thank Eurobuff and Elizabeth for their support and encouragement in helping me move forward with my quest to get my health back on track. I think I would have given up the fight if it hadn't been for your support. Thank you!

On Monday I finally went to see a different Doctor at my local surgery.

I went armed with my meter and printouts of all my readings over the last three months. Which he studied in great detail, to my amazement!

He agreed there's something very wrong going on with my blood sugars which need looking into ASAP. He has ordered a barrage of tests which includes a glucose tolerance test and a test for Lada at the Hospital and will be making a referral to a specialist as soon as the tests are all completed, even if the tests rule out diabetes. Throughout the visit which was well over half hour long he quoted the WHO guidelines and explained many of the things I was told on the forum. He also told me a number of things about recent findings in diabetes, which was encouraging, he agreed with a lot of the information I was told on the forum. He was actually singing from the same song sheet as many of the forum members.

He said an A1c test does NOT rule out diabetes
A 'normal' healthy persons blood sugars will 'seldom' go above 7.8 and will return to pre meal around the two hour mark
Normal fasting blood sugars do NOT rule out diabetes
Persistent 'Spikes' above 7.8 are not 'normal' and should be looked at because they are damaging particularly if BS do not return to post meal readings at the two hour mark
Two readings above 11.1 regardless of when they were taken 'are' a diagnosis of diabetes. As I have had dozens of readings above 11.1 it is highly likely I am diabetic, even allowing for the margin of error in lab results compared to meter readings.
There are many different types of diabetes which all act differently and he mentioned Lada as a possibility.
The extreme lows are worrying and there has to be an explanation for them, which needs investigating. I don't seem to have the lows as often as I did at the beginning but he was concerned I was taking 900mg of Gabapentin three times a day (a massive dose) which can cause low blood sugars so he told me to stop taking them immediately, which I'd recently done anyway.
He also said 'continue' taking my blood sugars and gather all the information I can because it was excellent evidence that the Endocronologist will look at and it will help lead to a diagnosis.
He told me not to mess with my diet at the moment and to continue as normal because he doesn't want a sudden change in diet messing with the results particularly the GTT.
He agreed only eating twice a day would lower the A1c test but already there is an upward trend in the readings which he thinks will likely continue. Stopping the Gabapentin may also mean the numbers will increase.
He apologised for the problems I'd had with the diabetic nurse and said none of what happened was my fault and any issues should not have been addressed with me.
I told him I'd been advised stress could affect my blood sugars and asked if it was possible I could just be suffering from stress which has impacted on my blood sugars. He said not to the extent he was seeing in my readings.

It is a huge relief I now have someone taking me seriously and willing to work towards a solution to get my health back on track, I almost gave up!

Thank you for all your help, I will let you know what happens

Hi Rosserk,

I'm sorry to hear that your condition was not taken seriously by your original doctor and the diabetic nurse, but it seems your decision to change doctors has been a positive one and you now find yourself on the path to understanding what is wrong with you. I know it's a big shock to find out that your body is not up too scratch, but there are break throughes everyday in the research that's being done, into all types of medical conditions. So keep up the fight as now that you have a person who evidently cares the fight can only become easier from here on in, so take it one day at a time and you'll be counting the months before you know it and you'll have a much better understanding of where and what you must do, to keep it all under control Ok!!!

Stemar, (Downunder)

 

[rosserk]

Hi Rosserk,

I'm sorry to hear that your condition was not taken seriously by your original doctor and the diabetic nurse, but it seems your decision to change doctors has been a positive one and you now find yourself on the path to understanding what is wrong with you. I know it's a big shock to find out that your body is not up too scratch, but there are break throughes everyday in the research that's being done, into all types of medical conditions. So keep up the fight as now that you have a person who evidently cares the fight can only become easier from here on in, so take it one day at a time and you'll be counting the months before you know it and you'll have a much better understanding of where and what you must do, to keep it all under control Ok!!!

Stemar, (Downunder)

Hey thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. It's lonely being out on a limb with little or no support, yours is the first response I've had to my post. I've had so many obstacles to jump over and it's hard to keep pushing forward trying to find a resolution. I find myself questioning my sanity! I feel so run down all the time and most days I just want to give up.

If you read through my original thread my symptoms have people on the forum baffled and opinions are divided. I think some people were exasperated with my reluctance to challenge my Doctor and others felt compelled to support an A1c test that can under certain circumstances be flawed.

The Doctor I've just seen is totally detached from me and my circumstances and has a better understanding of the limitations of an A1c test, he like me wants an explaination to why my blood sugars are consistently way above the normal range. He's looking at my problems from a totally different prospective, unknown female with symptoms A, B and C must equal D. My Doctor of twenty Five years is looking at a picture distorted by grief and months of stress and the odds of two sisters sharing the same health issues. Lightening doesn't strike twice!

My journey began with the unexpected death of my sister who also faced an uphill struggle to persaude the doctors there was something seriously wrong, she died trying. I promised her I wouldn't make the same mistake. I'm an intelligent woman, ultra fit and normal weight, I don't fit the profile of a diabetic, not my words my doctors! My beautiful wonderful sister didn't fit the profile either ...

Seriously, thank you for your kind words and encouragement, it really is appreciated.

What are your circumstances and how are you doing?

 

[4ratbags]

At least you are moving in the right direction now. Hopefully this Dr can find out what is going on so you can move forward.

 

[rosserk]

At least you are moving in the right direction now. Hopefully this Dr can find out what is going on so you can move forward.

Thank you, fingers crossed!

 

[rosserk]

At least you are moving in the right direction now. Hopefully this Dr can find out what is going on so you can move forward.

Hi Rosserk,

I'm sorry to hear that your condition was not taken seriously by your original doctor and the diabetic nurse, but it seems your decision to change doctors has been a positive one and you now find yourself on the path to understanding what is wrong with you. I know it's a big shock to find out that your body is not up too scratch, but there are break throughes everyday in the research that's being done, into all types of medical conditions. So keep up the fight as now that you have a person who evidently cares the fight can only become easier from here on in, so take it one day at a time and you'll be counting the months before you know it and you'll have a much better understanding of where and what you must do, to keep it all under control Ok!!!

Stemar, (Downunder)

Actually Im telling lies! I did have a response from 4Ratbags. Please accept my apologies. I was referring to previous posters. 4Ratbags thank you for your kind words.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Hi Rosserk. I followed your previous posts and am really pleased you are now getting somewhere. Your new doctor sounds brilliant with respect to diabetes/blood glucose levels. I hope you can keep him as he is a rare jewel in the system. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Stemar]

Hey thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. It's lonely being out on a limb with little or no support, yours is the first response I've had to my post. I've had so many obstacles to jump over and it's hard to keep pushing forward trying to find a resolution. I find myself questioning my sanity! I feel so run down all the time and most days I just want to give up.

If you read through my original thread my symptoms have people on the forum baffled and opinions are divided. I think some people were exasperated with my reluctance to challenge my Doctor and others felt compelled to support an A1c test that can under certain circumstances be flawed.

The Doctor I've just seen is totally detached from me and my circumstances and has a better understanding of the limitations of an A1c test, he like me wants an explaination to why my blood sugars are consistently way above the normal range. He's looking at my problems from a totally different prospective, unknown female with symptoms A, B and C must equal D. My Doctor of twenty Five years is looking at a picture distorted by grief and months of stress and the odds of two sisters sharing the same health issues. Lightening doesn't strike twice!

My journey began with the unexpected death of my sister who also faced an uphill struggle to persaude the doctors there was something seriously wrong, she died trying. I promised her I wouldn't make the same mistake. I'm an intelligent woman, ultra fit and normal weight, I don't fit the profile of a diabetic, not my words my doctors! My beautiful wonderful sister didn't fit the profile either ...

Seriously, thank you for your kind words and encouragement, it really is appreciated.

What are your circumstances and how are you doing?

Hi Rosserk,

I'm sorry to hear your sister passed away after suffering the same, or similar circumstances as yourself, which shines a brighter light on why you would be so concerned about your own condition and the lack of help you were receiving from your previous doctor, but unfortunately for people suffering with diabetes, especially Type 2, as a lot of medical staff look at it as a way of life caused our problem, so we brought it on our selves which is partly right, but when you take into account the amount of processed food on the shelves in supermarkets, how can one help but buy these items. Plus Type 2 is only now being taken seriously, as prior to say the last ten years all we really heard about was Type 1 Diabetes.

It's not only people who are over weight that get Type 2 Diabetes as I was of a little over weight (94 kilos) when my doctor suggested I get a GTT at my local pathology center, which I did and it came back as a reading of 12, so my doctor said I needed to loose some weight and start excising and he placed me on a slow release medication called Metaformin, plus he made an appointment for me to see a dietician so an eating plan could be put in place based on the things I liked from a list of what the dietitian recommended I eat, which I did. But after a few weeks I decided to put myself on a Low Carb and High Fat Diet which I found very good, as there are a number of Web Sites available, that have some very interesting meals you can indulge in, that are very enjoyable and have assisted me in loosing (25 kilos) since I started the diet several months ago. But please remember that we're all individuals and just because I had a favorable result, someone else may not have the same result on this type of diet, so it becomes a trial and error situation, and it's taken a longtime for you to get to your current position, so remember it's also going to take sometime for you to get a grip on your condition, once all the test your doctor has recommended you have done are completed and the results are fully explained to you. It's at this time your real task will become your number ""ONE" concern and time will only be inevitable as you can't rush this task in anyway, but your never alone as there's always someone on this forum who has either been through what you'll be going through, or they know someone who has, also you only need to ask and help will be there, I assure you, Ok!!! Well I've taken up far to much of your time, so I'll say bye for now and wish you luck with all your coming test, so take care and it'll all be over before you know it and you'll know exactly where your at and what you need to do, to get your condition under control, so I wish you all the best of luck and I'll mention you in my prayer's each day, so good luck, Ok!!!

Stemar, (Downunder)

 

[graj0]

On Monday I finally went to see a different Doctor at my local surgery.

Delighted to hear you have found a good doctor. I had a similar experience but with a different medical issue. I was so impressed with my new doctor (new practice as well) that I wrote a letter thanking her, so that my feelings are recorded in writing.

My GP visits since that day 4 years ago have always been a pleasant experience.

 

[rosserk]

Hi Rosserk,

I'm sorry to hear your sister passed away after suffering the same, or similar circumstances as yourself, which shines a brighter light on why you would be so concerned about your own condition and the lack of help you were receiving from your previous doctor, but unfortunately for people suffering with diabetes, especially Type 2, as a lot of medical staff look at it as a way of life caused our problem, so we brought it on our selves which is partly right, but when you take into account the amount of processed food on the shelves in supermarkets, how can one help but buy these items. Plus Type 2 is only now being taken seriously, as prior to say the last ten years all we really heard about was Type 1 Diabetes.

It's not only people who are over weight that get Type 2 Diabetes as I was of a little over weight (94 kilos) when my doctor suggested I get a GTT at my local pathology center, which I did and it came back as a reading of 12, so my doctor said I needed to loose some weight and start excising and he placed me on a slow release medication called Metaformin, plus he made an appointment for me to see a dietician so an eating plan could be put in place based on the things I liked from a list of what the dietitian recommended I eat, which I did. But after a few weeks I decided to put myself on a Low Carb and High Fat Diet which I found very good, as there are a number of Web Sites available, that have some very interesting meals you can indulge in, that are very enjoyable and have assisted me in loosing (25 kilos) since I started the diet several months ago. But please remember that we're all individuals and just because I had a favorable result, someone else may not have the same result on this type of diet, so it becomes a trial and error situation, and it's taken a longtime for you to get to your current position, so remember it's also going to take sometime for you to get a grip on your condition, once all the test your doctor has recommended you have done are completed and the results are fully explained to you. It's at this time your real task will become your number ""ONE" concern and time will only be inevitable as you can't rush this task in anyway, but your never alone as there's always someone on this forum who has either been through what you'll be going through, or they know someone who has, also you only need to ask and help will be there, I assure you, Ok!!! Well I've taken up far to much of your time, so I'll say bye for now and wish you luck with all your coming test, so take care and it'll all be over before you know it and you'll know exactly where your at and what you need to do, to get your condition under control, so I wish you all the best of luck and I'll mention you in my prayer's each day, so good luck, Ok!!!

Stemar, (Downunder)

Thank you,

Your comment about weight and diabetics was one of the contributing factors preventing my original Doctor from looking further into my symptoms, I didn't fit the 'Doctors' stereotypical profile of a diabetic therefore I can't be one.

I have also been suffering from unexplained neuropathy in my hands and forearms since 2011. My wrists, fingers, elbows and shoulders all move well beyond the normal range, which is very painful. The muscles and tendons no longer support the stability of my joints. When I asked one of the specialist at my last appointment if it was possible that diabetes could have caused or contributed to my problems she said I would have to have had diabetes for a considerable time for that to be the case so therefore that was highly unlikely. It's well documented that people can have diabetes for a conciderable number of years and be undiagnosed so I'm unclear why she dismissed it so freely, particularly as they don't have an alternate explaination.

http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/16162241.php

My original Doctor is lovely and he's looked after me for over 25 years. The problem I had with him is he was supporting the Diabetic Nurse, who was outraged that a Doctor from a drop in centre over stepped his remit and diagnosed me as a diabetic based on two blood sugars over 11.1. The problem I had was more to do with professional rivalry that got out of hand, it's essentially a stand off between the Doctor at the drop in clinic and the diabetic nurse with me in the middle! The new Doctor agreed with me that any problem with the diagnosis should have been addressed with the drop in centre and was nothing to do with me, the DN was furious with me! The Doctor at the drop in centre looked at the printout of my readings as did the new Doctor. The DN and my Doctor categorically refused to review my readings and I expect feel vindicated by the result of my A1c test. I read somewhere recently that the A1c test was unreliable as a diagnostic for type 1 which I assume would include Lada, which is one of the things the new Doctor mentioned as a possibility.

 

[rosserk]

Hi Rosserk. I followed your previous posts and am really pleased you are now getting somewhere. Your new doctor sounds brilliant with respect to diabetes/blood glucose levels. I hope you can keep him as he is a rare jewel in the system. Good luck and keep us posted.

Hi, thank you! I was hoping some of the posters who responded to my original thread would see the update.

The new Doctor was really good, I went armed with as much information as I possibly could. I spent the last three months taking my blood sugars and monitoring the foods I ate, I wanted to give him as much evidence as I could of the picture and three months data will confirm or dispute the accuracy of the A1c test in my case. He was impressed with the data and never once mentioned I shouldn't be testing my blood sugars. He actually told me to keep doing it until I see the Consultant, he said to take all the information with me when I go to see him.

No one wants to challenge a diagnosis from a Doctor, particularly when there are so many other things going on in their life, so I am glad I am finally moving forward.

 

[Stemar]

Hi Rosserk,

I'm glad to see your taking the forward step in finding out what is going on with your body and the condition your suffering, as for questioning a doctors prognosis it's my opinion that if your not satisfied with what they are saying then it's your obligation to question it, as to many people think that doctors are infallible and they aren't as they are only human and learn on the go after their initial studies. That's why they never give a definite answer to any questions they are asked about ones condition, they always have a complicated response, that leaves you scratching your head. So take the fight to them until you receive a response you can understand and accept as a reliable response, so keep up the fight and take care Ok!!!

Stemar, (Downunder)