Hi. Im new here. My partner has diabetes type2 and his bloods had been 86 so we went to desmonds ,got advice and made loads of changes. Hes now lost just under 1.5 stones and his bloods came back at 73. We thought this was brilliant especially in 3-4 months however the diabetic nurse at our practice told him it was 'very poor' and that he was nowhere where he needed to be. THEN took his blood pressure and told him it was too high!!! Anyone else experience this type of treatment? Its not exactly encouraging as desmonds said a 1% drop was great!
blood test results
- Thread starter diane1001
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tigerlily72
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- Type of diabetes
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It's not easy to make major lifestyle changes and lose the weight and keep it off. Well done to your partner for losing the weight. Don't let the DSN's negative and dismissive response get either of you down.
Is your partner on any meds for his diabetes? Has he been prescribed meds to lower his blood pressure?
And what advice has your DSN given him? What support is she or he offering?
Thankfully, the DSN I've had contact with has been really good (so far)!
Maybe he could make an appointment to discuss with his Dr?
Hi. Yes hes medicated and it seems ok. We were both feeling deflated to say the least. Hes due an appointment at the start of next year but yes hes going to see the gp instead after all this. Still cant over how she completely wound him up then took his blood pressure! Hilarious really but downside is it made all his and my hardwork feel like nothing although we did know he'd done well. Feeling more positive now. Thanks
tigerlily72
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Don't dwell on it too much and I agree, see the GP who will hopefully be much more supportive.
She needs some lessons in patient / customer care!
Good Luck x
mo53
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@diane1001 well done for the changes you made. Why can't people acknowledge achievements and use them to motivate? I hope you and your husband have a better experience with the Doctor.
MikePea
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Like Tim says. Any drop is good news. The weight loss is also to be commended. Your man is doing well. Keep up your encouragement. It might be all he gets. But not here. Here you will get good advice and encouragement that we need from time to time. I certainly did. I chose to follow a LCHF diet with exercise and in one year I am almost normal. (Whatever that may be). In fact today at a hospital the doctor said that I was a ***** miracle, and I should write my story to encourage others. No. I am not going to do that as I see the same story repeated here by other members. Just tell your partner to 'Walk on' and join the gang. He is welcome here, and so are you. 
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Hi
It is really dispiriting when all our hard work and effort is dismissed like this.
The graphic below may help in explaining what you have been told.
Blood glucose is measured in mmol/l (that is the number from your home meter)
Hba1c can be measured in two different kinds of unit.
It sounds like the trainers on your course were talking about % while your nurse it talking about mmol/mol, which is the 86 that you have brought down to 73.
Sorry. It is very unfair to comfuse people by using 2 different units! But nhs staff seem to do it all the time.
So, if you look at the graphic you will see that by lowering the hba1c from 86 down to 73 (in mmol/mol) you have lowered it by over 1%
Which IS brilliant. And hopefully, with your new information, you can make it a work in progress and continue to progressively lower it over the months to come to get it down to the green zone.
It is really dispiriting when all our hard work and effort is dismissed like this.
The graphic below may help in explaining what you have been told.
Blood glucose is measured in mmol/l (that is the number from your home meter)
Hba1c can be measured in two different kinds of unit.
It sounds like the trainers on your course were talking about % while your nurse it talking about mmol/mol, which is the 86 that you have brought down to 73.
Sorry. It is very unfair to comfuse people by using 2 different units! But nhs staff seem to do it all the time.
So, if you look at the graphic you will see that by lowering the hba1c from 86 down to 73 (in mmol/mol) you have lowered it by over 1%
Which IS brilliant. And hopefully, with your new information, you can make it a work in progress and continue to progressively lower it over the months to come to get it down to the green zone.
Last edited:
Hi. Yes NHS staff can lack a lot of tact and can be negative without offering additional, helpful advice. If your partner continues to lose weight then the HBa1C will continue to come down. It is still quite high but going in the right direction. Desmond courses can vary a lot so continue to read posts on this forum, particularly diet, and if you're not sure what is right or wrong then do ask questions here.
Energize
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- Type of diabetes
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- Tablets (oral)
Hi and welcome to the forum. It's definitely the best place to be for advice and support
I also have had problems with the Diabetes Nurses' attitudes at my surgery. I've found them to be less than supportive, even when it's clearly obvious that I've needed just that. However, that's another story
You're clearly working hard on your partner's diabetes control and I feel it's just very sad that the nurse can't see that for what it is and be more encouraging. As the other's have already said, many of them really do need to have more understanding and show more compassion
Unusually, no one has yet tagged @daisy1, who will post some very useful and informative information for you to see. I'll be very surprised if you don't find it interesting and helpful
Does your partner test his blood glucose? Although it's common to be told, by the nurse, that Type 2's don't need to test, in fact it's impossible to gain any control without testing. It's recommended to buy a glucometer and test immediately before a meal, an hour after the first bite and then at 2 hrs after first bite. By that time, most spikes should have come back down to more acceptable levels. SD CodeFree is a good one to get, not expensive, very reliable and, most importantly, the test strips are much less expensive than many, which is a consideratioin re ongoing costs.
Also, professional advice is generally to 'not reduce carbs and starchy foods'. As you will most likely already know, it is these foods which raise blood sugar so, common sense suggests at least trying to minimise on them would likely help glucose levels Make up your own mind as to the validity of the 'professionals' advice, especially after reading daisy1's post
Good luck on your journey. Hope your partner will also become an active member before long too.
I also have had problems with the Diabetes Nurses' attitudes at my surgery. I've found them to be less than supportive, even when it's clearly obvious that I've needed just that. However, that's another story
You're clearly working hard on your partner's diabetes control and I feel it's just very sad that the nurse can't see that for what it is and be more encouraging. As the other's have already said, many of them really do need to have more understanding and show more compassion
Unusually, no one has yet tagged @daisy1, who will post some very useful and informative information for you to see. I'll be very surprised if you don't find it interesting and helpful
Does your partner test his blood glucose? Although it's common to be told, by the nurse, that Type 2's don't need to test, in fact it's impossible to gain any control without testing. It's recommended to buy a glucometer and test immediately before a meal, an hour after the first bite and then at 2 hrs after first bite. By that time, most spikes should have come back down to more acceptable levels. SD CodeFree is a good one to get, not expensive, very reliable and, most importantly, the test strips are much less expensive than many, which is a consideratioin re ongoing costs.
Also, professional advice is generally to 'not reduce carbs and starchy foods'. As you will most likely already know, it is these foods which raise blood sugar so, common sense suggests at least trying to minimise on them would likely help glucose levels
Make up your own mind as to the validity of the 'professionals' advice, especially after reading daisy1's postGood luck on your journey. Hope your partner will also become an active member before long too.
daisy1
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@diane1001
Hello Diane and welcome to the forum Here is the information we give to new members and I hope this will help your partner. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 220,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Hello Diane and welcome to the forum
Here is the information we give to new members and I hope this will help your partner. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 220,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
callyandy
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- Messages
- 3,394
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Hello @diane1001 , I just wanted to give you a hug really. I can't add much to what has already been said. I've been looking around this community for about 5 weeks now and the support people offer is amazing. Keep with us, we'll give you the feedback that will keep you going when you think the system might have let you down.
Well done to you both for your progress to date. This is a long road, every step in the right direction should be applauded.
Well done to you both for your progress to date. This is a long road, every step in the right direction should be applauded.
Thank you for asking the question Diane. I was told by my GP that I was at 49 a couple of months ago, but that I needed two 'diabetic' levels for a diagnosis. I'm doing exactly the same as you - cutting out carbs and beginning to take exercise. I'm delaying the second test to try and get the level down, but will be gutted if my 'being sensible' has made no difference. I've been eating carrots and apples for lunch though - only to find out from this forum that actually neither are great. It's certainly a steep learning curve!
It's really good of everyone to offer their experiences/ideas/tips - thank you.
It's really good of everyone to offer their experiences/ideas/tips - thank you.
MKD75
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 156
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
I haven't had it yet MKD. I am actually going to have a chat with my GP on Friday to talk through what I'm doing, and find out if there's any way I can have a test (to check if the level's are going in the right direction!), before I have the 'official' test.
I don't want to be stupid about it, but would really like to avoid a diabetes diagnosis if possible. I think I've learnt my lesson about taking diet and exercise a little more seriously than I did before!
I don't want to be stupid about it, but would really like to avoid a diabetes diagnosis if possible. I think I've learnt my lesson about taking diet and exercise a little more seriously than I did before!
