First meeting with DN

[AM1874]

When I was first diagnosed as T2 last October the nurse asked me if I wanted to attend a "Desmond" course, I agreed and was amazed that the people holding it tried to tell me that there is the same amount of calories in a salad as in a jacket potato! I said that the carbohydrate content was more important but they dismissed this and said it was ok to eat anything I wanted in moderation, I tried to tell r

And that is exactly why we have an epidemic of Type 2 in the UK. Awful advice given out by HCP's .. it makes me so bloody angry..

Thanks to @Julesatnotts and @bulkbiker ... their quotes above (from the Type T2 thread) neatly summarise my feelings about my first meeting on Monday 6th with my DN .. I am quite concerned about what she might come up with. Since my T2 diagnosis on Feb 7th, I have committed to an LCHF lifestyle and tested my BG levels 3-5 times a day. So far, I have lost 7.6Kg in weight and from an initial reading of 12.5, my BG is now around 5.5 to 6.5 (fasting, pre and post prandial). I have recorded: weight, BP, total daily carbs, and BG levels every day since I got my meters (TEE2 and SD Codefree) and I will have these figures to show my DN.

I am happy with my progress but I'm not sure that my Nurse will share this. As I understand things from the folks on here, there is quite a strong likelihood that I will be registered for a Desmond course (or some similar "structured education" programme) and told that I have been doing it wrong. I can go along with this but my biggest concern is that I may also be told that I don't need to test my BG levels, which means that I will not be given a prescription for strips and lancets. If this is the case, I will carry on anyway because I don't see how I can manage my diabetes without this information.

After the initial shock of diagnosis, I have been positive about dealing with all of this and I will be continuing my journey with this mindset. The last thing I want, though, is to start the relationship with my DN and team with any sort of disagreement or argument. So, I would appreciate any tips that may help to make this first meeting as positive as possible

Thanks in advance .. I'll let you know how it goes ..

 

[Art Of Flowers]

You have done amazingly well since being diagnosed. I don't think the DN can complain about that. I saw my DN for the first time about a month after being diagnosed and was given a blood glucose meter. My first reading was 9.8 which was down from 13.1 at diagnosis. In that time I cut out foods with a lot of sugar such as breakfast cereals and orange juice, but I haven't gone low carb at that time.

At my second visit to the DN my HbA1C reading had dropped from 99 to 59 and my morning fasting blood glucose was in the 6-7 range. I explained that I was on a LCHF diet and she said another patient of hers was also on this diet. So I think LCHF is not that common for diabetes patients. She was a little unsure over the high fat element of the diet, but I explained that if reduced carbs you needed to increase the amount of fat to compensate. I told her to watch the YouTube video by Sarah Hallberg on reversing type 2 diabetes. She took a note of this and maybe she has now watched it and now understands the mechanics and benefits of LCHF.

 

[sally and james]

There is always the possibility that you will get an intelligent nurse, who will praise you for your efforts, but if you don't, the advice usually given around here is
-nod
-smile
-ignore.
You can politely decline the Desmond course, unless, of course you fancy a morning out with free biscuits.

By the way, you have done really well, clearly on the right track, don't, what ever you do, let a silly nurse put you off. See them as organisers of blood tests and then pretty much leave it at that.
Sally

 

[Bluetit1802]

I agree with @sally and james

I agree it is important to keep a good relationship with our nurses and doctors, but it doesn't mean we have to follow any advice we feel/know is wrong. There is no need to enter an argument or heated discussion. Just nod, say thank you, and ignore. I declined my invitation to the X-Pert course because it was presented by none other than my own DN so I knew what would be said, and by that time I had been a member of this forum several months and done all my own research.

Your nurse must surely see how committed you are and how well you are doing, even if she does stick to the box ticking she is obliged to do. I have seen these boxes that must be ticked. You never know, you may be lucky and have an enlightened nurse.

Worry not, you will be fine, although I doubt she will prescribe test strips!

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

first meeting on Monday 6th with my DN .. I am quite concerned about what she might come up with.

You might be worrying needlessly as I was when I visited my Diabetic Specialist at the local hospital (Amersham, Bucks) last Tuesday. The book on her desk was the Diabetes UK Low Carb book and had I not been low carbing, she was going to recommend doing so.

I hope your meeting goes just as well as mine did.

All the best

 

[AM1874]

Hi Folks ..
Just to update you .. my "meeting" today was a no-go. The DN was off sick and I was seen by a Nursing Assistant .. a lovely girl who, unfortunately, was not able to answer any of my questions. My appointment with the DN has to be re-arranged and, in the meantime, I have still had no information, no advice, no support .. nada .. and there are still no leaflets in the surgery.
I'm seeing the Doc on Friday .. so hoping for better luck next time ..

 

[Julesatnotts]

Reading all these posts about people's DS nurses I realise I am lucky with the one I have, she gave me a meter at our first meeting and said to look at this site, I told her I had already joined. I was disappointed with the Desmond course as although the people running it were supposed to be diabetes specialists I felt that they were giving out misinformation ie have spread instead of butter, keep fats to a minimum, I said I was going to go LCHF (I had only just been diagnosed) and they said it wasn't a good idea, at this point I said my HBA1c was 110. 2 months later it was 58 and next test 45 so I think I really need to go back to them and tell them my results. Can't wait for next test in May as will have been on really low carb diet for 8 weeks then.