Nurse says to stop testing

[dfillary]

I was diagnosed a month ago and I decided to buy a monitor and strips and test. It has been a huge comfort to me to know what foods effect me etc and is how I am happy to manage my bg. I went to see the diabetic nurse today and I told her I was testing and she has said she wants me to stop testing immediately. She says that testing is putting myself at risk from getting infections in my fingers and also testing over time can damage the nerve endings in the fingers. I've googled to see if there was anything to back up what she has said and I can't find any information on this. Has anyone ever been told anything similar? x

 

[Robbity]

Just carry on testing - she has no right to tell you to stop - IMO you are likely to cause far more harm to yourself by not testing. The only time that it could be any of her business whether you do or not is if the practice was paying for your test strips.

If you have clean hands, swap fingers, and change the lancets on a regular basis, I don't see that you should have any problems.

There was a thread somewhere about the weird and wonderful reasons given to other testers for not doing so, but I think this is a new one! There has also been another thread about how often to change your lancets, and it would appear no-one has yet come to grief!

Robbity

 

[noblehead]

Bg testing won't lead to infections nor will it lead to nerve damage if carried out correctly.

 

[popsy]

Good grief, what on earth is the woman on about? I can see absolutely no reason for such silly and uninformed statements. I have tested for ages and haven't had one moment's problem. You have ten fingers and, as someone else on here said, that gives you twenty test sites if you test each side of each finger near the fingertip. In reality I have found that there are some fingers that give better results than others but honestly....

In all the threads on here about testing for BG I have never read that anyone has had a problem so as long as you do as Robbity says you will be fine.

 

[mo1905]

Your nurse should stop nursing and you should keep testing

 

[andcol]

I reckon she is only thinking about your future


That is how you are going to manage to keep her in a job in the future

 

[Brunneria]

The only possible reasons I can justify her advice, would be if you had turned up in her office with filthy hands and told her you were testing 20 times a day.

No?

Then I think she was giving you ridiculous advice.

 

[dfillary]

I think I am safe. I wash my hands thoroughly before testing, switch fingers every single time and only use the lancet once. What has annoyed me is that I have real demons when it comes to being diagnosied with diabetes (my Dad had it and ended up loosing his site and both legs) and testing has made me feel in control and that I have a say over this condition. Thanks for all your advice. I definitely won't stop testing!!!!!!! x

 

[Chas C]

I have been IDD since 1970 ish, been using blood testing since it first became available on the NHS in late 70's or early 80's and have done so ever since with no issues (between 5 and 10 times each day).

 

[Thundercat]

Her advice is ridiculous, nonsensical and dangerous. I have been testing since 1986 with no infections or loss of feeling. Ignore her. She hasn't a clue.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Heathenlass]

I was diagnosed a month ago and I decided to buy a monitor and strips and test. It has been a huge comfort to me to know what foods effect me etc and is how I am happy to manage my bg. I went to see the diabetic nurse today and I told her I was testing and she has said she wants me to stop testing immediately. She says that testing is putting myself at risk from getting infections in my fingers and also testing over time can damage the nerve endings in the fingers. I've googled to see if there was anything to back up what she has said and I can't find any information on this. Has anyone ever been told anything similar? x

What utter rot.

If she was right there would be a hell of a lot of long term Type 1's unable to type on here with their nerveless, infected fingers!

Cynical me thinks maybe it's another attempt to save cash on test strips, but what a stupid thing to say if that's the case It never fails to amaze and enrage me , the ridiculous uninformed and downright crapulous stuff some HCP's come out with.

Keep on testing, and think about seeing another DN if at all possible

Signy

 

[Squire Fulwood]

My excellent nurse is like two people. She has to quote the current doctrine since if she goes off on what she thinks is right and the NHS doesn't it could be considered malpractice. When you get to know her she opens up a little more. She once said that she wished she could find a way of stopping dietitians from pushing to healthy plate to diabetics. She seemed delighted with Southport GP's efforts.

Some time ago she said that she was no longer able to prescribe test strips due to cost and an improvement in my condition but she also said that she would leave the sharps box on the repeat prescription. A nod and a wink as they say.......

 

[Enclave]

Your nurse is not going to find any friends here.
I find it completely mad that these doctors and nurses think they own your body once you walk into their room. Please do keep testing .. As it's our only way to find out what food is affecting our sugar .

 

[Robin Ah-Sing]

I have been testing s new treatment and have been monitoring the effects of the new meds. I test before I eat ,2,5 hours after I eat and twice in the night. I wash my hands and have been OK. I am now going to get more lancets as I haven't changed that I 2 weeks. Never thought about infection.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Scandichic]

Personally I wouldn't trust your nurse to sit the right way round on a toilet seat. And I thought my dn was an idiot.....
She doesn't agree with testing either or LCHF. I am carrying on! I test fasting and when trying out new stuff. If I don't feel well I test too. Reading posts like yours make me want to weep. I bet the **** woman isn't diabetic either. At the end of the day, she goes home. You're stuck with this for life! If I had a pound for the amount of posts where people have followed the advice to eat the healthy plate and not test then been refused an operation I'd be a rich woman.

 

[gfmoore]

BS101 (I know I'm like an lp that has got stuck) said that there is no problem with re-using lancets for a while. In fact some think that the more they are used the better they get - the tip isn't so rough apparently! Obviously don't ever share a lancet.

They work so fast I doubt that much, if any, blood gets on to them - but it would be an interesting research problem.

Still they are cheap so no real need to use one for months.

As for testing - you've got to know what your body is doing or how can you control, adjust, be alerted? They say Knowledge is power. Me I cant wait for the day when continuous, non invasive testing becomes a reality - on my iPhone. (It's getting there from reports I've seen)

 

[Brunneria]

BS101 (I know I'm like an lp that has got stuck) said that there is no problem with re-using lancets for a while. In fact some think that the more they are used the better they get - the tip isn't so rough apparently! Obviously don't ever share a lancet.

They work so fast I doubt that much, if any, blood gets on to them - but it would be an interesting research problem.

Still they are cheap so no real need to use one for months.

As for testing - you've got to know what your body is doing or how can you control, adjust, be alerted? They say Knowledge is power. Me I cant wait for the day when continuous, non invasive testing becomes a reality - on my iPhone. (It's getting there from reports I've seen)

I'm the same about http://www.bloodsugar101.com
It is the single most useful, most accessible source of info for Type 2s that I have found. I have real faith in the reliability of the info given there - because every piece of information is referenced, evaluated and then the reader is left to make up their own mind.