Well, the nurse was pretty useless!

[EliseC65_]

After shock diagnosis last week (see previous thread) I went to the DN yesterday. What a waste of my time. She was new to the practice, b*ggered up the pc and spent more time trying to get into the system than talking to me. This practice really is a bl**dy shower!
She took my weight, apparently I’m heavier than 2014 (no sh!t Sherlock) and my hba1c has been over 59 since 2015. Nice of them to mention it then? I can’t have a meter and it’s a waste of my time and money to do it. Really? She didn’t ask to see my feet, but I see a chiropodist privately anyway as I have hard skin. She didn’t know when I’ll get an eye test.
I did get another blood test form form for end of January and a pile of print offs about all the food I should be eating. More carbs per day than I eat in a week!

And they don’t take blood in surgery now. Outsourced to chemists or walk ins. Mon-Friday 9-4.45. Great. I work Mon -Fri 9-5 in the next county over. No chance then as I can’t take time off work yet as starting new job in January. Surgery hours have also changed to 9-4 with a half day on Thursday. That’s nice for them. No extended hours at all.

Totally pe@d off now.

 

[Rachox]

Sorry you’ve had such a poor experience. Time to change surgeries?

 

[Mbaker]

Hi @EliseC65_ what a bad experience you have had. I can't believe they never advised you about your HbA1c of 59, this is a disgrace. Anyway on a positive note let us know if you need any help. There's a lot to get your head around. But there has been some official acknowledgment that Type 2 is reversal, even in the news recently http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42154666 (don't worry about the headline as this was really circa 800 calories a day). Many of us follow an alternative protocol to get the same results with more calories.

Ask any questions you want.

 

[EliseC65_]

Yup. There is actually another surgery but still part of the practice and they do Saturday mornings so I might pop along there next time. Still can’t figure out how to get my blood done though. I’ve ordered a meter so I’ll start making notes of my readings so I can work out an average myself.
Super lo-carb atm and I fasted for 16 hours today, which isn’t to hard. Just coffee with cream in the morning and then avocado and bacon at 1pm. Just had a handful of nuts and I’ll do some baked cod in an hour or so.

Nurse brushed off my concerns about ibs and metformin so I’m not going to double my dose until I’ve seen gp next week about getting the slow release. I’ve been having an attack every day, whereas I’d get them once a month before. Certainly helped weight loss.: 2kg since Thursday’s diagnosis. But it’s getting to the stage where I’ll eat and then see my food swirling down the pan, pretty much undigested 2 hours later (sorry tmi gross) and I’m almost screaming in pain.

One thing nurse said was we need to get your cholesterol checked! I said you can, but I’m not going on statins! I have enough side effects from everything else! Lol.

 

[Brunneria]

So sorry this is your intro experience to the joys of D!

The surgery times would be a big problem for me. Do they offer an online appt booking service? I can sometimes check online and cadge the first or last appointments, which helps. A lot!

But all that pales into insignificance compared with them not bothering to inform you that you were diabetic 2 years ago!

I hope you are going to complain. Loudly.

 

[EliseC65_]

So sorry this is your intro experience to the joys of D!

The surgery times would be a big problem for me. Do they offer an online appt booking service? I can sometimes check online and cadge the first or last appointments, which helps. A lot!

But all that pales into insignificance compared with them not bothering to inform you that you were diabetic 2 years ago!

I hope you are going to complain. Loudly.

Problem is that I leave really early for work. 7.10 if dh gives me a lift and 6.40 if I go in on the train. I also don’t get home until late. Why can’t all surgeries do a Saturday morning? Not like they’re not paid enough!
I will do a complaint to the practice and the trust, when I get time. Just need to find a template as I’m rubbish at complaint letters.

 

[Mr_Pot]

Problem is that I leave really early for work. 7.10 if dh gives me a lift and 6.40 if I go in on the train. I also don’t get home until late. Why can’t all surgeries do a Saturday morning? Not like they’re not paid enough!
I will do a complaint to the practice and the trust, when I get time. Just need to find a template as I’m rubbish at complaint letters.

Have you thought of registering with a GP near you work?

 

[dbr10]

After shock diagnosis last week (see previous thread) I went to the DN yesterday. What a waste of my time. She was new to the practice, b*ggered up the pc and spent more time trying to get into the system than talking to me. This practice really is a bl**dy shower!
She took my weight, apparently I’m heavier than 2014 (no sh!t Sherlock) and my hba1c has been over 59 since 2015. Nice of them to mention it then? I can’t have a meter and it’s a waste of my time and money to do it. Really? She didn’t ask to see my feet, but I see a chiropodist privately anyway as I have hard skin. She didn’t know when I’ll get an eye test.
I did get another blood test form form for end of January and a pile of print offs about all the food I should be eating. More carbs per day than I eat in a week!

And they don’t take blood in surgery now. Outsourced to chemists or walk ins. Mon-Friday 9-4.45. Great. I work Mon -Fri 9-5 in the next county over. No chance then as I can’t take time off work yet as starting new job in January. Surgery hours have also changed to 9-4 with a half day on Thursday. That’s nice for them. No extended hours at all.

Totally pe@d off now.

Good grief. You're not exactly off to a flying start then. Very disappointing for you.

 

[dbr10]

So sorry this is your intro experience to the joys of D!

The surgery times would be a big problem for me. Do they offer an online appt booking service? I can sometimes check online and cadge the first or last appointments, which helps. A lot!

But all that pales into insignificance compared with them not bothering to inform you that you were diabetic 2 years ago!

I hope you are going to complain. Loudly.

Yes it's disgraceful.

 

[Mike d]

I will do a complaint to the practice and the trust, when I get time. Just need to find a template as I’m rubbish at complaint letters.

If you're not good at that aspect of writing, I'd note down your issues and turn them into itemised bullet questions for which you want answers. That'll get their attention.

Just list them as you've done here

 

[TheBigNewt]

Give 'em the old heave ho. You can do that there right, fire the provider?

 

[lucylocket61]

How do you manage to see the GP for other health issues and checkups?

 

[Rachox]

I put all my blood sugar readings into the app called MySugr. After you’ve put in enough readings it estimates an
HbA1c reading. At my last test at the Drs it came out as 36 while MySugr said 34.4, so not far out. It all depends how many readings you do of course. I do between 5 and 8 a day.

 

[EliseC65_]

How do you manage to see the GP for other health issues and checkups?

I work part time atm. 2.5 days a week, since getting breast cancer 5 years ago. Now I’ve been signed off by the boobie clinic, I’ve decided to go full time again (-0.5 days for uni).

I don’t want to join a surgery near Work because it’s so far away from anything (industrial estate) and I don’t drive. I’d be waiting for buses there and back, or walking for hours.
The out of hours walk in centre here has a gp attached and they open late. It means traveling across the city though. I wish I’d never moved from my old house 3years ago. Closer to everything.

 

[EliseC65_]

I put all my blood sugar readings into the app called MySugr. After you’ve put in enough readings it estimates an
HbA1c reading. At my last test at the Drs it came out as 36 while MySugr said 34.4, so not far out. It all depends how many readings you do of course. I do between 5 and 8 a day.

That sounds what I’m looking for.


Is there a good app for uk carb counting? I find that a lot of them have us measurements and then there’s all that net carbs malarkey as well. I just want to keep a rough track of my carbs so I don’t go over 30 a day for now.

 

[paulus1]

lots of issues at gp surgeries all down to cuts. and loss of staff. no excuse for terrible service. re sending you to another place to get bloods done thats just idiotic. if they have a nurse they should do bloods.

 

[TheBigNewt]

I put all my blood sugar readings into the app called MySugr. After you’ve put in enough readings it estimates an
HbA1c reading. At my last test at the Drs it came out as 36 while MySugr said 34.4, so not far out. It all depends how many readings you do of course. I do between 5 and 8 a day.

Yes, and the app will probably predict the A1C every time. My meter readings are very consistent (AM, bedtime, pre meal) run 5.2-6.4 and A1C usually around 6.0. I quit getting them for years, then bought a finger stick kit, they were 6.5 and 5.9.