- Messages
- 228
- Type of diabetes
- Don't have diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hi Everyone,
I accompanied Hubby to the Doctors yesterday. He hadn't gone about his diabetes but it's funny how that's all we ended up talking about !
Hubby's diabetes was discovered last June whilst running blood tests to try and establish the cause of a virus which had inflamed his liver. It may (or may not) have been Hepatitis A. Anyway whatever the virus was it triggered nerve pain along the length of his spine and around his middle. He's been back several times to see his GP who each time insists that it is diabetic neuropathy due to having had high BG and then due to lowering it too fast.
Whilst acknowledging that the diabetes probably doesn't help, Hubby and I think that something else may be going on so had gone to the Drs to ask for a referral to a neurologist.
Typically having waited 3 weeks for an appointment, he ended up seeing a locum. A retired chap who has been doing holiday cover at our practice for years. Very pleasant, prepared to listen and doesn't rush you out the door but also very traditional. I don't think that he was impressed that the 'little woman' also came along.
Hubby described his nerve pain and the Dr said that there is a long list of conditions that cause neuropathy and that he couldn't really say what was causing it. I chipped it that we realised that diabetes was a complex condition but felt that you could easily hang all the symptoms on the diabetic coat hook and wanted to get to the bottom of the matter.
He asked Hubby to describe his pain which he did and then asked about the virus. So I briefly told him, adding that his back had been covered in a rash which coincidentally was where the pain had been and that the pain moves around. Beginning at the nape, travelling to shoulders then kidney area and now in his butt (!) and across the abdomen. Adding that I felt not being able to hug my husband was not a normal or acceptable part of being diabetic ! The doctor looked surprised at that.
So then he said 'well let's look and see what medication you are on.' Hubby and I exchanged smiles as I knew he was thinking 'perhaps it's a side effect'.
'Oh you are not on ANY medication ?'
Hubby cheerfully agreed saying that he only took painkillers.
The doctor looked at the computer screen and said 'why have you only had your HbA1C tested once since diagnosis-that isn't enough.?'
Hubby said that he was due an appointment and was waiting for the DN to contact him. He got told off for that and the doctor said-'no, no, no- you must make the appointment.It's the only way you will know how much you are controlling the condition.'
He then proceeded to give him the NHS lecture about how he really, really ought to be on Metformin and statins especially considering his age (he's 53) and that he just had to accept that he would need drugs for the rest of his life. Diabetes affects every organ of the body and he was at risk of heart attack and stroke etc etc etc
Hubby let him finish and remembering the advice of the forum smiled and nodded politely before informing him that he'd lost 2 stone in weight by low carbing, had got his BP down from 190/110 to 130/70 and had (in Dec) reduced his HbA1C from 12 to 7.7. He expected it to be lower still at the next blood test as he tests himself regularly at home and is getting near normal/normal readings.
The doctor by this point was glazing over and said well the weight loss will help but you are still above range and should be on medication. No neurologist will take you seriously if you go and see them as an uncontrolled diabetic.(!) Basically he was flapping because of the lack of results on the computer screen. Bearing in mind that we had asked for a private referral to the neurologist, so that we could talk to someone for more than 6 minutes, I thought that was a bit rich.
He was obviously very keen to 'do' something to end the consultation so requested 'urgent' tests HbA1C and liver tests and a few others.Hubby was offered an appointment first thing Monday morning
Unfortunately the past month hasn't been the best for BG not because of what Hubby has eaten (he's still very good) but because of work related stress and then he slipped over in the snowand tore his quadricep muscle-the pain hasn't helped-however an HbA1C is an average so we shall see what next week's test shows. Then the plan is to request another HbA1C 3 months after that on the one year anniversary of being diagnosed T2. If that is back in the normal/non diabetic range and the pain continues we will then insist on a referral.
When we got back from the doctors Hubby tested himself saying 'I bet this is sky high'. He was 6.8
What really annoys me is that so many times Hubby has been told 'it's your diabetes'. If it is then I wish the NHS would just let him own it ! The only thing the practice needs to do is the one thing we can't....test the blood.
Apologies for such a long post - I will let you know how he gets on x
I accompanied Hubby to the Doctors yesterday. He hadn't gone about his diabetes but it's funny how that's all we ended up talking about !
Hubby's diabetes was discovered last June whilst running blood tests to try and establish the cause of a virus which had inflamed his liver. It may (or may not) have been Hepatitis A. Anyway whatever the virus was it triggered nerve pain along the length of his spine and around his middle. He's been back several times to see his GP who each time insists that it is diabetic neuropathy due to having had high BG and then due to lowering it too fast.
Whilst acknowledging that the diabetes probably doesn't help, Hubby and I think that something else may be going on so had gone to the Drs to ask for a referral to a neurologist.
Typically having waited 3 weeks for an appointment, he ended up seeing a locum. A retired chap who has been doing holiday cover at our practice for years. Very pleasant, prepared to listen and doesn't rush you out the door but also very traditional. I don't think that he was impressed that the 'little woman' also came along.
Hubby described his nerve pain and the Dr said that there is a long list of conditions that cause neuropathy and that he couldn't really say what was causing it. I chipped it that we realised that diabetes was a complex condition but felt that you could easily hang all the symptoms on the diabetic coat hook and wanted to get to the bottom of the matter.
He asked Hubby to describe his pain which he did and then asked about the virus. So I briefly told him, adding that his back had been covered in a rash which coincidentally was where the pain had been and that the pain moves around. Beginning at the nape, travelling to shoulders then kidney area and now in his butt (!) and across the abdomen. Adding that I felt not being able to hug my husband was not a normal or acceptable part of being diabetic ! The doctor looked surprised at that.
So then he said 'well let's look and see what medication you are on.' Hubby and I exchanged smiles as I knew he was thinking 'perhaps it's a side effect'.
'Oh you are not on ANY medication ?'
Hubby cheerfully agreed saying that he only took painkillers.
The doctor looked at the computer screen and said 'why have you only had your HbA1C tested once since diagnosis-that isn't enough.?'
Hubby said that he was due an appointment and was waiting for the DN to contact him. He got told off for that and the doctor said-'no, no, no- you must make the appointment.It's the only way you will know how much you are controlling the condition.'
He then proceeded to give him the NHS lecture about how he really, really ought to be on Metformin and statins especially considering his age (he's 53) and that he just had to accept that he would need drugs for the rest of his life. Diabetes affects every organ of the body and he was at risk of heart attack and stroke etc etc etc
Hubby let him finish and remembering the advice of the forum smiled and nodded politely before informing him that he'd lost 2 stone in weight by low carbing, had got his BP down from 190/110 to 130/70 and had (in Dec) reduced his HbA1C from 12 to 7.7. He expected it to be lower still at the next blood test as he tests himself regularly at home and is getting near normal/normal readings.
The doctor by this point was glazing over and said well the weight loss will help but you are still above range and should be on medication. No neurologist will take you seriously if you go and see them as an uncontrolled diabetic.(!) Basically he was flapping because of the lack of results on the computer screen. Bearing in mind that we had asked for a private referral to the neurologist, so that we could talk to someone for more than 6 minutes, I thought that was a bit rich.
He was obviously very keen to 'do' something to end the consultation so requested 'urgent' tests HbA1C and liver tests and a few others.Hubby was offered an appointment first thing Monday morning
Unfortunately the past month hasn't been the best for BG not because of what Hubby has eaten (he's still very good) but because of work related stress and then he slipped over in the snow
and tore his quadricep muscle-the pain hasn't helped-however an HbA1C is an average so we shall see what next week's test shows. Then the plan is to request another HbA1C 3 months after that on the one year anniversary of being diagnosed T2. If that is back in the normal/non diabetic range and the pain continues we will then insist on a referral.When we got back from the doctors Hubby tested himself saying 'I bet this is sky high'. He was 6.8
What really annoys me is that so many times Hubby has been told 'it's your diabetes'. If it is then I wish the NHS would just let him own it ! The only thing the practice needs to do is the one thing we can't....test the blood.
Apologies for such a long post - I will let you know how he gets on x
