Telling off for self testing

secundaw

Well-Known Member
Messages
54
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I am type 2 controlled by diet & exercise & have just had my first annual review. To say it didn't go well would be an understatement, I actually got a good telling off for self testing. I was told that if they deemed it necessary then a meter would have been prescribed so why was I doing it. I replied that I was eating to my meter in the hope of controlling my diabetes & not putting myself at risk of complications. The DN said that it was a waste of time as I would have to test all day long as it changes. My food diary didn't get looked at & I left feeling really emotional like a naughty child.
Am I wrong for testing my blood ?
I was given a meter and all the gear fron the diabetic doctor but when I went to see my own GP he said I didn't need to. I carried testing and getting repeat prescriptions for the testing strips, but have now been told that I will not get any more. I did test regularly when first diagnosed but then eased off and only tested when I felt a bit of,sometimes my sugars were 3.3 if I hadn't tested I would of thought I was just poorly.
 

AtkinsMo

Well-Known Member
Messages
591
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I only test my blood periodically at random different times and states of eating / fasting, because I always consistently eat very low carb. So in effect I don’t have to demonstrate to myself which foods cause blood glucose spikes because nothing I eat or drink does.

Your DN is not worth wasting your time on. She is uninformed and uneducated. Next time you see her make your first question,

“Have I succeeded in reversing my diabetes?”

And your second

“What percentage of your patients, following your advice, achieve this?”

We really need to challenge these dinosaurs, they are harming people irreversibly!

And of course you must get a full copy of this year’s and last years blood test results then you can see for yourself how well you are doing!
 
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Keith_Simpson

Active Member
Messages
31
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I am type 2 controlled by diet & exercise & have just had my first annual review. To say it didn't go well would be an understatement, I actually got a good telling off for self testing. I was told that if they deemed it necessary then a meter would have been prescribed so why was I doing it. I replied that I was eating to my meter in the hope of controlling my diabetes & not putting myself at risk of complications. The DN said that it was a waste of time as I would have to test all day long as it changes. My food diary didn't get looked at & I left feeling really emotional like a naughty child.
Am I wrong for testing my blood ?
They don't prescribe testing equipment or test strips to Type 2 patients because of the cost involved to the NHS; only when you use insulin do they encoursge testing because of the risk of hypos but even then test strips are rationed. They rely on their Hba1c test which gives an indication of average glucose levels but this provides no information to you regarding what you are doing right or what you are doing wrong. Self testing is the only way to know what you are doing right & what you are doing wrong. The logic is inescapable & anyone suggesting it is a waste of time needs to have this logic explained to them very carefully.
 

HSSS

Expert
Messages
7,465
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
No, you are not doing anything 'wrong'. On a similar note, my DN praised me for reversing my T2 by diet and exercise, proven by my Hb1ac results, and that I no longer had T2D. My doctor, however, overturned that on my notes. Next time I saw her, the DN was furious. 'You don't have Diabetes'. On further investigation GPS earn money and brownie points by continuing to treat complaints which may be reversed or in remission. I can't remember the name of that funding, but it smacks of statistics being followed unthinkingly, and slavishly - not unlike the education of our children.
Well done on getting great numbers. However, I’m afraid I agree with the the gp. You do still have diabetes. You have controlled it by lifestyle as opposed to drugs. You have managed it or put it in remission. But have you cured it? I’d say unlikely. If you stopped your interventions your numbers would almost certainly climb again. If you got normal numbers with drugs would you considered yourself cured? Semantics possibly but if you are labelled cured then no annual checks for eyes and feet. No regular hb1ac to make sure you haven’t slipped or deteriorated. I’m pretty sure drs have an in remission label they can apply as opposed to resolved (cured).
 

Ponchu

Well-Known Member
Messages
292
I am going to carry on self testing, I am quite happy to buy the testing gear and not be a burden on the NHS but I hated being made to feel that I was a hypochondriac doing something completely unnecessary.

Non diabetics are using meters to lose weight and avoid diabetes.
 
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Verybusy

Newbie
Messages
1
I am type 2 controlled by diet & exercise & have just had my first annual review. To say it didn't go well would be an understatement, I actually got a good telling off for self testing. I was told that if they deemed it necessary then a meter would have been prescribed so why was I doing it. I replied that I was eating to my meter in the hope of controlling my diabetes & not putting myself at risk of complications. The DN said that it was a waste of time as I would have to test all day long as it changes. My food diary didn't get looked at & I left feeling really emotional like a naughty child.
Am I wrong for testing my blood ?
My DN and doctor said that their is not need to check blood unless you are constantly low!
 

Pinkorchid

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,927
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I am going to carry on self testing, I am quite happy to buy the testing gear and not be a burden on the NHS but I hated being made to feel that I was a hypochondriac doing something completely unnecessary.
Why tell the nurse it is up to you if you test as you are funding it yourself make no difference to them.. I have never told my nurse I test and we do not even talk about diet she is just happy with my results
 
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rayles

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Modern music and the "celebrity " culture
It's your blood test and it's you that have diabetes allegedly,how can they not give you your results ? I feel a complaint coming on ,starting at the head of surgery,manager,senior partner and if no help there take it up the chain . The DN needs some retraining . Don't let them bully you bureaucratically
 

Atad heavy

Well-Known Member
Messages
405
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
My hba1c is back & it was 46, I was diagnosed in September with result of 48. Decembers result was also 46. I will have a copy by Friday & will post them on here.
I have been told that I will have hba1c annually now
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I have to reluctantly agree, it is a waste of time testing yourself with a meter different meters will give different readings
And you can adjust your diet to which meter reading you want, a meter only tests blood not plasma.
Try a 8 hour fast once a week and see what the readings are but don’t take them too seriously.

Modern meters are calibrated to convert the capillary blood to plasma readings.

All we are looking for are trends. Sticking to one meter with a second meter for emergencies only will show these trends over a period of time. Inaccuracies will even out - swings and roundabouts.
 

egontoast

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
My understanding is that HBA1Cs are done every 3 months. That is the time interval that they measure.
How often do other T2Ds have their HBA1Cs done ?? Any takers ??
Every 3 months, twice a year at surgery, and twice a year at hospital.
 

JohnEGreen

Master
Messages
13,188
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Tripe and Onions
My understanding is that HBA1Cs are done every 3 months. That is the time interval that they measure.
How often do other T2Ds have their HBA1Cs done ?? Any takers ??
Mine is now annually.
 

jjraak

Expert
Messages
7,441
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Why tell the nurse it is up to you if you test as you are funding it yourself make no difference to them.. I have never told my nurse I test and we do not even talk about diet she is just happy with my results

And that in itself is a sad indictment of the system

Not berating you @Pinkorchid, fully understand the reasons, just sad we have to duck and dive like this

Shouldn't it be an honest exchange of information, with the goal to maintain what good health we have, if not improve it., Rather then one side constantly trying to prove a point.

Has it really come to the stage where many fear to discuss openly their concerns, and coping mechanisms, for dealing with our particular disease , with those who we SHOULD be able to trust .
 

OrsonKartt

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,173
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
over selling.... oh so many things are enthusiastically oversold

Ricky

Well-Known Member
Messages
295
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
[QUOTE="
Am I wrong for testing my blood ?[/QUOTE]

You keep at it as this is the way that I have been controlling on diet and exercise for 17 years!! It is the way I found out the most weird things e.g. that the sweetener in many no sugar products called Malitol spikes my blood sugar ( a non sugar Halva with only malitol told me that ) and that for some unknown reason I can get away with Udon noodles (but can't go near rice). Everyone of us is different and you must test different possibly suspect products so you can find what you can get away with. Presumably you are on a low carb/low GI diet to keep your Blood sugar down anyway.
 
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Beebeelady

Active Member
Messages
27
The same thing happened to me. I am prediabetic, and determined not to become diabetic if I can avoid it by making lifestyle changes. I went to see a locum GP some time ago, who reacted the same way towards me.Told me angrily that I should never test my blood sugar levels and talked to me as if I were a stupid child. I am 65. I was deeply upset. Then I ignored her.
Now I do my own thing, test my blood if I want to, follow a low carb diet, and excercise a lot.
No health professional should ever make you feel so bad and dis empowered.
Carry on looking after yourself as the nurse is not looking after you. Have confidence in what you are doing!
 
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