What does one have to do to get treatment with insulin once referred?

[alicia kerr]

For those who have kindly answered my previous threads, I have now at last seen a consultant who was very efficient in her consultation. However, she worked for Central Manchester Trust. I was also in the meantime referred to the Specialist Diabetic Nurses at South Manchester Trust who were to start me on insulin, as I have now had no successful oral treatment for my diabetes for longer than three weeks since May 2018. My latest HbA1c was 85!
Firstly I was told they could not treat me until I had a consultant from the South Manchester Trust and then that they required a diary with blood glucose readings of 4 times per day for a period in order for them to assess what I needed. As I eat twice per day my readings reflected that but were of no use and I stupidly didn't realise this requirement. I now have another appoint for 6 weeks time.
The message I am getting is that my blood sugar levels may be high, they may be affecting my eyesight, my lymphoedema in my legs and feet, my fibromyalgia and shooting pains in my feet, thought by my podiatrist to be signs of diabetic neuropathy and a host of other medical problems I may have, but thats ok, I can wait another 6 weeks for perhaps another assessment, but still on no treatment. Therefore my diabetes is not important!
So can I safely say that all the hype about looking after yourself to avoid diabetes is not worth bothering about? 21months of no real treatment and waiting to be seen seems to point to that.
This forum has been great to air my upsets and disappointments but I feel now that the NHS is well and truly useless to me and if I died while waiting for treatment due to complications, no professional would really care, but they may breath a sigh of relief to have me off their books because they cant deal with my complex history of multiple chronic illnesses. The ethical principal of first 'do no harm' doesn't seem to exist anymore (I might have said that before).
I feel quite low with a Christmas tide of misery before me. My inclination is to behave as though I didn't have diabetes (eating drinking and being merry) until Im next seen in January, but I know no one else will care about the consequences but me and my family.
Im only writing because I feel so desperately upset and low at the moment, so sorry. Will of course try to get an appointment with my Gp tomorrow, but that may take a few weeks before Im seen there. It will make my 11th medical appointment this month. Any solace out there?

 

[Hertfordshiremum]

For those who have kindly answered my previous threads, I have now at last seen a consultant who was very efficient in her consultation. However, she worked for Central Manchester Trust. I was also in the meantime referred to the Specialist Diabetic Nurses at South Manchester Trust who were to start me on insulin, as I have now had no successful oral treatment for my diabetes for longer than three weeks since May 2018. My latest HbA1c was 85!
Firstly I was told they could not treat me until I had a consultant from the South Manchester Trust and then that they required a diary with blood glucose readings of 4 times per day for a period in order for them to assess what I needed. As I eat twice per day my readings reflected that but were of no use and I stupidly didn't realise this requirement. I now have another appoint for 6 weeks time.
The message I am getting is that my blood sugar levels may be high, they may be affecting my eyesight, my lymphoedema in my legs and feet, my fibromyalgia and shooting pains in my feet, thought by my podiatrist to be signs of diabetic neuropathy and a host of other medical problems I may have, but thats ok, I can wait another 6 weeks for perhaps another assessment, but still on no treatment. Therefore my diabetes is not important!
So can I safely say that all the hype about looking after yourself to avoid diabetes is not worth bothering about? 21months of no real treatment and waiting to be seen seems to point to that.
This forum has been great to air my upsets and disappointments but I feel now that the NHS is well and truly useless to me and if I died while waiting for treatment due to complications, no professional would really care, but they may breath a sigh of relief to have me off their books because they cant deal with my complex history of multiple chronic illnesses. The ethical principal of first 'do no harm' doesn't seem to exist anymore (I might have said that before).
I feel quite low with a Christmas tide of misery before me. My inclination is to behave as though I didn't have diabetes (eating drinking and being merry) until Im next seen in January, but I know no one else will care about the consequences but me and my family.
Im only writing because I feel so desperately upset and low at the moment, so sorry. Will of course try to get an appointment with my Gp tomorrow, but that may take a few weeks before Im seen there. It will make my 11th medical appointment this month. Any solace out there?

Hi I am so sorry to read your post, it's so awful when you have multiple issues. I see you have written that you have had no success with oral treatment, Metformin SR? Have you been tested for Type 1 LADA diabetes? that does not respond for very long to any tablets and needs insulin? Your GP can request a simple blood test to see if you have GAD antibodies. It's common to have fibromyalgia with autoimmune disorders, look at health line.com, perhaps on this basis you could rule in or out Type 1 LADA diabetes. It's common to be misdiagnosed. I wish you the best trying to navigate your way to the right person in the over worked NHS. It took me a misdiagnosis and and eventual hospitalisation and change of doctors to get the right treatment. Hang in there and don't go mad at Christmas, look after yourself. My best wishes.

 

[alicia kerr]

Hi I am so sorry to read your post, it's so awful when you have multiple issues. I see you have written that you have had no success with oral treatment, Metformin SR? Have you been tested for Type 1 LADA diabetes? that does not respond for very long to any tablets and needs insulin? Your GP can request a simple blood test to see if you have GAD antibodies. It's common to have fibromyalgia with autoimmune disorders, look at health line.com, perhaps on this basis you could rule in or out Type 1 LADA diabetes. It's common to be misdiagnosed. I wish you the best trying to navigate your way to the right person in the over worked NHS. It took me a misdiagnosis and and eventual hospitalisation and change of doctors to get the right treatment. Hang in there and don't go mad at Christmas, look after yourself. My best wishes.

Thank you for your prompt reply. I appreciate it at this late hour. I have been told that my C-Peptide is not what it should be and therefore suggestive of a worn out pancreas. I do wonder whether any of the medics actually know what they're doing as it seems a little hit and miss to me, when lives are at stake due to complications and low moods.

 

[Hertfordshiremum]

Thank you for your prompt reply. I appreciate it at this late hour. I have been told that my C-Peptide is not what it should be and therefore suggestive of a worn out pancreas. I do wonder whether any of the medics actually know what they're doing as it seems a little hit and miss to me, when lives are at stake due to complications and low moods.

Would your GP refer you to an endocrinologist?