Practice Nurse

[Jamrox]

My Practice nurse previously told me not to test my blood sugars as I am diet controlled.
I ignored that advice , bought a monitor and tested. I saw my her this morning for my HbA1c check. She asked how I was doing changing my diet. I said I was doing ok because I test when I have new food etc and I know how to control things.
She said I shouldn't test as it won't make a difference to my treatment, I told her she is wrong , my diet is my treatment and how do I know what sends up my sugars if I don't test. She agreed with me and said she had to go by national guidance. I said the operative word is guidance not standard of care and the guidance is wrong.
Different people react differently to different food , oranges make my bs shoot up for example. I think I gave her something to think about.

I know hope I don't get egg on my face when I get my HbA1c results in 2 weeks lol.

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[Avocado Sevenfold]

Nice one, Jamrox. Stick to your guns

 

[Crimsonclient]

If I am correct in thinking nice guidance recommends that all newly diagnosed diabetics should get a blood meter for the exact reason you just stated. Hb1ac blood tests does an average reading over the past 3 months ( how that works I'm not sure)


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[Avocado Sevenfold]

Jamrox - does your bg meter record your weekly/30/60/90 day average? You may be able to get an idea of your forthcoming result here

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-to-blood-sugar-level-converter.html

 

[carty]

I bought a meter when first diagnosed and got strips for 3 months but no advice how to use them If I hadnt found this forum I would have had no idea what to do .What a waste of strips
CAROL

 

[Scandichic]

Funny enough I have just had a similar experience but with a much more negative outcome. I was diagnosed last Wednesday. I saw the doc on Monday as I believed I had cystitis and I did a pee test. He told me I was diabetic but that he wanted to do fasting bloods the next day. On the Wednesday I went "funny" at work and rang the doc and was asked to go in. My fasting levels were 13.1. I was given metformin which I was told to increase every 3 days by 1 tablet until I was on one a day. When I asked what I could eat, I was told to go on the Diabetes Uk website and he booked me an appointment with the diabetic nurse for one week later.
As a proactive person, I did as much research as possible but felt that the advice given seemed wrong. I then found this website and was directed by Toto to the diet doctor. My gut feelings then made sense and having checked out Dr Eenfeldt's credentials decided that this is what I would do and have stuck to this lifestyle change since then.
However, I crashed on Sunday after lunch and yesterday at half past ten. As I had no monitor then I could not work out what was wrong. I was sent begrudgingly home from work and I went to the docs in tears (not the norm as generally on an even keel!). Saw the diabetic nurse whom I am supposed to see on Wednesday. She told me that these episodes were due to my current eating habits (I showed her my food diary) and that I should go low fat and follow the recommendations of Diabetes Uk. She told me that the diet would be trial and error so I asked for a monitor. I was declined on the basis that I am not injecting and taking metformin. I pointed out that I would need a monitor if it was trial and error and that she had just negated her own argument. She then asked the doc who also refused on the grounds that it was not standard practice for patients on tablets. I pointed out that this directly contradicts the advice give to Health Care practitioners by NICE. I asked if I could potentially reduce the tablets taken to which she became aggressive , asking me if I was refusing to take my meds. I pointed out that I had not refused to take them but was asking if it was possible to reduce the meds with diet. I was then told that diabetes is a progressive illness and that she would be referring me on to the hospital.
She told me there was no point in making my appointment on Wednesday as she would only be giving me the same information. I explained that I was unimpressed by their care, which I felt to be inadequate. I asked when I would hear from the hospital and was told that she had no idea.
I have been out and bought my own monitor and am currently monitoring my blood sugar before and after my meal. Unfortunately I felt ill one hour after getting up - dizzy and sick and my bs was 8.7. I ate a cheese omelet and felt better within half an hour although still too ill to go to work. Bs 8.2 after 2 hours 10 mins. Needless to say I am going to write a letter of complaint!

 

[kesun]

Funny enough I have just had a similar experience but with a much more negative outcome.

What a horrible experience. I remember when they thought I was T2 medical professionals were noticeably worse to me than before (gestational diabetes) or after (MODY, finally diagnosed as mitochondrial diabetes). The message to T2s seems to be that your diabetes is your own fault, if your BG is high it's because you're cheating on your recommended low-fat, calorie exchange diet, and there's no point putting much effort into your treatment because you're now on a one-way path to neuropathy, heart failure and death.

When my diagnosis changed to MODY, suddenly I was seen as a normal patient again, whose condition was bad luck, whose word could be trusted and whose treatment needed to be individually worked out and monitored.

What I did during that bleak T2 period was to do my own research, switch to a low-carb diet. and monitor my bloods (I'd been given a glucometer at the GD clinic, but now I bought strips instead of getting prescription ones). We shouldn't have to do this, but all to often we do.

I hope things get better for you.
Kate

 

[Scandichic]

Thank you! I am loving this forum as there seem to be some really kind, sound people out there!

 

[Jamrox]

I am a nurse so felt I had to tell a fellow nurse that the info she gave me was wrong for me.
I reminded her that NICE guidelines do not apply in Scotland unless Heathcare Improvement Scotland adopted them and guidelines are just that GUIDES to patient care.
****just been naughty and had a belgium bun so will feel rubbish in an hour silly girl.

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[tbird37]

I was on a diet only but now recently been put on medication also metformin and still have not got a blood monitor.


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[foxglove]

I had a similar experience regarding being told NOT to do tests but I think that it is up to each individual what they do.
I have a test metre but only do it now and again.. usually when I've eaten a lot of junk foods and get a bit concerned..

 

[douglas99]

................... Unfortunately I felt ill one hour after getting up - dizzy and sick and my bs was 8.7. I ate a cheese omelet and felt better within half an hour although still too ill to go to work. Bs 8.2 after 2 hours 10 mins. Needless to say I am going to write a letter of complaint!

What do you reckon made you ill?
8.7 you wouldn't feel, especially if you are fine at 8.2.

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[Scandichic]

What do you reckon made you ill?
8.7 you wouldn't feel, especially if you are fine at 8.2.

Hope you feel better soon.

Don't know - adapting to the metformin? Felt betterish half an hour after eating but took an hour and a half and now feel dizzy again? Not enough fluids? Hoping someone doing LCHF and metformin might know?
Grateful for any advice? Just gone to test and bought cartridge instead of strips! Doh!

 

[Jamrox]

I don't feel ok at 8.7

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[CollieBoy]

i know I wouldn't either!

 

[douglas99]

Really?

If you felt ok at 13.1 on Monday, and were only diagnosed by an accident of circumstance, you seriously reckon you'd feel bad at 8.7 the following week Tuesday?

 

[annelise]

Scandichic, great that you have made your point, gotten a glucometer and have already managed to get lower bgs in such an amazingly short time.

It is, however, not an unusual occurrence (as I have learned in another global forum) that many will feel dizziness and will feel extremely unwell when they at first lower their bg numbers – and especially when they lower them as quickly and dramatically as you have managed to do.

This is attributed to the fact that your body and your whole system have been so used to higher bgs for probably quite some time … - and now it is screaming to get back to the previous status quo.

I have often seen advice given to take it a bit slow but steady in the beginning, i.e. to start more gradually in order for your body to adapt.

But anyway, the good thing is that this will pass when your body has accepted the new regime you impose (smiley). Keep it up and
Best, annelise (Denmark)

 

[Scandichic]

Really?

If you felt ok at 13.1 on Monday, and were only diagnosed by an accident of circumstance, you seriously reckon you'd feel bad at 8.7 the following week Tuesday?

Been feeling fairly ****** for some time - feeling dizzy and so forth but put this down to blood pressure - doc has been giving me different quantities of ramapril to try and bring it down. Spoke to our normal chemist today and he attributed the dizziness to my body getting used to the meds and me kicking my carb habit!

 

[Scandichic]

Scandichic, great that you have made your point, gotten a glucometer and have already managed to get lower bgs in such an amazingly short time.

It is, however, not an unusual occurrence (as I have learned in another global forum) that many will feel dizziness and will feel extremely unwell when they at first lower their bg numbers – and especially when they lower them as quickly and dramatically as you have managed to do.

This is attributed to the fact that your body and your whole system have been so used to higher bgs for probably quite some time … - and now it is screaming to get back to the previous status quo.

I have often seen advice given to take it a bit slow but steady in the beginning, i.e. to start more gradually in order for your body to adapt.

But anyway, the good thing is that this will pass when your body has accepted the new regime you impose (smiley). Keep it up and
Best, annelise (Denmark)

Hej!
Tack för rådet! Funnily enough the chemist has just said the same thing! Wanted to make the right changes ASAP so just went for it. My husband has really been supportive too so with all the help I have had between home and the forum I'm feeling a lot better about the whole thing. X

 

[sugartoohigh]

I was told the same thing Jamrox, by both my Nurse and Doctor.

Scandichic , stick to your guns and don't be bullied by 'experts' who don't have the whole picture yet. Try to keep your cool if the are rude to you. They should know better. I've changed Doctor as a result and its a total change in attitude as to treatment. Hopefully you won't need to do that and your treatment team will open their eyes a little.

Hope all will be well soon.