Whats your experience of GP/Nurse support?

[6cats]

I was diagnosed 4 weeks ago, given a BG testing machine, 1500 metformin, 40 Gliclazide and increased level of thryroxine (that should have been upped 3 months prior) and from which I feel has possible pushed me into diabetes. I have been on it for 30 years, again nobody would listen. I have not seen my GP or practice nurse since the day I was diagnosed. If it had not been for the information I have been able too get from this site I simply do not know what I would have done. Is it normal to be left in the lurch like this??????

 

[dbr10]

I was diagnosed 4 weeks ago, given a BG testing machine, 1500 metformin, 40 Gliclazide and increased level of thryroxine (that should have been upped 3 months prior) and from which I feel has possible pushed me into diabetes. I have been on it for 30 years, again nobody would listen. I have not seen my GP or practice nurse since the day I was diagnosed. If it had not been for the information I have been able too get from this site I simply do not know what I would have done. Is it normal to be left in the lurch like this??????

Yes, it is quite normal. How did you get a meter?

 

[JohnEGreen]

@6cats Much the same as yours only I had to buy my own meter and strips. And welcome to the forum

 

[secretary47]

I was diagnosed 4 weeks ago, given a BG testing machine, 1500 metformin, 40 Gliclazide and increased level of thryroxine (that should have been upped 3 months prior) and from which I feel has possible pushed me into diabetes. I have been on it for 30 years, again nobody would listen. I have not seen my GP or practice nurse since the day I was diagnosed. If it had not been for the information I have been able too get from this site I simply do not know what I would have done. Is it normal to be left in the lurch like this??????

I was diagnosed just over a month ago, still waiting to see the Practice Nurse, apt keeps getting cancelled. GP merely gave me a prescription, no mention of any side effects, told he would see me in 3 months and that was it. He said that if I wanted any more info "there is a lot on the internet" - he assumed I had access to a computer. I have got more info from this web site than from anything or anyone else.

 

[joe-90]

My surgery offer me a session with the nurse once a year. What good is that when you have a condition that needs constant monitoring and tweaking? They gave me access to the 'Juggle' course where they told me all about the eatwell plate and to fill up on carbs. All pretty clueless really.

 

[Brunneria]

There are 3 nurses at my surgery.
One is brilliant, helpful, listens, anticipates and is engaged. I wish I could remember her name.
One is bouncy, unwilling to veer from dogma, plump and talks about balanced diets.
One is disinterested, judgmental and rough taking blood tests.

Luck of the draw. I will just have to keep making appointments til I hit the good one, write down her name, and always ask for her after that, while praying she never retires.

 

[Pinkorchid]

Seen the nurse twice since my diagnosis in December she is very nice and doesn't quote the Eat Well plate or push carbs. I told her how I eat lower carbs and as my 3 month blood test showed my BG levels had gone down she was very happy with that. I see her again in 6 months for the next blood test hope it will still be good

 

[ally1]

At first my gp and diabetic nurse were good but the service now from them is very poor

 

[Clase]

Good morning. We don't have a practice diabetic nurse so the only one with any expertise is one doctor, the most popular in the practice who is very good. Needless to say there is no chance to go to discuss things except on the annual review.
My last HBa1C was 8.2 so I decided to put myself on a low(ish)carb diet. So far I have lost 4kilos in just over two months and would like a new blood test next month to see if it is working but he doesn't think it's worth it. Can/should I insist?

 

[6cats]

Thank you. Its all much of a likeness. Still, I believe that we are all better off communicating with ourselves because, whatever it is we need to know somebody on here will be informed. All pretty shocking really.

 

[numan43]

my nurse is lovely well meaning lady but in the appointments we have it is me doing the teaching as regards the so called healthy plate. I just wish for once that when i see doc or nurse that they would enlighten me even a little regarding new thinking on type 2 but alas all i hear is the 40 year old dogma.

 

[Bryn-Jones]

I was diagnosed June2015 by a practice nurse not a doctor. He put me on 4x 500g of metformin a day. My blood pressure is normal and everything else is fine. I bought myself a machine off Amazon which cost £13 including all the bits and I have kept a close eye on bgs which are in the region of 5..8 to 13. The strips cost £8 for 50. I have lost almost 2 stone in weight but I am still overweight by nearly 2 stone and finding it very difficult to lose weight. I got told by the nurse to go on the internet and found this forum which has been my main source of excellent information. I realise without the metformin I will struggle to lose weight. I joined weightwatchers who accept their eating plan is very suitable for diabetics and therefore don't make an issue of it and I just lose 1/2 to a pound a week which is good and I feel tons better for it. Whether I will reverse the diabetes as some of the articles on the internet suggest I don't know but here's hoping. I had no symptons of the diabetes whatsoever only high blood readings what they say of 6 to 7. This forum gives more information than you will ever get from NHS.

 

[satindoll]

Its an unfortunate fact of life that most GP's have limited knowledge about the trials and tribulations of being a diabetic of any type, they will usually pass you on to the supposedly clever DSN, who if you are extraordinarily lucky may have some idea of what YOU the patient need rather than what the "Jolly old NHS prescribes", don't get me wrong I am eternally grateful we have the NHS and would hate to live in any other country regardless.
My own Dr does at least listen to what I say, and my nurse though not a DSN is a gem and is willing to listen and learn, and if needed ask the real DSN at the surgery for information if she can't find it via Dr Google.
I just wish they were a bit more open minded and a bit less dogmatic with regards to diet and stuff, but then we don't live in Utopia and none of us are angels.......

 

[Daphne917]

I've never seem my GP about my diabetes. Every time I go to the nurse for my 6 month check-up she tries to give me a prescription for statins evn though it's in my notes that I came off them because they made me ill and pushed my hba1c from 48 to 54, she alway asks "why do I want to make my fingers sore due to unnecesary testing" and, at my lat review she couldn't give me my hba1c results because the surgery didn't order them - although they did do a random BS test which has 4.1!

 

[Daibell]

Hi. My two diabetes specialist GPs have been pretty clueless and just guessed I was T2 when I'm a LADA; no tests just guesswork (I was diagnosed with a urine stick!). When the 2nd one finally spotted I had to have insulin I was passed to a superb diabetes specialist DN at the surgery to start it. Sadly she has left, but the new DN is very nice but a bit lacking in experience but does listen and react. Fortunately I've never been offered to see a dietician so have avoided the Eatwell (unwell) Plate and other waste of time courses.

 

[JohnEGreen]

My last HBa1C was 8.2 so I decided to put myself on a low(ish)carb diet. So far I have lost 4kilos in just over two months and would like a new blood test next month to see if it is working but he doesn't think it's worth it. Can/should I insist?

No get a meter and test then you will know if it's working.

 

[bulkbiker]

My surgery used to have a Diabetes Nurse but she left just before Christmas. I saw one of the regular practise nurses last time who I don't like and who was not in the slightest bit interested in how I had lost weight and brought my blood sugars under control. I booked an appointment with the Doctor who oversees the diabetes treatment in our practise to talk about having a dexascan to check if I had a fatty liver. He had never heard of it being used in that way. On further conversation he had also not heard of Professor Roy Taylor, the Newcastle Diet study or any kind of LCHF diet being useful for controlling diabetes. I gave up then and there and decided I would completely rely on my own research and you guys because I now think I know more than anyone at the doctors. They were all amazed at my results but didn't want to learn how it was done without medication... Sometimes I wonder who is really running the NHS.. what role does big Pharma have to play?

 

[Stallen]

Recently I've had good support when needed, initially my DN was terrible not helped by her telling me what I needed to be doing when she was clearly been in denial about her own health and eating habits for years if not decades, I ended up preaching to her at most appointments.

Thankfully she retired and the new DN replace that then followed, has been more acceptable to my approach and encouraging that I continue to do what works best. I have to say at this present moment my GP and DN are providing the best care that I've ever had.

 

[MikePea]

Seems par for the course. There are far too many diabetic people. ergo. Can not afford them. I used to be on statins for years, but when I moved and changed surgeries, I was promptly taken off them about ten years ago. Didn't stop me getting diabetic.
Never mind. You can get all you need from this site.
Following advice from here I have lost two stone since Sept. Test for BG (Don't leave it to the surgery). Buy yourself a DIY kit and live life your way.
Cheers all.