How long?

[Sparkz]

How long after being diagnosed with Diabetes did you have to wait to see someone/anyone to help you understand how to look after yourself? What diet to follow and medication?

Was told due to staff shortages(illness) I will have to wait a month! Waited in all day for a phone call from the nurse for any help! Guess what? No phone call even though I rang again at lunch time to see when I would get the call, receptionist said she would remind the nurse...seems she has forgotten again!

 

[Matthew-G-Bell]

Hmm, I'm not sure exactly what to advise as I've never had this problem but a month is ridiculous!

I'm sure an admin will arrive soon that can help you out with this, best of luck!

 

[Bluetit1802]

My advice is stop worrying about your nurse appointment.. Have you taken on board all the help given in your first thread? http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/told-today-i-am-diabetic.99135/ and have you done as suggested, asked for copies of your blood test results, bought a meter, started to formulate a suitable eating plan?

I really wouldn't fret about this. What sort of advice are you hoping the nurse will give? How to look after yourself and dietary information? You can get all this advice, and far more, by reading these forums and the main website, and then asking questions. We are all diabetics ourselves and are the people best placed to help you. I'm afraid if your nurse is typical of other practice nurses dealing with diabetics in surgeries, all the advice she will give you is likely to be anything but helpful.

 

[Patricia21]

Hi welcome to the forum.
The only help I had was from the forum,I looked round before I joined as I was a bit nervous about it,but there is all the help that you need.and people are friendly.
All the best.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. I agree with Bluetit. My surgery support was even worse than yours. Basically go away for 3 months, follow this diet (GP scrabbles round and finds scraps of diet advice on the floor which were rubbish anyway). The advice around this forum is way beyond what most surgeries offer at least in the early days of T2. If you can get good surgery diabetes initial support then great but it's rare. Look for an HBa1C blood test after 3 months if not earlier. Chase the surgery nearer the time if you hear nothing. Get the GP/nurse to raise a blood and urine test form and a diabetes appointment with one of them around 2 weeks following the blood test. Get the blood test done 2 weeks before the appointment. My surgery offers a 20 minute double slot for diabetes appointments. All the diet advice you need is on this forum and at a 3 month review the HBa1C result will determine any meds if needed. See the NICE Diabetes Pathways docs online to see what GPs are advised to follow. Also, do get hold of a glucose meter as T2s aren't normally provided with one.

 

[doolallylady]

This forum is far more useful/helpful than my surgery. Always someone ready with answers, advice, help & support and no waiting for an appointment .

 

[Finsky]

How long after being diagnosed with Diabetes did you have to wait to see someone/anyone to help you understand how to look after yourself? What diet to follow and medication?

Was told due to staff shortages(illness) I will have to wait a month! Waited in all day for a phone call from the nurse for any help! Guess what? No phone call even though I rang again at lunch time to see when I would get the call, receptionist said she would remind the nurse...seems she has forgotten again!

Although I've always been referred to se 'specialist' and was offered lots of info and training etc from early on....but a most of the information over the years have been the standard NHS info that doesn't make your condition any better.
I can only encourage with what other have already said....take matters to your own hands....ask questions, read and learn from the forum and when you are not sure, ask....and ask again if you need it....no doubt you will have 1000's of questions popping up in you head...but that's normal and it is quite likely that you will get truly helpful AND useful answers from the forum too!....unlike from somewhere else....
While you wait to be seen...you can already start look after yourself (testing too)...write all the changes and results for those changes down, when you see your health carers..you already have lot of valuable information available to show about your body and situation..head start for everybody. By waiting and doing nothing, possible improvements just get delayed even further.....even doctors and nurses have to start with bit of 'guessing game' with your care and see where the changes they are proposing will lead and no doubt involving many adjustments in future too.
You might as well start now..

 

[britishpub]

How long after being diagnosed with Diabetes did you have to wait to see someone/anyone to help you understand how to look after yourself?

I was diagnosed in April last year, and I have yet to receive any of this.

I have of course used the wealth of knowledge, experience and support to be found on this forum, and I seem to be getting along just fine.