Anyone else feel their Doctor(s) let them down ?

[Member496333]

Slight correction regarding eye tests. Opticians do examine the retina. It’s how my diabetes diagnosis came about. Obviously there’s no substitute for proper screening by an ophthalmologist, but nonetheless an optician on the high street should still have the necessary means to at least detect retinopathy.

 

[Robin101]

Slight correction regarding eye tests. Opticians do examine the retina. It’s how my diabetes diagnosis came about. Obviously there’s no substitute for proper screening by an ophthalmologist, but nonetheless an optician on the high street should still have the necessary means to at least detect retinopathy.

That's what I thought. And my optician was definitely aware and looking for retinopathy. But there was only 2 weeks between the two tests and the NHS one seemed to pick something up. So I shall take onboard this rather negative development.

 

[Spl@]

The bit that doesn't help. Since I found I was pre and changed my diet accordingly I have since found I work with a diabetic and 3 other pre's.
None of them have the slightest understanding of the condition. They quote their doctors twaddle to me and think I have overreacted.
THEN ask how I have lost so much weight.

Ps yep my doc was useless to. No not useless. Systematicly I'll informed.

 

[chris66]

Thank you, i have already signed up for a six week course couple of hours a week starting on the 19th March, just a case of wha do i do in the meantie, am attempting to change diet which so far has only really cut out sugar and try to check what addatives are in foods i buy, but getting fed up with chicken or fish all the time.

 

[chris66]

Yep, sounds about right.

Sorry you have experienced the same as me.

Thanks, had thought it was just me, reading through this forum it seems obvious there are plenty in the same boat!

 

[johnme]

I have a really good relationship with my Dr. Great guy who has been very supportive through suicide planning, strokes etc.

But when it comes to my Diabetes I cant help but feel very let down.

Blood test tells him I am pre-diabetic. Doesn't explain what that actually means or what I should do about it.

Second test confirms Diabetes.

Sent to Diabetic nurse. She checks feet, gets me put on medication, weighs me, looks at me critically and tells me I could "lose a few pounds" ( I am 6'4" tall and weighed 15st at the time) ..and that was it.

No advice about diet. No advice about lifestyle. Nothing.

Subsequent visits have seen me told not to eat grapes, my weight, once down at 14st 5lb, has still had the "well you could lose a few pounds" comment and my feet are always fine.

I have asked what I should eat and been told, "No grapes and no sugar..if you can help it!" and that's the extent of any dietary advice.

So, in four years since diagnosis, I have felt woefully unprepared and very let down by a system that gives no guidance, no support and criticises when it goes wrong but is incapable of advice to get you back on track.

Anyone else ?

I think they are a bit ignorant in the field. They shouldn’t be, but they are and I think given the pressures on them for admin and all the rest it needs a special person to go and educate himself further. In our local practice I’ve had ‘it’s calories in and calories out’ from a gp, I’ve had one recently ask for a fasting glucose test (I’ve been diagnosed diabetic for abt 17 years), a few years ago I had the jolly old gastric band suggested - the specialist I was sent to sent me back with a resounding ‘no’. I did have one diabetic nurse suggest I should eat at most one slice of bread a day, but she was sticking her neck out and didn’t want to explain further. I’ve been prescribed metformin, byetta, sitagliptin and threatened with insulin ‘though it does make you put on weight.’ A bit of basic physiology such as could be found on t’internet would explain why none of these interventions are likely to succeed with classic type 2s. EventuallyI discovered (here and elsewhere) all I needed to do was cut carbs. I don’t take any medication and every time I go for a check up I’ve lost another few kilos. I just wish I’d found that out 16.9 years ago!

 

[bulkbiker]

No not useless. Systematicly I'll informed.

Same net effect though... to you at least...

 

[Chook]

I've experienced it as well. Back in the day when i was researching a low carb way of eating - after having had a mishap with injecting insulin - and hadn't found this forum yet, i decided to discuss it with my GP thinking, idiotically, that he might be supportive. He just looked at me as though I was mad and said he didn't agree with 'hippy dippy' diets and that I should stick to the diet sheet I'd been given - despite the fact that it was following the information on that diet sheet that caused me to end up putting on weight and injecting lots of insulin each day. Seeing that I was really upset he then chose to make snarky comments over my weight - which ended up with him saying i should reduce my weight by whatever means... So I started low carb with healthy fats that evening and three months after i was two stone lighter and off the insulin.

There is a reason they are called GENERAL Practitioners, they don't know everything about everything even though they like to think they do.

 

[johnme]

Same net effect though... to you at least...

It is. But this runs through the nhs. An (admittedly retired) gp friend was unable to differentiate between ketosis and ketoacidosis (just don’t let your carbs drop too low John) another dr friend (we are are buddies of more than 30 yrs standing) asked me ‘do you know exactly how metformin works?’ ie he didn’t. When I was in hospital in the autumn with PE they would come round taking orders for lasagne and spotted **** and handing out metformin.

 

[johnme]

It is. But this runs through the nhs. An (admittedly retired) gp friend was unable to differentiate between ketosis and ketoacidosis (just don’t let your carbs drop too low John) another dr friend (we are are buddies of more than 30 yrs standing) asked me ‘do you know exactly how metformin works?’ ie he didn’t. When I was in hospital in the autumn with PE they would come round taking orders for lasagne and spotted **** and handing out metformin.

apparently forum software won’t allow me to name a common English steamed pudding. You have to laugh

 

[HSSS]

Thank you, i have already signed up for a six week course couple of hours a week starting on the 19th March, just a case of wha do i do in the meantie, am attempting to change diet which so far has only really cut out sugar and try to check what addatives are in foods i buy, but getting fed up with chicken or fish all the time.

It doesn’t need to be fish or chicken all the time. Any reason why you’re only eating these? Nothing wrong with other meats, lots of veg, dairy herbs spices etc etc. Take a look at this thread https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/page-1097#post-1958636 for ideas. Also sites such as diet doctor.com or ditchthecarbs.com and loads of others. If you have ideas and want to make them low carb just google search the name and add low carb or keto. Almost everything has an alternative way of making it or something similar.

 

[Patrick66]

I think they are a bit ignorant in the field. They shouldn’t be, but they are and I think given the pressures on them for admin and all the rest it needs a special person to go and educate himself further. In our local practice I’ve had ‘it’s calories in and calories out’ from a gp, I’ve had one recently ask for a fasting glucose test (I’ve been diagnosed diabetic for abt 17 years), a few years ago I had the jolly old gastric band suggested - the specialist I was sent to sent me back with a resounding ‘no’. I did have one diabetic nurse suggest I should eat at most one slice of bread a day, but she was sticking her neck out and didn’t want to explain further. I’ve been prescribed metformin, byetta, sitagliptin and threatened with insulin ‘though it does make you put on weight.’ A bit of basic physiology such as could be found on t’internet would explain why none of these interventions are likely to succeed with classic type 2s. EventuallyI discovered (here and elsewhere) all I needed to do was cut carbs. I don’t take any medication and every time I go for a check up I’ve lost another few kilos. I just wish I’d found that out 16.9 years ago!

Ah yes, I was threatened with insulin by my doctor.

The Diabetic Nurse was rather scornful of that suggestion as I wasn't on the maximum dose of Metformin then and there were other drugs I could try.

 

[Patrick66]

apparently forum software won’t allow me to name a common English steamed pudding. You have to laugh

You mean Spotted Richard ??..Clearly the likes of Messrs Van Dyke, Emery and Tracy would not be welcome here!

 

[Patrick66]

Thank you, i have already signed up for a six week course couple of hours a week starting on the 19th March, just a case of wha do i do in the meantie, am attempting to change diet which so far has only really cut out sugar and try to check what addatives are in foods i buy, but getting fed up with chicken or fish all the time.

Try Lamb, Beef, Pork, 97% sausages. Full English is available with lots of bacon. I do know the struggle and empathise, I'm starting to look like a drumstick!.

 

[chris66]

It doesn’t need to be fish or chicken all the time. Any reason why you’re only eating these? Nothing wrong with other meats, lots of veg, dairy herbs spices etc etc. Take a look at this thread for ideas. Also sites such as diet doctor.com or ditchthecarbs.com and loads of others. If you have ideas and want to make them low carb just google search the name and add low carb or keto. Almost everything has an alternative way of making it or something similar.

The only reason purely comes down to lack of knowledge, have invested in a couple of cookbooks, ultimate diabetes cookbook and sugar free diet which i really need to study and start experimenting will also look at the links you sent and try and educate myself better would also benefit my son if i can get him to eat healthier.

 

[chris66]

Try Lamb, Beef, Pork, 97% sausages. Full English is available with lots of bacon. I do know the struggle and empathise, I'm starting to look like a drumstick!.

Due to high cholesterol i cut out full english and other fatty type foods three or four years ago and a bit unsure on going back, plus i used to like toast/fried bread with it which im told is not good.

 

[bulkbiker]

Due to high cholesterol i cut out full english and other fatty type foods three or four years ago and a bit unsure on going back, plus i used to like toast/fried bread with it which im told is not good.

Bread on the whole is bad but fatty meats should be fine. Cholesterol is an interesting subject that many doctors may not fully understand.
If you want to read more on the subject I made a fairly detailed thread with my point of view (and those of a few others here)
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cholesterol-and-statins.156985/

 

[HSSS]

Due to high cholesterol i cut out full english and other fatty type foods three or four years ago and a bit unsure on going back, plus i used to like toast/fried bread with it which im told is not good.

You may want to revisit the current research on cholesterol. I’m not finding gps any better informed on cholesterol than they are on carbs. Most don’t even bother looking at ratios or have heard of particle size in my experience so far.

There are numerous threads on here about cholesterol (myths) and it’s protective qualities especially for more mature women.

 

[Member496333]

Fried bread is fine so long as you fry it in real, natural fat (lard, butter, tallow etc.) and don’t use any bread.

 

[britishpub]

I've had so little interaction with either my GP's or anyone else at the 3 surgeries I have been registered with since diagnosis, that it is hard to tell whether or not they have "let me down"

Suffice to say, they all seem confused and unable to properly understand the evidence before them.