MY DIABETIC NURSE LISTENED TO ME FOR ONCE!!

[fed-up]

I always dread going for my appointments/checkups and all the Gestapo type questioning...That was until my last appointment....Going on holiday for me is a nightmare. My readings ALWAYS fluctuate due to time differences/available food/heat etc and generally I never get any understanding from my diabetic nurse or Dr...

The same with my daily routine at work, having tried to explain for the last 4 years that I'm not a robot and my daily work routine can change at a moments notice, trying to plan methodically my insulin units is near impossible as I can't see into the future..I always try to pre-empt things but sometimes it's just impossible. It has never sunk in really how DIFFICULT it is to manage your day with utmost precision.

That was until my last visit...

For the first time in 4 yrs I actually felt like had achieved something...Instead of 'tut tutting' and being deaf to my reasons they were more than accomodating to the fact that sometimes my BG will get disrupted due to things that are entirely out of my control. I felt like screaming my head off that they 'the professionals' actually understood what I had been telling them...For too long they insisted on a rigid regime which was depressing me due to the fact that sometimes life is uncertain, after playing devils advocate with the nurse she FINALLY twigged what I had been trying to tell her!! In addition, by 'goggling' a query I had about Lantus, I discovered she had even got the timeline wrong for the Lantus injection telling me it was good only for 12hrs when in fact it's good for 24hrs....

I do worry about advice that is given. I believe that after almost 5 yrs of my own personal experience I know more that some of our trumptied 'health professionals'

Why aren't more diabetic people in this area of expertise in the health service???

 

[phoenix]

The same with my daily routine at work, having tried to explain for the last 4 years that I'm not a robot and my daily work routine can change at a moments notice, trying to plan methodically my insulin units is near impossible as I can't see into the future..I always try to pre-empt things but sometimes it's just impossible. It has never sunk in really how DIFFICULT it is to manage your day with utmost precision

I'm glad she listened this time but I have to say it doesn't seem as if you have had much constructive help so far.
Have you been shown how to count your carbs/adjust insulin to what and when you are eating?
If not and If you are using a background insulin like lantus (which you mention) and a rapid insulin for meals (apidra/novorapid/humalog) you should be able to manage a fairly flexible lifestyle.
There is an excellent course in the UK (DAFNE) though some areas have their own versions.
There is also an online course that might be helpful (if you haven't done a version of DAFNE)
http://www.bdec-e-learning.com/

 

[ShyGirl]

Nice to see some positive news!

Some healthcare professionals come across as novices where Diabetes is concerned.
Knowledge shouldn't only come from books , you should actually listen to patients' experience and results too as Diabetes isn't a neat disease.

 

[fed-up]

Hey Phoenix. I have used the internet alot as I became so disillutioned with the conflicting advice I was receiving. You are right, I have a flexible lifestyle..
Generally I have good BG levels but I have to thank myself for finding information that was at least practical to use. I try only to go to the medical centre for my medication and that's it, the less advice I receive the better my life will be...Why do we pay some people so much money for a conflicting poor informed service, I just do not know.

Thanks anyway

 

[jopar]

Your nurse isn't totally wrong thinking that Lanuts is 12 hours active, yes it says that Lantus like levimer is designed to last 24 hours, but more people tend to split the dose though to get a better more stable basal (background) level..

The two main reasons for splitting background into an AM&PM jab,

1, The tail end dies of on the individual causing BG's to go up
2, Then (I used to fall into this cat) Injecting once, ment that you had very differeting needs from PM to AM, Leaving you either swimming in insulin or not enough insulin at one or the other, by spliting you can better adjust for that time period..

A good book to invest in is Using Insulin by John Walsh, this really gives you a lot down on the Basal/Bolus regime (carb counting) how to work out things such as carb ratio's, basal requirements, also how long your quicker acting is actually lasting in your system (as this can very from individual to individual)

 

[Wendywu]

Totally second Jopar on Using Insulin by John Walsh - brilliant book. Also in a slightly more chatty (but equally informative) style - Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner. Those two books have been terrific sources of information for me, and really helpful in my switch-over from mixed insulin to basal/bolus.

 

[Snodger]

fed-up, what do you think made the difference this time? was it just that you kept on explaining your real life situation, or do you think your nurse had read something/had some education in the meantime that had changed the way she saw things?

 

[fed-up]

Snodger, I doubt it was your second point, I was at my wits end so politely asked her to play a game with me .

I played the game of devil's advocate ....I asked her what she was going to do in 4hrs time, 8hrs time, tonight and then Saturday morning at 08.30am. On each occasion she couldn't categorically state what she would be doing, if fact she told me generally what she would be doing...I asked her to be absolutely definate, she couldn't...I then saw that the penny had dropped with her.....Since then she has been really approachable, completely different in fact..

As to the extra training, doubtful, more likely other people being fed up with being lamented all the time. In my first group chat I just got everything off my chest, yes, it was a woeful bleat on my behalf, but, that said, I found a lot of the group had in fact had the same experiences as me, which helped me a lot...A few had different opinions, (they went to a different surgery than the majority of us) but that is only to be expected..

 

[hawalkden]

I'm hopefully going to train as a nurse and when i'm in my final year i want to train to become a diabetic nurse

 

[Snodger]

I played the game of devil's advocate ....I asked her what she was going to do in 4hrs time, 8hrs time, tonight and then Saturday morning at 08.30am. On each occasion she couldn't categorically state what she would be doing, if fact she told me generally what she would be doing...I asked her to be absolutely definate, she couldn't...I then saw that the penny had dropped with her.....Since then she has been really approachable, completely different in fact..

Good for you! A shame that you had to work so hard to get her to do the job she should have been doing anyway, but now she will be a far better nurse for everyone, not just you.

hawalkden, good! we need more diabetic diabetes professionals!

 

[squeeze321]

Diabetes Specialist Nurses who have diabetes themselves tend to be the best because they have more insight into the condition due to them living with it 24 hours a day. I once had a DSN with diabetes himself, he was one of the best.