It never ceases to amaze me...

[Ali H]

I had knee surgery this week, I checked my bloods on waking and they re-checked on arrival for surgery. Because of the diabetes I was golden patient so no hanging around, straight in. On the way to the theatre the nurse with me said that my blood sugar reading was probably not very accurate and that a urine reading would be more accurate at this stage....... errrr it was always my understanding that it is quite the reverse, the blood readings are much more accurate? Surprised at what he was saying as I know he is a type 2 himself - but he doesn't check his own bloods much apparently....

Upon waking at around 10 am and up until discharge at 3.30, not another blood check was done! This surprised me because I thought that would have been exactly the time you would have been wanting to make sure it was holding stable? I was given lunch but they didn't have me marked down as diabetic. I was then given 3 conflicting lots of discharge info re showering/not showering, stitch removal in 7, 12 or 14 days - take your pick...... and so it went on!

Oh well, only to be expected I guess. You would think that people dealing with diabetic patients day in day out would have a bit more of a clue as to how to take care of them wouldn't you.

Then we had to call an ambulance out to Dad the following day, the technician told him there was nothing wrong with going to bed on a reading of 10, that 10 was good....... aaaaaarrrrrgggghhhhh. He then went on to tell us he is a type 1. I just find the constant conflicting advice from medical professionals frustrating and confusing.

Still, so far my blood levels seem to be holding up fine with lots of 5s so that's one good thing and I will carry on following the advice on here methinks.....!!

Ali

 

[CathyN]

Totally agree - the advice from people who ought to be getting it right, is often way off beam! Like the dietician on my education course telling us that white bread is fine!! She didn't specify whether that was a slice or a few crumbs ............

Good luck with your knee recovery!

CathyN

 

[Ali H]

Ha ha I had to laugh when they gave me white toast with no jam because I wasn't allowed jam..... but the white bread was ok! I was in too much of a haze from the anaesthetic to do anything about it, I just ate it!!

I have a running battle with my 88 year old 24/7 grazing father as it is, but for health professionals to keep telling him it is fine....

Ali

 

[viviennem]

My mid-30s cousin did a nursing degree about 15 - 20 years ago, and was taught nothing about diabetes. It wasn't covered in the course.

All she knows know is about putting diabetics - all diabetics - on a "sliding scale" insulin treatment when they are in hospital. I'm pretty sure that would kill me, as I think it's designed for Type 1s. Mind you, I've only had minor surgery so far.

My cousin is a lovely, caring, competent nurse who is really people-focused, and I'm pretty sure she'd listen to anybody who explained their own diabetes to her. But it makes you think. With the present "epidemic" why are the nurses not being given additional training?

Viv 8)

 

[Ali H]

No they put Dad on a sliding scale for his thyroid op last year and he is Type 2 so that seems the norm. You would think they should all be well briefed with the number of diabetics around nowadays.

Ali

 

[bethan90]

I agree there needs to be a major push for all healthcare professionals to have extra training and regular updates on care of diabetes so that there is universal understanding! As the problem of diabetes is now effecting a big % of inpatients on most hospital wards, this now is the responsibility of all HCP not just the obvious wards as it was years ago. It is sad that so many people are receiving low standards of care. A programme on BBC Wales week in week out this week was highlighting exactly the standards of care people are receiving in hospitals and it was very upsetting to watch- it can probably be found on I player if anyone's interested.

 

[SueR]

When I had my hysterectomy some 5 years ago I was rather gobsmacked to find out that they had no sweeteners on the ward. So come the morning I had to have toast, because they had no granulated sweetener for my cereal. The only diabetic desert was yogurt and I was constantly given digestive biscuits as a smack. I took in my own sugar free squash, so at least I had something to drink - I don't do hot drinks !

It was so obvious that they just didn't care about diabetics and had no intentions of making an effort to see that they had a healthy diet either. I made a swift recovery and left the hospital a day early to get home and back to decent food. Things may have changed in the past five years but I doubt it and I have no intention of going back to see either

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Until recently our local PCT organised Diabetes meetings for a selected group of us and the refreshements included tea/coffee with sugar but no sweeteners and plenty of biscuits. I don't believe the PCT staff had any idea what diabetes was.

 

[GraceK]

I think as a nation we're habitual users of 'the biscuit' as a snack at meetings etc. But you would expect the NHS to know better.

Very rarely do we see savoury snacks on offer at meetings and only a few months ago I was arranging a meeting at work and made some suggestions for alternatives for those who don't have a sweet tooth. I didn't suggest anything out of the ordinary, a few breadsticks, cheese and crackers, nuts and crisps. Yet I was met with a look that told me in no uncertain terms not to rock the sweety boat. :roll: God forbid I should have suggested chunks of ham and cheese with full cream for the coffee! :roll:

Personally, I don't give a monkey's what people think, if I attend a meeting I take my own snacks with me and I have no qualms about telling people why if they ask.

 

[hanadr]

All hospitals in the country ar SUPPOSED to be following the "Think Glucose" initiative. However it's stil, well out of date. Sliding scale is seen as the "Gold Standard"
My highly intelligent emergency care sister niece says it works well wirh nconscious patients in critical care wards, but5 is useless for people who are walking and/or eating.
Think Glucose says that any diabetic who is deemed capable by the ward staff[!!!!!!], should be left to manage their own diabetes.

Most nurses and doctors know very little about diabetes, even in these days. No wonder the care in this country is abysmal
Hana

 

[LoisCoxx]

I'm A 17 year old type one and when i was taken into the children's hospital to have my tonsils out in jan 2010 i was told to come in the night before at 5 but upon arriving was told that dinner had finished but i could have half a plate of chips...?? so my mum took me out to buy my own food at the tesco down the road with a drip in my arm...

The next day after my op, they attempted to discharge me straight off but i wasn't even eating yet and my bg's were not stable, i was still on a sliding scale insulin drip. I had a hypo and, get this, was given sugar free squash?! um, logic???

I think that people just need a good, clear education to stop incompetence and confusion on all parts, the general public and the health service!
Lois xx

 

[Ali H]

Lois that is bad, very bad. Sorry to hear you were treated like that, poor you. Hope you recovered well once back home with Mum.

Hana I don't get their reluctance to enjoy other snacks, why are sweet things the be all and end all at biz meetings? Sigh.

Ali

 

[GraceK]

I'm A 17 year old type one and when i was taken into the children's hospital to have my tonsils out in jan 2010 i was told to come in the night before at 5 but upon arriving was told that dinner had finished but i could have half a plate of chips...?? so my mum took me out to buy my own food at the tesco down the road with a drip in my arm...

The next day after my op, they attempted to discharge me straight off but i wasn't even eating yet and my bg's were not stable, i was still on a sliding scale insulin drip. I had a hypo and, get this, was given sugar free squash?! um, logic???

I think that people just need a good, clear education to stop incompetence and confusion on all parts, the general public and the health service!
Lois xx

:roll: Why does this not surprise me? :roll: You're right Lois, they need a good, clear education but they also need the common sense and enough INTEREST in the jobs they do, to use it.

But unless we tell the NHS where they're going wrong, nothing will change. You could write your story here and at highlight the needs of diabetics otherwise they'll never know - https://www.patientopinion.org.uk/