DAILY MIRROR HEADLINE

[Scotty84]

scaremongering or realistic ?

 

[brenda walker]

That is scary, but if they got better treatment before hand, things may not have come to this. My mother had her legs chopped off and died the night after her second op, 2 weeks after the first. If cleanliness is next to Goddliness then god is not in the NHS

 

[rosserk]

Maybe it's time to give type 2s the ability to test their blood sugars?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/diabetes-causes-135-amputations-week-6061569

The Government knew there was a problem in 2011 they weren't listening then not sure they will now

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/5000-needless-leg-amputations-crisis-1490474

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/every-week-135-diabetes-victims-6067920

 

[fred1234]

Bit late after the horse has bolted so to speak.....never listen...now diabetics will 'be the scourge of the nhs, draining resources etc. Etc. Off course this is helped along by not allowing testing kits for type2s? Grrr

 

[Phlogiston]

Similar story in the Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/15/rise-diabetes-amputations-figures

I have to say that although there are many sensible diabetics,you do come across a number with their heads in the sand. I was recently chatting to the wife of a former colleague who has recently been diagnosed and has not yet come to terms with it. (I think he will - I recommended he got onto diabetes UK and bought a meter. He has other health problems that muddle symptoms).

 

[neilalastair]

I am for "sticking it to the man" as much as the next person. But at the risk of not sounding particularly anti government is the headline missing the point about personal responsibility and taking control of your own healthcare?

 

[Ali H]

But when seeking advice and taking ownership you have starchy carbs rammed down your throat by every health care professional you encounter, what chance have you got? Only when you dig much deeper do you find that people have success with different methods such as low carbing. If you take the advice given to you at your Doctor's surgery on face value, the likelihood is you will be facing complications galore as time goes by.

A friend was told she appears to be diabetic and to come back in 6 months time after cutting down on ready meals and sugary stuff. I checked her levels after a meal - 11. She happened to be having a blood test a few days later and told the nurse who said, and I quote "oh not to worry all of our levels go up after we eat". So my friend, who is in her 70s, will now go another 6 months with no treatment for her diabetes, with levels in the early teens, all the while potentially causing neuropathy, retinopathy etc all because she has been told not to worry. It sucks, it sucks big time.

Ali

 

[Ali H]

I have a radical idea - how about, from a certain age, supplying people with a meter and 50 strips and a little booklet instructing them to test on waking, before bed, before a meal and 2 hours after. This data can then be looked at and it would identify anybody who is having unusual peaks and troughs in their levels, quickly and easily. An HCA could easily analyse such data and highlight any suspects to the patient's GP for follow up.

This would be a cheap and easy way to pick up a problem, hopefully in the early days, and alleviate long term problems caused by undiagnosed diabetes. From that age onwards, patients could repeat this for a week once a year, year on year.

All these amputations and complications must be costing millions and yet my £15 Accu Chek meter from 5 years ago is still going strong and my parents' ones are now over 10 years old. What I am saying is that the hardware would not be expensive and a box of strips needn't be either if you are careful which brand is used.

Maybe a preventative measure rather than a reactive one?

Ali

 

[mims57]

Portsmouth/Fareham/Gosport area has the highest amputations. Because of this the there have been 'Putting Feet First' day sessions which are very informative and hope to prevent problems. I'm T2 and don't have any problems with getting testing strips and also my diabetic nurse is brilliant.

 

[Gezzabelle]

Instead of telling us about the failings how about they start telling manufacturers to quit putting so much damned sugar and **** in our food? Then maybe educate the GP's .....tell them to stop advocating the ''healthy plate'' and open their eyes to what's happening. It is a sad state of affairs when we, as diabetics are having to find answers and health advice on forums such as this to make any improvement for our condition. I know that if I had listened to what my GP said I would be in some serious trouble further down the line and I thank god I found this forum as people here have given far more help and sensible advice than he did. ''Go home and eat broccoli and have a glass of wine'' would not have got me to where I am today which is ....in control of my diabetes and feeling good

 

[NinaB73]

That is scary, but if they got better treatment before hand, things may not have come to this. My mother had her legs chopped off and died the night after her second op, 2 weeks after the first. If cleanliness is next to Goddliness then god is not

View attachment 14043 scaremongering or realistic ?

Scaremongering for sure! Typical tabloid, I think they are linking obesity to diabetes and then diabetes to amputation, a giant leap that only the papers can do!! A terrible headline for any diabetic to read (but a lot of us have read worse) soul destroying for a newly diagnosed diabetic I should think!
Also fuelling misconceptions that the general public will now have about diabetes! Shocking!
A real problem though as a diabetic complication, but one in this day and age should surely be addressed by our health professionals rather than the papers? Or is that rose tinted?

 

[Clivethedrive]

Instead of telling us about the failings how about they start telling manufacturers to quit putting so much damned sugar and **** in our food? Then maybe educate the GP's .....tell them to stop advocating the ''healthy plate'' and open their eyes to what's happening. It is a sad state of affairs when we, as diabetics are having to find answers and health advice on forums such as this to make any improvement for our condition. I know that if I had listened to what my GP said I would be in some serious trouble further down the line and I thank god I found this forum as people here have given far more help and sensible advice than he did. ''Go home and eat broccoli and have a glass of wine'' would not have got me to where I am today which is ....in control of my diabetes and feeling good

Ditto

 

[NinaB73]

Instead of telling us about the failings how about they start telling manufacturers to quit putting so much damned sugar and **** in our food? Then maybe educate the GP's .....tell them to stop advocating the ''healthy plate'' and open their eyes to what's happening. It is a sad state of affairs when we, as diabetics are having to find answers and health advice on forums such as this to make any improvement for our condition. I know that if I had listened to what my GP said I would be in some serious trouble further down the line and I thank god I found this forum as people here have given far more help and sensible advice than he did. ''Go home and eat broccoli and have a glass of wine'' would not have got me to where I am today which is ....in control of my diabetes and feeling good

Yes, I agree, been watching the tooth decay problem in children lately on the news, scary!
A few months ago I was in town with my son and he'd bought a bottle of volvic flavoured water, being a bit thirsty myself I took a fairly good swig or two, about half an hour later I was much more thirsty!!! Have you seen the sugar content in these? Good for a hypo I should think! Since when has bottled water been unhealthy?!? It's no wonder the public struggle so much with sugary foods and even us diabetics that are used to scouring labels can get caught out!

 

[rosserk]

Scaremongering for sure! Typical tabloid, I think they are linking obesity to diabetes and then diabetes to amputation, a giant leap that only the papers can do!! A terrible headline for any diabetic to read (but a lot of us have read worse) soul destroying for a newly diagnosed diabetic I should think!
Also fuelling misconceptions that the general public will now have about diabetes! Shocking!
A real problem though as a diabetic complication, but one in this day and age should surely be addressed by our health professionals rather than the papers? Or is that rose tinted?

This story was also featured on the news with Diabetes UK endorsing the findings. Yes you're right, terrifying for people to contemplate but isn't this a reality, that some people with diabetes through inadequate care will face. Surely something that highlights there is a growing problem is a good thing? A woman I work with had her big toe amputated 2 years ago and last year she lost her leg from the knee down. She has very poor control of her type 1 diabetes and really struggles. She's been waiting for over a year for specially adapted shoes so she can walk with a prosthetic, I hope the Government take notice and she can get the specialist care she needs to help her improve her quality of life.

 

[NowClosed11]

Similar story in the Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/15/rise-diabetes-amputations-figures

I have to say that although there are many sensible diabetics,you do come across a number with their heads in the sand. I was recently chatting to the wife of a former colleague who has recently been diagnosed and has not yet come to terms with it. (I think he will - I recommended he got onto diabetes UK and bought a meter. He has other health problems that muddle symptoms).

Not come to terms with it ,, nor will I ...but don't have head in sand ...

 

[Robbity]

Well, I have to say that my diabetic treatment so far has actually taken much more care of my feet than of my glucose levels.... So I'm likely to die with my feet still intact.

Robbity

 

[mikej1973]

So assuming 4million diabetics that's 0.003% every week! Or 0.18% every year.

We're doomed!

 

[Croc]

I work as a GP receptionist and I've known of a couple of patients in recent years who have had amputations and guess what? They're not the ones that come in regularly for their diabetic cheeks. They're the ones who you call and call to make appointments and who either dodge making them or make the appointments then time after time don't turn up so never have the foot and other checks.

The services are there but theres only so much you can do for people who won't help themselves.

 

[phoenix]

Diabetes UK continue to press for better results and that's right .There are some questions though.
Why do some areas have such high rates and others very low rates? Are they actually doing something different or is it something to do with the nature of their patients?
Some areas have improved rates by improving services. As here for example http://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2014...rop-in-diabetic-amputation-rates-91490562.htm
However, I suspect that there will also be areas where it is much more likely that people will present with advanced food ulcers. If you are a in an area where a lot of people are transient for example then I suspect that many will miss out checks and they won't have had diabetes education so won't see a doctor at the first signs. (those newspaper stories at least alert people to the risk)
I wonder also, what have these rates done over the longer term. In the US rates for amputations were as high as 9 per 1000 in the late 1990s, the rate ten years later was down to 3.2 (which is still higher than in the UK)http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/lea/fig3.htm

I think education plays a big part. When I was diagnosed and went on my first diabetes education course, the course had a lot of info both on complications and foot care. There was also a lot about diet and exercise was stressed (and no it wasn't a low carb diet , though food quality and amounts were ) The consultant proudly said that none of the patients at this hospital had required amputations for several years. That was ten years ago and is apparently still the case.
It is also in spite of podiatric care not being covered at 100% by the French health system .
(minor ulcers aren't covered at all but the hospital can give education; grade 2 ulcers get 4 'free' treatments a year, and grade 3, only 6 treatments. That's scary if they use the normal system of grading ) I suspect hospitals in cities here with far higher diabetic populations than my bit of rural France have very different outcomes.

 

[Gezzabelle]

So many people assume type 2 is caused by us being obese and have little sympathy which is unfair as it is often not the case or cause. I just went shopping and saw a friend who is diabetic...she told me she is now on insulin and is grossly overweight. I glanced in her shopping trolley and saw....crisps, chocolate, ice cream, trifle, popcorn, cakes and 3 huge uncut loaves. I said to her husband 'you're going to be eating well by the look of it and winked....he said no...that's all for her. I looked at her in disbelief and she said 'the way I look at it is....you're a long time dead so I might as well enjoy myself'. I couldn't even raise an argument as it is obvious she is never going to listen. Her average BG is 29.0 and she is happy with that I think the type 2 epidemic is now running out of control and some gps are not willing to help as their budgets don't run to the expense. Educating people is paramount ...to how much junk is in the food we buy, and then lobbying the government to demand changes by the manufacturers. Diabetics also must take responsibility for their condition and not assume that taking insulin will fix everything and let them eat what they want to. I know quite a few that do that....wrongly believe they can eat what they want to because they take insulin....seemingly oblivious to the possible damage they are doing to themselves. It is obviously their choice but sad to see. Therefore, education is once again paramount. It's thanks to places like this forum that so many have taken complete control of their condition and live a happy, well fed life.. If only gps would take a little look around our forum and see the amazing results achieved by good advice and help from the lovely people here who have personal experience and understanding of diabetes which is far more valuable than text book learning and outdated methods practiced by many gps. Perhaps then the numbers of both people diagnosed and amputations would drop dramatically