Amazing visit to GP

Goonergal said:

Just back from a visit - completely unrelated to diabetes - to my GP. Once we’d discussed the issues I went for she brought up my weight loss and HbA1c results, congratulated me and wanted to talk more about what I’d done.

She wasn’t at all fazed by my mentioning low carb, and in fact I suspect she might also be as she talked about giving up sugar. She urged me to write up my story on ‘the diabetes site.’ I told her that I am a member of a great forum and clarified that it was this one and not the ‘other’ one. She replied “yes, that’s the one I mean.” She then asked if I’d be willing to share my experience at some group consultations they are running in the surgery for people managing chronic conditions.

So glad to have had the conversation!

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You are indeed lucky to have such an enlightened GP.
I was offered an HBa1c test at the hospital when they found glucose in my urine when testing me for something else.
When I went to see my GP for the results, it took him a while to find them. "Ah." He said at last. "The result is 53. You have type2 diabetes. You need to exercise a lot more and lose weight. With luck you will get the number down and you won't need medication for some time. But it's a progressive condition, so you will probably need medication at some point, but hopefully not insulin injections. We will have to see. I'll make an appointment for you to see the DN and she will arrange for you to have eye tests and check your feet etc. With luck you won't get serious complications. Go away and lose weight and take lots of walks. And try not to worry. We'll repeat your test in three months"
And that was it. I saw the DN a week later and she told me to eat a balanced diet with lots of 'good' foods. By then I had done lots of research and found this site.

Given that diabetes is rapidly becoming the 21st century equivalent of the plague, you would think that the NHS would be a tad more supportive wouldn't you?

I am so jealous of you with a helpful diabetes knowledgeable GP.
Stick with it !

My surgery has changed every GP at least once in the last 8 months and I have not seen the same doctor twice in about 2 years

Paul T1 for 60 years this summer!
My logic - I must be getting it right because I am still here!

Goonergal said:

Or even basic manners.

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agree with you from many years experience. In med school, it was only ever mentioned in terms of the anatomical players in the process and not how to deal with it other than medication. The worst that we often refer in our lectures was the advice given to a man with high cholesterol which was ' avoid tomato sauce' and take these statins daily.....

It seems it is getting there, in some practices. 14 months ago when diagnosed I had the standard 'it's progressive, you will die' from a GP, and not much better from the DN. But another GP told me about LC. She was right. Just over a year in I'm off Gliclazide and have lost weight. There's a new DN who I saw last week and who told me how well I was doing, and how lucky the practise were that the GP I saw knew about LC and how it was helping people. Today I saw a new GP at the practise who actually talked about curing diabetes (yes curing Vs properly controlling) and clearly is with the programme. While overall the practise is very 20th century, I'm glad in terms of diabetes advise they are properly in this decade!

Goonergal said:

Just back from a visit - completely unrelated to diabetes - to my GP. Once we’d discussed the issues I went for she brought up my weight loss and HbA1c results, congratulated me and wanted to talk more about what I’d done.

She wasn’t at all fazed by my mentioning low carb, and in fact I suspect she might also be as she talked about giving up sugar. She urged me to write up my story on ‘the diabetes site.’ I told her that I am a member of a great forum and clarified that it was this one and not the ‘other’ one. She replied “yes, that’s the one I mean.” She then asked if I’d be willing to share my experience at some group consultations they are running in the surgery for people managing chronic conditions.

So glad to have had the conversation!

Click to expand...

Well done on your success to date and good luck at the consultations