Another cry for Help Please

[tubolard]

Jeenie,

Self testing is considered by NICE to be central to the management of type 2 diabetes. In the recently released NICE and Diabetes: A Summary of relevant guidelines, the section on management of type 2 begins with the paragraph:

Diabetes care is typically complex and time-consuming, drawing on many areas of healthcare management. The necessary lifestyle changes, the complexities of management, and the side effects of therapy make self-monitoring and education for people with diabetes central parts of management. This is reflected in the guideline recommendations

It goes on to say:

Offer self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education. Discuss its purpose and agree how it should be interpreted and acted upon

An under-secretary of state for health has said that

Any PCT which is automatically discouraging the prescription of blood glucose testing strips is not acting in according with NICE's advice that self-monitoring may prove useful to people in their overall approach to self-care.

Regards, Tubs

 

[Trinkwasser]

Your doctors are terminally clueless, is there any chance you could find a diffent one? Ask around friends, other diabetics, your pharmacist, see if anyone comes recommended.

I have to buy my own strips too <fume> it's especially annoying as they have led me to have excellent control as my doctor is the first to admit, but her hands are tied by the PCT's rules.

Your numbers look good, here's a possible way of making strips go further

http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2007/ ... udget.html

I only bother with fasting tests when I'm having a Testing Day and I seldom bother with two hour tests as long as my 1 hours are within range. Nowadays I dont bother to test much unless my routine changes BUT I couldn't have reached that stage without testing a lot in the first place

 

[jeenie1940]

Thank You so much Everyone
I signed in earlier, and was overwhelmed by reading your comments, decided to get our meal out of the way before re-plying, and letting you know how i got on,
well last night i couldn't get to sleep, again, was worrying about the app, so i signed back on Internet, to see if i could find info from the N I C E guidelines, but because i was tired and couldn't focus properly, i didn't manage to find what i was looking for, as a result i went off to my app this morning and it was an 8-40 app, with apprehension, i didn't feel prepared, i didn't want to go actually,anyway as it was, it turned out quite well, thanks to the nurse, she had been left notes from doc, that i wan,st to be given strips/lancets etc, it seems though that the nurse is in a position to overrule the doc, depending on an individual, and in my case she thinks that i qualify in her opinion to receive them ,and as given me a repeat prescription for 50strips, however she as suggested to me that perhaps i shouldn't do as many as i have been doing she seems to think in my case its not necessary, but, also agrees that i need to see a dietician as soon as, and she as written a letter, this time, instead of phoning, to get me the app, also she give me, a phone number to ring, regarding getting an app for a retinopathy test, she did imply, yet again, that i may have to wait, until April, when i have my annual check up, i had told her that i have trouble with my eyes, the blurring, not being able to focus sometimes forgot to mention the headaches, she as said if i did have to wait she would referred me to an opthamologist, at the hospital, so, all in all, a pretty good result after all
i Cant Thank You All enough, for your comments, I'm pretty sure, i would have made a complete mess of it, the way i was feeling, without the support i received on here

It Is A Truly a Brilliant forum, THANK YOU

 

[jeenie1940]

Jeenie, please send me your weightloss formula. I'm losing so slowly, and I'm getting frustrated. Once you know which foods affect you in which ways, You can reduce your testing. If you haven'y got to that stage yet, they should not have taken you off strips. NICE says you should have them to learn with. Contact your local PALS group. They might be able to help you.

Hi Hanadr no formular as such, just not eating , ANY, bread, spuds, rice, or pasta, hardly any fruit , just perhaps, an apple a day and a few berrys in a s /f jelly , the thing is , we are all individuals ar,nt we,

 

[jeenie1940]

Your doctors are terminally clueless, is there any chance you could find a diffent one? Ask around friends, other diabetics, your pharmacist, see if anyone comes recommended.

I have to buy my own strips too <fume> it's especially annoying as they have led me to have excellent control as my doctor is the first to admit, but her hands are tied by the PCT's rules.

Your numbers look good, here's a possible way of making strips go further

http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2007/ ... udget.html

I only bother with fasting tests when I'm having a Testing Day and I seldom bother with two hour tests as long as my 1 hours are within range. Nowadays I don't bother to test much unless my routine changes BUT I couldn't have reached that stage without testing a lot in the first place

Hi Trinkwasser" THANKS FOR YOUR FEED BACK, OOPS sorry, after having a look at the link amazingly, i had said to my other half, after talking to the nurse about not testing as much, that i would probably try just testing f/t and then after one meal for a week, in my case i chose to start with lunches, from today, but do realise i need help from a dietician

 

[jeenie1940]

Hi jeenie

Your 7, 14 and 30 day averages are good, how many tests did you do to arrive at these numbers. If you had an HbA1c on diagnosis I would ask for another to get a good idea how you have done over the past 3 months. As I say your figs. are good especially when you consider you are getting these numbers on no meds. and diet only. As for number of tests per day, once when you get up and 2 hours after each of your meals should be ok, then just before you turn in. As I say get a new HbA1c to know were you stand. Then come back and let us know how you get on.

Keep your chin up, many would love to see your numbers on their meter.

Kind regards Eddie

If you had an HbA1c on diagnosis I would ask for another to get a good idea how you have done over the past 3 months.

Hi Eddie, took your advice, and did ask for a HbAic test, also to have my choleterole checked, as my last HbAic test, was 18th sep, and was 6.3 (and my cholesterole in july was 3.2 but i am taking Simvastatin ) has been suggested, i have these tests done middle of dec, as would be a waste of tme if done any sooner

 

[Trinkwasser]

but do realise i need help from a dietician

Here's hoping they are more clueful than your doctor and don't just tell you to eat lots of starch.

Take your meter readings in to show them, especially if you have notes or can remember what you ate at the time. That will be a good starting off point.

 

[Katharine]

I was at a diabetes education course the other day. A practice nurse who specialises in diabetes (that is all she does) had a very good protocol for type twos.

She gave them a very intensive three day monitoring sheet. They had to fill in the bs for am, pre meal and 2 hours post meal for three days. They also wrote what they ate and what exercise they did and any other thing that could be important such as eg infection/travel etc.

She goes over the sheet with them and sees what they can learn from the analysis. If anything eg hbaic, bs measurements are not in the range the patient or she would prefer they discuss the best way of making an improvement. This could mean changes to daily habits, meals or medications.

Once this is done, they arrange to do the same again in 3-6-12 months and have another intensive session. In between the person with diabetes only tests if they feel unwell or for a specific reason.

This method saves money on test strips for the NHS and helps the person with diabetes get the control they want.

It sounded to me like a good idea.

If you can't get the strips for the meter from your doctor would he accept this three day intensive protocol?

 

[jeenie1940]

Thanks for your replies, Everyone, much appreciated

 

[graham64]

Hi Jeenie,
How did you go on with getting test strips :?:

Graham

 

[jeenie1940]

HI Graham
(I posted this earlier) and some, lol

It seems that the nurse is in a position to overrule the doc, depending on an individual, and in my case, she thinks that i qualify in her opinion to receive them ,and as given me a repeat prescription for 50strips, however, she as suggested to me that perhaps i shouldn't do as many as i have been doing, she seems to think in my case its not necessary, but, also agrees that i need to see a Dietician, as soon as, and she as written a letter, this time, instead of phoning, to try and get me the app,

Thanks for asking

 

[sugarless sue]

That's great news Jeannie,hope you get the appointment soon and that you get good advice.

 

[Trinkwasser]

HI Graham
(I posted this earlier) and some, lol

It seems that the nurse is in a position to overrule the doc, depending on an individual, and in my case, she thinks that i qualify in her opinion to receive them ,and as given me a repeat prescription for 50strips,

Well that's a big step. And if you want to do more testing there's nothing at all stopping you from buying more strips, using them and not telling her <G>