Anyone ever been asked by their doctor how they achieved remission & felt they were listened to ?

My GP and diabetes nurse do complement me on my success achieving non diabetic HbA1cs and loosing a shed load of weight so quickly after diagnosis and they know how I did it. I was in the local paper regarding my successes and I know the cutting of my article was on the staff room notice board at the surgery for a while. How many staff read it of course, I don’t know, but I’m not convinced they suggest low carb to other patients. There is an organisation call Public Health Collaboration which I joined but haven’t been able to take part in any of their work unfortunately (life events got in the way). However they promote lifestyle changes for health and are low carb fans. Many people involved are Health Professionals. Here’s a link to their website:
https://phcuk.org/

I went from a A1C 10.7 to 5.9 (Canadian numbers) in 6 months. I lost 60 pounds in 8 months. All with LCHF. When I went back after six months she asked me if I was on insulin.
When I said no that I was doing Keto and using my BG meter.
She said no one on her practice has done this and not everyone wants to test regularly.
I was a smart ass and replied, I guess that’s why there hasn’t been anyone else who’s been successful.
That’s was 7 years ago. No more questions have been asked.

I think in the UK that surgeries are measured and counted by how many diabetic patients they have, and by how many are on medications.
Some surgeries delegate all diabetes care to a named nurse and the gp is rarely involved. At my surgery the nurse only is ours once a week, other days she is at different surgeries, therefore she has multiple bosses, or, if she's hired by the clinical group then they are her bosses, not the GPS.
So no one person really has an interest in diabetics recovering. The nurse is measured in quantity of patients seen, and quantity prescribed to. The Gp is only checked to make sure he has someone to refer patients to, I.e that a service is provided not how good or effective that service is.
If you are lucky and the delegated person is caring and far sighted enough to want to get people to remission she may encourage you "off the record" but she is being measured, and paid, to keep people in the system so has a conflict
Until things change from a higher NHS level there won't be much change.
It takes someone like David Unwin to see the bigger picture (he saves masses off his practice medications budget)
And of course behind the scenes the big pharma companies are pushing more and prescribing of their wares...they don't want us to get better either

No not been asked. Just been told that out of 303 diabetic patients my HbA1c was the lowest.

A few years ago now but I don’t recall my surgery being particularly impressed. Nurse seemed almost put out by the fact I’d beaten diabetes by taking all her advice, turning it upside down and giving it a good shake. Muttering something about saturated fat

My GP at the time was useless but I saw another doctor who, although mildly interested and offered faint praise, clearly felt he wasn’t allowed to endorse the ketogenic diet.

Haven’t actually sat down with a doctor since. Probably at least three years ago. They are more interested in pestering me with text messages asking me to come in for various injections that I don’t want.

GP and Head Honcho Diabetes Nursie were scathing about me saying why didn't I give diet a try first, as they wanted to put me on insulin (hospital I was in for something else put me onto insulin without any discussion or even telling me I had diabetes). Very reluctantly put me on 500 Metformin twice a day. After 6 weeks I had lowered my BG to non-diabetic levels. Thank you all you lovely supportive positive people here, because it was a lonely task with no professional support

HHDN was amazed and became very supportive.but didn't ask what diet was. I didn't mention the 'keto' word as people tend to mis-hear it as ketoacidosis, and I didn't want that conversation. HHDN instead of suggesting I lowered the Metformin dose said I could double it and then have a less restrictive diet. Sigh. I said how about we kept that as a backstop and for now see where I was going with my current regime? I see her again end of next month. I will ask about reducing the Metformin. If she won't approve it, I'm reducing it anyway, but I'd rather keep her on board.

This week I had a blood test. This Nursie was very pleasant and remarked that my initial figures hadn't been very bad at all, and was very on board that one can't eat sensibly on a hospital diet.

GP sent an insulin pen with my latest batch of Metformin.

I wonder if anybody communicates with anyone else, or if they all run separate empires?

Outlier said:

I wonder if anybody communicates with anyone else, or if they all run separate empires?

Click to expand...

I fear you are right communication is often very poor.


As for myself I did manage to get 2 meeting with the lead GP about 3 years ago to try and get the surgery interested.
Unfortunately she then went on to start her empire building plans and although we had a review of "diabetes care" at the practise nothing was done about improving treatment .. more like lots of tick box exercises. She has since taken over 3 other local practises.
I have just been classed as "in remission" about 2 years after I was in remission and asked how many others had been classed as such and got the answer me and 15 others. My surgery has over 30,000 patients on its books!
I also joined the surgery PPG to try and influence this bit again with little impact.

BrianDoc said:

I dropped from an initial HbA1c of 126 down to 42 in about 4 months, the nurse asked how I had done it, I explained I had found this forum and went low carb ... she covered her ears with her hands and said something like “forget I asked I don’t want to know” .... bizarre or what ?

Click to expand...

That is pretty much the same response I got; my doctor asked me how I had lowered my BG and when I actually tried to answer he immediately interrupted me.
One of his conclusions based on CGM readings was my body doesn't react to food at all (?!) so apparently he had already made up his mind and found his excuse for what he couldn't explain.

My DN nurse showed no interest when my HbA1c went from 96 to 34 in 6 months-ish.
She just said to carry on doing whatever I was doing.
This is someone who on my first visit told me I had to be on medication for the rest of my life.

Had she asked me how I had achieved those results my answer would have been : going against all the advise you gave me and doing just the opposite

Z_e_u_s said:

My DN nurse showed no interest when my HbA1c went from 96 to 34 in 6 months-ish.
She just said to carry on doing whatever I was doing.
This is someone who on my first visit told me I had to be on medication for the rest of my life.

Had she asked me how I had achieved those results my answer would have been : going against all the advise you gave me and doing just the opposite

Click to expand...

I had a similar experience.. a couple of months after diagnosis I had a meeting with the "Area Diabetes Nurse" who saw my results and said "wow you respond very well to metformin"
She was most displeased when I told her I'd chucked that rubbish in the bin after 3 weeks of toilet hell and gone ultra low carb.
She of course wasn't interested in that..

Ronancastled said:

My Endo was the only one who became quizzical & actually showed any interest.
The nurse just repeats the same phrase "just keep doing what your doing, doctor doesn't need to see you".

Any practice or profession worth it's salt would be all over their successful people.
In private industry a marketing team would latch on to these examples & put them front & centre.

I realise the NHS have rolled out their version of the Taylor/Newcastle plan & that's to be commended.
Were we born a generation earlier there would have been no online forums offering the alternative view, the only dogma would have been progressive chronic.

I'd love a surgery to have an open day of sorts where their T2s in remission could talk to a group of newly diagnosed.
Perhaps a radical move but I thought I'd just throw it out there.

Mow I know I've strayed from my initial question so to bring it back I'd ask what type of responses those of you in remission have got from the medical profession.

Click to expand...

To answer the original question, my 2 type 2 remission people (walking group) had a very positive (how did you do that ?) from the type 2 GP lead and disinterest from the other. Considering the effort that goes into changing things up and the fact that this is usually done in spite of the NHS, I feel that shows a lack on intellectual curiosity at best and poor organisational leaning at worst. I suppose I should vigorously pursue the enthusiastic doctor but not sure how given how busy we are being told GPs are.
In my experience of trying to set up peer support groups a bit like you suggested, the 'not invented here' thing kicks in particularly when you are trying to breach the walls of the local surgery.
Nurses have promised to distribute leaflets but I don't know any diabetic leads who want to take this baton and run with it. I assume there is no incentive if the treatment proposed isn't in some official 'pathway'.
I have always thought that the missing bit in any lifestyle change programme, is ongoing support and encouragement from peers who have done it or are doing it. I am sure a lot of you lot would happily give up your time to a low carb group but other than the Freshwell Surgery (incidentally they do a good low carb app/course), Dr Joanne McCormack (Fat is My Friend) and Dr Unwin I am not aware of any such groups within GP surgeries. It feels hard to get traction !

All my GPs till diagnosis, didn't have a clue hence the misdiagnosis.
My first endo didn't have a clue and told me it was a fatty liver and probably T2.

After diagnosis about fifteen appointments with my specialist endocrinologist, where I gave my story and experience of how I was coping with RH and achieving the great results I was getting.
My last appointment with letter, describing my latest eOGTT and my weight loss with my health being reversed, the great job in stopping hypos. And getting my life back.
Also, an apology that he could not do anything further and disagree with how I approached my lifestyle choices.
Because I was in professional sport, I had many conversations with other club doctors and nutritionists, if they had heard of the condition, they always asked how I achieved my good health.

My named GP, second since diagnosis, was really fascinated and understood how and why. My latest dsn was astonished, but only because of me being non diabetic and having a diabetic review. And, the surgery have changed dietary recommendations.

I must add that quite a few work colleagues, used Keto to maintain or lose weight during the close season, then would only have a medium to low carb intake up to Matchday. The club nutritionist was very sceptical and wouldn't divert away from what he was taught in uni. In other words pasta and rice.
The clubs chef, had to cook due to a programme laid out by the nutritionist, but would do specials for certain players, such as his omelettes, which was really excellent.

None of my gps have ever asked how I manage to remain diet only. My nurse accepts my results but apparently low carb is too hard for her to suggest to others. My liver consultant is great and supportive, as the low carbing has helped my liver function a lot.

My DN and GP have both asked how I "done it" - as if it is something that does not happen ever/very much - in saying that my DN has said she would give me a gold star if she could and wishes many more of the patients she sees were like me and has said she would like to sit me in the waiting room as an example to them, also when I see my GP (which fortunately is not very often) the first thing she remembers and always says before I am even in her room is "I see you have managed to keep the weight off - well done" and once she had a medical student in with her and told them my journey, again as if I was a one off - at first they used to say blah blah blah but now if they are giving the standard advice they will say I know you won't do this but blah blah blah and if you really have to ... e.g they have told me not to test but they know I will and I tell them "I do as how will I know what I can and cannot eat if I do not test?" just common sense really. Then DN actually comments "I do not know why you would do this to yourself when you don't have to". I have my GP to thank for a thorough examination when I initially went with menopause symptons and she did a full blood check which was when my diabetes was diagnosed and as they say the rest is history ... I am a lot healthier now than I was back then when I didn't know I had diabetes simmering away in the background ...

I told my GP I wanted to try low carb on diagnosis and he said OK but didn't ask anything else. My first appointment with the nurse went 'Oh he forget to prescribe metformin and statins'. I explained why I wasn't on those drugs and offered a copy of the letter from the lowcarbprogram site, but she was sceptical and didn't even look at it.
The dietitian was anti low carb and told me off for not eating enough fibre (bread and cereals).
On my first appt after that my HbA1c was so low the nurse was amazed (and impressed by my weight loss) and finally asked about the paperwork I'd offered and promised to look at the websites. I'd hoped to be able offer to go in to talk to other patients after she'd read the research but I didn't see her again and none of the Drs or nurses have asked since about my diet or how I got into remission.

MrsA2 said:

I think in the UK that surgeries are measured and counted by how many diabetic patients they have, and by how many are on medications.
Some surgeries delegate all diabetes care to a named nurse and the gp is rarely involved. At my surgery the nurse only is ours once a week, other days she is at different surgeries, therefore she has multiple bosses, or, if she's hired by the clinical group then they are her bosses, not the GPS.
So no one person really has an interest in diabetics recovering. The nurse is measured in quantity of patients seen, and quantity prescribed to. The Gp is only checked to make sure he has someone to refer patients to, I.e that a service is provided not how good or effective that service is.
If you are lucky and the delegated person is caring and far sighted enough to want to get people to remission she may encourage you "off the record" but she is being measured, and paid, to keep people in the system so has a conflict
Until things change from a higher NHS level there won't be much change.
It takes someone like David Unwin to see the bigger picture (he saves masses off his practice medications budget)
And of course behind the scenes the big pharma companies are pushing more and prescribing of their wares...they don't want us to get better either

Click to expand...

This is exactly my own case. It’s frustrating as the practice has had a series of diabetic nurses who just react to numbers and list drug therapies without really engaging with the person. They want me to make a decision - choose a drug. Any drug. I recently had one nurse draw one of those silly plate diagrams to illustrate what should be the make up of our food. I felt a bit sorry for her - nice personality but just going through the motions. Instead I just returned to very low carb which I know forces my BG down. But I’ve never managed to keep it up long term. Maybe this time…

My doc was shocked! I told him I went low carb, he said great work, now let’s check out the kidneys and lipids, which were fine. So he was up to date.

I’m in a totally different healthcare system though, I pay a premium price and expect premium service. Luckily my appointments are annual now lol.

All I get from my DN is well done but they don’t ask how I achieved it. It took them 7 years of having a normal hba1c to finally acknowledge that I was in remission.