Well, I had my diabetes review today. Physician Associate did it, not my usual nurse from the diabetes team. At one point the PA had to leave the room to consult with the senior diabetes nurse but hey, since when were we important enough to get specialist teams on our case?
Any way I requested Semaglutide as a treatment as it was successful when I was on the trial - reducing both blood sugars and weight but all that stopped at “randomization” - clearly on the placebo. Despite well controlled BS, cholesterol etc my initial 7kg weigh loss at first diagnosis (assisted by Ascend too) has over the last two years gone up 6kg.
My bmi falls into the “obese” category but it’s not high enough to qualify for Semaglutide. Of course, I’m free to walk into the pharmacy and pay £100-£200 per month for it no problem.
Here we are then, there is a drug designed to support people with diabetes (not just the vain and rich) but it is denied as a treatment by the NHS even thought their own calculator classifies me as obese and it’s clear that my low carb diet alone cannot shift the excess weight.
I swim 1 km a day which is equivalent to a 4 km run. What more can I do? Oh, the PA suggested “weight training” to build up muscle mass. That’s it folks. That’s the total support/advice offered. I pointed out that have a hip and knee issue which swimming, thankfully, doesn’t affect. All I now need to do is go and put some stress on those joints down at the gym and all will be fine - apparently.
In fairness to the PA she did say she would discuss my case with the team but I’m not hopeful. I’ll let you know the result.
I’ve battled 11 months to get off antidepressants after being on them for a decade. I don’t want to go back on but know this will affect my overall mental health and fear a decline into full diabetes burnout. The PA acknowledged that diabetes is a progressive illness and that as time goes by it gets harder and harder but they won’t give me Semaglutide to delay that issue.
The thing is, the trial will prove the benefits and I’m sure the 5 year timing of it will coincide with the patent to produce it becoming universal (only in Denmark at the moment) and cheaper. So in 5 years we’ll all get it. We’ll be further down the line with diabetes progressing even further by them and we could turn back the clock on that if we had it now but no we can’t have it unless we are rich enough to afford it commercially. This isn’t right and it isn’t fair.
I too am praying that I get the "real deal" in 6 weeks time and not a placebo, but I think I will be able to tell fairly quickly with my side effects. If I am on a placebo, I plan to stop and talk to my doctor to see if I can be prescribed the med - I don't see the point of carrying on with a placebo for years.