Appointment With Nurse

It's very sad but this happens all too often.

Marcus1234 said:

Hi All,

I was diagnosed last week with type 2 and had my first appointment with the nurse yesterday, I have mixed feelings about how the appointment went so I thought I would share with you all.
I had my weight and blood pressure checked. I am overweight and had high blood pressure. My blood pressure was checked a second time and it had come down. Think it was high because of the health anxiety.
I was given lots of leaflets about what to eat and what not to eat, and about exercise and reducing stress.

The nurse asked me if I had any questions, which I did.

I asked, and the answers I got.

Who do I contact if I have any questions about my diabetes? Answer me.
Why do I feel dizzy a lot? Answer I don't know but I can give you a leaflet on hypos
My heart rate has been rising into the low 100's when Im moving about, can Metformin cause raised heart rate? Answer Don't know
Do I get strips and a monitor for my type 2 from the doctor? Answer No, because you don't need to monitor your blood sugar, like type 1 diabetes do.

I also asked for a copy of my blood results and was informed that the printer is broken so cant print me a copy.

Im not the wiser really

Thanks

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I think the advice and care we receive from the DN needs improving, it varies greatly depending on where you live, as does most healthcare, however there are lots of recurring themes and a lot of the info provided doesn't seem to have been updated for a very long time, judging by posts here that go back over many years.
All I can say is that if I'd listened to what I was told I don't think I wouldn't have achieved the level of success that I have, I attribute it to the advice and support I found here. My DN nurse is aware that I haven't followed what she told me, at my first appt after diagnoses she was amazed at my transformation both in weight loss and reduced BG, she asked what I had done so I am pretty sure she was aware that I hadn't done as "advised"
My partners mum is now also ignoring her DN and following my example. She has been Type 2 for a few years, has never been closely monitored and even though things have been way off from ideal, running with really high numbers, occasional discomfort in her feet and overweight, the DN consistently said to her that "everything's fine" really I wouldn't be happy with being told that. She needs an operation that they wouldn't perform due to her high BG, this decision was based on her blood test in Feb, however, since seeing what I've achieved she has adopted a similar approach, lower intake of carbs, not as low as me but still enough to make a difference, she insisted on a repeat blood test, when asked why she felt one was necessary she explained that she had reduced her carbs, was steadily loosing weight and now testing her BG with a meter, she was all but laughed at and told that it wouldn't have changed things, she insisted, got a new blood test and hey, guess what her BG has reduced dramatically, in only 2 months of LC, and low enough for the operation to be rescheduled. I would love to be able to go with her to her next DN check up.
Of course you must do what feels right for you, as in all things, seek advice and make your our informed choices, we are all different and have varying approaches to managing our health. Whatever you decide will be what you are happy with, support from people here will always be a post away, good luck Marcus.

Marcus you are doing great. I also had my appointment and feel the same as you and am determined that I will make a difference with the help of the people on here as it feels right.

The advice I felt just wasn’t sufficient for people who want to take control rather than sit in a corner and carry on.

Well done on lowering your numbers so quickly.

I'm sorry you got so little information and support from the appointment.

However, if you are at all like me, that kind of thing just makes me more determined to educate myself, and work out exactly what I can do about the situation - and you are here, which means that both those things will be much easier than if you were still floundering around by yourself.

The forum is full of links, references and information. So is the main diabetes.co.uk site.
There is no need to take ANY advice from strangers on the internet ( ) without backing it up with reliable information from reputable sources. Then you get to apply the relevant bits to your own body and life. Makes a huge difference - a far greater difference than your nurse can imagine.

@Marcus1234 well done on reducing your BS and, unfortunately, your experience with your DN is happening all too often. I think we are lucky these days in that we have access to the internet and, as a result, are much more informed and prepared to question our medical practitioners than those in my parents generation ie born in 1930s. My mother used to do as advised re diet and slowly progressed from tablets to injections whereas, luckily for me, when I was diagnosed about 6 years ago I have been able to research inc via this forum and, apart from a ‘glitch’ caused by statins (hba1c rising from 48 to 54), I have remained diet only with an hba1c in the mid 30s for approx 4 years.