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Are all Diabetic clinics useless?

lucyturniptree

Well-Known Member
Messages
64
Location
Evesham, UK
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
I don't like beetroot or celery- URGGH
I've been diagnosed just over 10 years (diagnosed type 1 at age 16) and since have moved around a lot (University, then jobs) and every single clinic that I have been to has been a massive waste of time. When I was younger and was in the paediatric clinic, it was all about "don't eat sweeties"- I was 16! I used to sit in the waiting room watching other kids and their parents frantically filling in random numbers in their bm books, then getting praise, where I would receive criticism for missing 1 or 2 readings.
I can't think of a single time when I have received useful or practical advice from a clinic. Don't get me wrong, some of the specialist nurses have been fantastic, but that was a separate event. Every time I go to a clinic, I come away feeling dispondant and depressed. Despite doing everything I can, it never seems to be enough. I feel like they look down on me and judge me, which makes me want to rebel. Surely it is my diabetes and it is supposed to fit in with my life.
Yesterday I went to a clinic and was threatened with my pump being "given to somebody who deserves it" because I told the truth and said that sometimes I will forget to take my mid-morning or mid-afternoon reading. I have fantastic hypo signs and since being on the pump haven't had any ketones, so why with all the drama. It felt like they wanted me to sit there and say, yes yes yes, I do everything exactly right every time, i am a robot rather than telling the truth.
I'm not saying all this because I want to ignore their advice, I just don't see the benefit and actually dread having to go back.
 
Hi Lucyturniptree

I don't have experience of diabetic clinics but have plenty of experience with medical staff. Isn't it horrible when a "professional" sits there in judgement and belittles you.

You will not find judgemental people here. We are all here to help and support one another and many people say they have learnt more from here than their health care professionals

Feel free to rant or ask x
 
The only diabetes centre I have been to is the one in with now, and I cannot say a bad thing about them apart from having to leave a message on an answer phone and they get back in touch, other than that they are fantastic. Most of the dsn are type 1 diabetics and my consultant is brilliant he is non judgemental and will sit there and listen to you and then takes everything in to account and the works on a plan that both me and him are happy with and if that doesn't work then we work on another plan till we both get things cracked


Type 2 diagnosed 24/01/2013.
Novomix 30, Victoza, Simvistatin.
 
The simple answer is No, like everything else they'll be good and bad and it's the bad ones that we tend to hear more about.

I'm sure they have your best interests at heart Lucy, try and work with them rather than against them
 
It is difficult being seen in a clinic every 6 or 12 months for maybe 10 to 15 minutes when you are dealing with a chronic life long condition.

I've moved around the country a bit and have been at some really helpful clinics and some where I have left thinking what a waste of my time. I have found things improve when you know the Doctors and DSNs and without attending the diabetes clinics I wouldn't have had access to my pump and some great advice to keep me in control.

Your Doctors just want you to get the best possible benefit from using a pump, unfortunately it is always the small criticisms that we replay over and over in our heads.
 
No, they're not all useless. And not all staff in a "useless" clinic are poor. However, you've encountered a scenario that is not unusual in the UK, and one that many of us old-timers have encountered time and again in a variety of locations around the country (or perhaps the poor ones have just been following me around ).

Depending upon where you live, you may be subject to a progressive change in diabetes services over the coming year or two... as much as 'getting involved' can be time consuming, it can also be very worthwhile and result in huge, progressive changes to your local health service - see my post here to see what's been going on in my locale: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/diabetes-health-services-in-buckinghamshire.58289/

As Noblehead said, "try to work with them..." Or, like the example set by that truely inspirational Stephen Sutton, perhaps you could help to reshape the diabetes care in your area???
 
It would bloody well seem so.

Just wasted 25 minutes of my time at a supposed diabetic annual review with my GP practice nurse. Once she got past the HbA1C al she could do was say "Aren't you doing well", "yeah, that's right" to anything I said.

She didn't even mention my cholesterol at 6.3, low haemaglobin, low haematocrit or other results near the bottom limits. I've only just read the full report now I'm back home, but she should have been better prepared.

Didn't even want to review my daily readings.

Don't know why I effin' bothered
 
Hi Lucyturniptree,

Great name by the way!

Yep, I've been there back in the mid/late 70's as a kid. There was almost a sense of shame or guilt about it like I was an alcoholic (temperance with the sweets.) or the stigma of a teenage pregnancy...?
Visually I supposed by the early 80's I started to dress rebellious with the long hair & leather jacket, I'd just walk in & "front it".. I was for my own good after all..!
On one occasion a DSN said to me "My, your a big boy coming here all by yourself.." My reply was " yep, my mother doesn't like riding pillion on my motorbike.."

I used to dread these visits..
I actually got more empathy & support from a VD clinic I went to after a "malicious scare" from a nutty ex... You will be pleased to know I tested clear... By default, so did she!
 
Mine is rubbish feel if they just moan and shout at me .. was in hospital 4weeks ago with dka and diabetic nurse.was ment to call me i am still waiting missed 2 appointments cause i wad going threw a bad patch because my dad died and got taken of the list !!!!!

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Not all bad... My hospital and current Practice are superb. Had a blip recently with info that was given to me by Practice. After logging it as an official complaint, my lovely GP phoned up and apologised and assured me that the 'blip' would never happen again.
Hasn't put me off my Practice or Hospital.
Both are brilliant.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 


Sorry to hear about your dad, as will the healthcare teams seeing you. Being taken off lists though is standard Practice if you don't let them know. Its standard because so many appts are not attended. Its hard I know in times of such bad patches, to think about going for appointments etc, but it would have been better for you to have phoned them and rearranged. I do so sympathise, don't get me wrong.. But there could have been another diabetic that would gladly have taken your place and needed help perhaps if you had been able to cancel both appointments..


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 

You should see your GP, explain the situation, then write a short letter to the hospital explaining why you'd missed the appointments - I strongly suspect they'll have you back. Then when you see them, ask for help - going into hospital with DKA shows you need it, otherwise the next time you go in with it could be the last.


I agree - as much as some health staff can seem like ogres and finger-jabbers, they are human - a quick call can save everyone time, plus give someone else an opportunity. Diabetes IS hard, but you're only making it harder for yourself if you don't control it now - take it from me!

Keep posting for advice, hints, tips, support, etc - there are plenty of people online willing to listen and pass on the benefit of their experiences with diabetes.
 
how about setting an alarm on your phone to remind you to test. I do this to remind me of injections as i used to forget them sometimes. Most of us get fed up with keeping diaries especially when our meters keep the diary for us. But Drs insist we keep one so they can see our results at a glance. I go to the diabetic nurse at my doctors and its better than the one at the hospitals as you see the same nurse every time so build up a relationship and trust, where as at hospitals clinics you see different doctors who often say different things.
 
I believe OP is a pump user (correct me if wrong) but generally at hospitals there will be one pump consultant and one pump dsn. At least it has been at the ones I've checked out and the 2 I have used.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
I have to agree with the OP. I didn't move around, but in the first year after diagnosis (2006), I had ten appointments and saw 9 different clinicians at the same hospital. I had enough of telling the same basic med history every time without making any progress - I was having problems, which remain to this day. It was such a waste of time I discharged myself to annual reviews with the GP. They are very little help (the nurse the first time I went had never heard of someone adjusting their insulin according to how much carb they ate!) - the GP is nice enough but when I suggested I wanted a pump, he just said "you won't get one, come back in a year". However, the GP did at least send me for a test, which proved I didn't have neuropathy, for which I had been taking meds for five years unnecessarily (Lyrica). Annual appt lasts a max of 15 mins. Thank goodness for books and the internet otherwise I'd be clueless about my condition (T1).
 
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