Demoralised and giving up!

[valattrevear]

Have just returned from my 3 monthly meeting with the DN. HbA1c down from 7.9 to 6.9, but cholesterol up from 4.7 to 5.5,lost half a stone, not good I know, but I'm not choosing a coffin JUST yet :x . However I have just been told that the DN would prefer me to have a higher HbA1c and a lower cholesterol count. The fault is apparently because as a result of testing I have, in her opinion, become obssessed with my BS figures! I wasn't too happy about the figures, but when it was suggested that I should have no more strips, I put up an argument as to the elimination of foods that make me spike. I produced a food diary which I have kept religiously, and pointed out that tomatoes , on 4 separate occasions, caused a really high spike. This earned the comment "See what I mean about testing, how can tomatoes make you spike, they don't have any carbs" Am I going mad, can I be wrong about tomatoes, [which I know are fruit not veg as she thinks] anyone got any comments or shall I just head for Rob's Hobnobs? [dark chocolate type] :twisted: By the way I am gto continue getting strips :wink:
Val

 

[sugarless sue]

Don't give up Val!! Next time take Collins gem carb counter with you are show this ....Nurse....!!!
Tomatoes 1 medium has 4.7 carbs, 6 cherry toms have 5.2 carbs etc etc.

Val, stand away from the Hobnobs!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

 

[valattrevear]

Sue, Rob [aka selfish swine] has hidden them! Never thought I would have to take the bible with me when dealing with a supposed self styled expert. Oh dear, I'm spitting mad now :!:
Val

 

[kegstore]

Val that's such a good improvement in your HbA1c, you should be chuffed to bits and so pleased with that, DON'T throw it away but stick with the programme. There are other ways to get your cholesterol down. Your DN is a muppet.

 

[NickW]

Hi Val,

Can you ask the nurse for the breakdown of your cholesterol this time and last time? Total cholesterol is a very poor indicator of cardiac risk, and if the rise was caused in a large part by a rise in HDL you might actually have improved your risk profile!

I'm not sure if you're aware, but total cholesterol is a combination of your LDL, HDL, and triglycerides (sadly it's not as easy as adding the three together, but they all contribute). You probably already know that HDL is "good" and LDL "bad" - there's a lot more to it that this general oversimplification, but it's essentially the case. However, having a very high HDL is very, VERY good - it's one of the main indicators the Track Your Plaque program (a US-based program looking to avoid / regress arterial plaque and cardiac events) uses to indicate good heart health. And to put it simply, I'd take a high HDL and high total cholesterol over low HDL and low total chol. any day!

More than that, I can't possibly see how removing your access to strips would lower your cholesterol - it just doesn't make any sense! Glad you were able to fight your corner and keep them!

Sorry your nurse wasn't more helpful. And don't knock yourself on your progress; a stone's still a stone, and your HbA1C has improved very nicely. I'm amazed the nurse considers a high TC a bad trade-off for a lower A1C unless there's something seriously amiss with the HLD/LDL/trig numbers.

Chin up, put the buscuits down and get right back to improving your A1C even further for next time!

Cheers,
Nick.

 

[sugarless sue]

Look at it this way Val, maybe he is doing it for your own good!!! ( or maybe not!! :twisted: )

If you regularly see this particular nurse then maybe you do need to carry the 'bible' even if it only to whack her over the head with!!

( Last comment is banter and in no way meant as advocating assault on HCP's BTW!!! )

 

[valattrevear]

Thanks Kegstore I appreciate your support!
Nick, I asked for a printout of my results, but the DN says she can't do that.When I asked why she said, I told you I can't! By the way I am no spring chicken , and she will never speak to me like a schoolchild again! I insisted she write out the results, but the only figure I have other than weight, HbA1c, and cholesterol is a figure of 2.2 for trigs.
Sue I will never need an instrument of violence as long as i have the power of speech :twisted:
Val

 

[sugarless sue]

Good for you Val. Tongues are very potent weapons.

 

[cugila]

Hi Val.

You should complain the Practice Manager, in the first instance, then your GP stating that the results are part of your medical records and as such you should tell them you want the results, fully !

I am sure you will know how to phrase it........ :twisted:

 

[fergus]

Val, you're doing brilliantly! You deserve an A+, and your DN would be lucky to scrape a D-. :evil:
Your HbA1c is headed in the right direction and already represents a significant increase in your chances of avoiding future complications. Your cholesterol by comparison is a total irrelevance. In fact, if your DN thought to actually check the data, she'd find that 5.5 is around the optimum level for women in terms of reducing the risk of death from all causes.
As for tomatoes not causing a rise in bg, what on earth does she think they're made from, Scotch mist?! That sort of incompetence is shameful in anyone pretending to be a professional.
Sigh...

All the best,

fergus

 

[valattrevear]

Guys [and gals]. suddenly the sun is shining again, and those Hobnobs seem unimportant :lol: [I should coco],Thank you all so much
Val

 

[goji]

....if your DN thought to actually check the data, she'd find that 5.5 is around the optimum level for women in terms of reducing the risk of death from all causes.
fergus

Fergus - do you have any links that state that - it might be good evidence for me to take next time my GP goes on about statins.

Val - your DSN sounds like a nightmare. Don't listen to her, you are doing brilliantly and it's wrong of her to put a dampener on your efforts.

 

[valattrevear]

Thank you goji and everyone for your much needed support
Val

 

[hanadr]

Val
Ask your DSN what a non-diabetic HbA1c is( if she should happen to know , it's between about 4.2% and 5.5% with an average at 5.1%) then ask her why your target should be any higher than that. there's nothing she can say that would be logical to say yours should be higher.
Hana

 

[valattrevear]

Thank you Hana, I am always grateful to have another weapon in my armoury when trying to deal with these muttonheads! By the way, are you feeling better today?
Val

 

[fergus]

Hi goji,

I don't have a web link as such, but the data comes from the Conference on Low Blood Cholesterol and Mortality in 1992. It included data on half a million men and 125,000 women and showed the lowest risk of death (0.96 relative risk) at a cholesterol level of 5.4. As cholesterol levels fell, the risk of death rose (1.1 relative risk at cholesterol level of 3.5).
I hope that helps and that any woman being prescribed statins asks to see the evidence that they save lives in women. They don't!

All the best,

fergus

 

[Spiral]

http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/menoexcerpt.asp?id=65

A link to my oracle on womens health "Our Bodies, Ourselves"

What you need to bear in mind is that normal = male in health. Women are not like men.

 

[cugila]

Women are not like men.

:lol: :lol: :lol: You can say that again...... :shock: That's if we are allowed.

(Please note this is not sexist, racist, or any other 'ist. Just a bit of banter ?)

 

[Celtic.Piskie]

It's basic biology.
With the extended breast tissue comes a different brain and physiology

Personally the better option, but i'm biased :lol:

Your Hba1c is going in the right direction. That is a very very good change !!

Your cholesterol maybe a little high, fair enough she doesn't want you to have a heart attack.
But, if she won't give you what you need to help yourself, then she is an idiot.

 

[RPNKW]

Hi

I have a wonderful approach to various healthcare bods. I avoid them. Haven't seen my DSN for nearly a year. Gave up on the dietician for reasons I will explain.

Now this is NOT good advice and due to recent issues I will have to re-engage with various medicos soon but it's a question of balance.

I was doing really well with weight etc but you can't live your life as a full time diabetic as most of us have a life outside being some health professionals chemistry set.

I stopped testing so much as it is a pain in the a@@# , normally had good control even when my weight went up again.

What got me was the dietician who used to roll her eyes when I put a couple of pounds on. She then gave me an "ideal" weight which would have made me look utterly gaunt. She said I would live longer but I don't want to go to my grave aged 90 odd looking like a skeleton and feeling as miserable as sin. She would then moan at me getting BM readings of 3.9 mmol "It's too low youre doing something wrong" followed by "Your are putting on too much weight youre doing something wrong, it'll go high and damage you£. She also had a session where she played a "Guess which foods have carbs" and looked very gleeful when I got something wrong.She also said according to her I should be on statins as my cholesterol was high when I was in hospital. I started looking forward to our meetings like someone would look forward to root canal surgery with a black and decker and an auger bit so I got demoralised and I gave up.

To be fair my DSN was down to earth as they come and critiscised the diet lady but I gave up on her after not going for a HBA1c for a month-then 2-then 3.

Although you should not follow my example you should give yourself a break, you seem do be doing wonderfully. Don't let yourself become a medics biochemistry project, you are a human and a darned good one by the sounds of things not a collection of chemicals and enzymes on a chart for someone to play with.If they nag you too much remind them that ultimately this will demoralise you and you will stop seeing them and therefore their hoped for "Positive outcome" which please their bosses will not happen. Might make them think about their approch and if your DN persists in being bad speak to your GP or the hospital about a change in personel.

Again don't be like me (I am having a rethink about my "Off the grid" status by the way) but definately remind them that they don't have to live this and they need to empower and not demoralise you. Keep up the good work!

RPNKW