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Diabetes review at new practice

My GP refuses to accept my own BP readings, despite the fact that on record I have white coat hypertension and due to long term issues I have severe needle phobia and vaso vagal reaction to needle procedures, so he checked my blood pressure at our last meeting just after saying he needed more blood tests, and it was high. Then the nurse checked it after my last blood test, and it was 90/60.

I really like my GP and the staff at the practice so I'll let it slip for now, especially as the nurse who does diabetes checks and bloods is very understanding of my mental health and phobias, but the BP thing really irks me!
 
symmit said:
My GP refuses to accept my own BP readings, despite the fact that on record I have white coat hypertension and due to long term issues I have severe needle phobia and vaso vagal reaction to needle procedures, so he checked my blood pressure at our last meeting just after saying he needed more blood tests, and it was high. Then the nurse checked it after my last blood test, and it was 90/60.

I really like my GP and the staff at the practice so I'll let it slip for now, especially as the nurse who does diabetes checks and bloods is very understanding of my mental health and phobias, but the BP thing really irks me!
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Completely understandable. I have the same reaction to BP tests.
 
symmit said:
My GP refuses to accept my own BP readings, despite the fact that on record I have white coat hypertension and due to long term issues I have severe needle phobia and vaso vagal reaction to needle procedures, so he checked my blood pressure at our last meeting just after saying he needed more blood tests, and it was high. Then the nurse checked it after my last blood test, and it was 90/60.

I really like my GP and the staff at the practice so I'll let it slip for now, especially as the nurse who does diabetes checks and bloods is very understanding of my mental health and phobias, but the BP thing really irks me!
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Hi, I can really sympathise as I have some phobias concerning medical care after some "medical misadventures" in the past. I do not like the placement of an IV cannula but tbf the last few times have been OK. I still get anxious even when visiting a friend in hospital.

It may be that your GP is not allowed to accept BP readings from a home device? Or if it's his own hesitation then it could be due to a bad experience in the past maybe. Whatever the cause, I wonder if you can be offered a device to take home, such as ambulatory 24 hour monitoring? I know that's expensive and they probably just use those for diagnostic purposes though.
 
I feel for you!! My DN was one of the reasons i didnt attend for a couple of years. I took me a while to find a lovely nurse who wanted to know about me and how i deal with it and come up with solutions together. My old DN, and only being one year young in my T1 journey might i add, was a pain!! Spoke like she knew everything, made me feel stupid and that i didnt know my own body. One of the comments was, questioning why my sugars were so high after meal times (i was coming out honeymoon period so learning to adjust), another time i had gotten a cold for the first time and i felt repremanded for not having tight control - not once helping or giving me a plan to help combat this! It took me a few years to accept that we all need a DN and now i have found a fantastic lady whom i praise and thank everytime i see her!
 
vmhall93 said:
I feel for you!! My DN was one of the reasons i didnt attend for a couple of years. I took me a while to find a lovely nurse who wanted to know about me and how i deal with it and come up with solutions together. My old DN, and only being one year young in my T1 journey might i add, was a pain!! Spoke like she knew everything, made me feel stupid and that i didnt know my own body. One of the comments was, questioning why my sugars were so high after meal times (i was coming out honeymoon period so learning to adjust), another time i had gotten a cold for the first time and i felt repremanded for not having tight control - not once helping or giving me a plan to help combat this! It took me a few years to accept that we all need a DN and now i have found a fantastic lady whom i praise and thank everytime i see her!
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Hang on to her.
 
OMG That was absolutely surreal. Ashamed to say, first reaction Was to almost fall off the couch laughing so hard and thought it was part of a script for a comedy skit or an April Fools post. Loved the thyroid comment.

Second reaction. I just hope you have some way to change practitioners. I wouldn’t want to place my life in the hands of your current one. It sure makes me wonder how these people actually graduate. If the conversation had been with a student it might have made sense, but it wasn’t. That makes it scary. Is there some way to report this kind of “care” ? Not everyone is as intelligent about health issues as you are. This practitioner could hurt someone and really needs some remedial training.
 
Kailee56 said:
OMG That was absolutely surreal. Ashamed to say, first reaction Was to almost fall off the couch laughing so hard and thought it was part of a script for a comedy skit or an April Fools post. Loved the thyroid comment.

Second reaction. I just hope you have some way to change practitioners. I wouldn’t want to place my life in the hands of your current one. It sure makes me wonder how these people actually graduate. If the conversation had been with a student it might have made sense, but it wasn’t. That makes it scary. Is there some way to report this kind of “care” ? Not everyone is as intelligent about health issues as you are. This practitioner could hurt someone and really needs some remedial training.
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It's possible to assess a student HCP for the sort of flexible skills and bedside manner they will need in the job, and the same with job candidates, but often those assessing take the easy way out and measure knowledge more and other skills less. Often with disastrous results, as you say.

In general, the post-secondary school education system in your country and mine is not what it was "in my day" (get off my lawn! LOL).

As a patient I do not care what gender, background, or other personal attributes my HCP has, I just want them to be above the minimum level of safe and effective practice. Merit-only training and selection systems tend to be better at achieving this outcome, IMHO. It is also fairer to the HCP themselves, because everyone will know they achieved their role on merit.
 
@rockin67 we obviously have the same DN. Mine now insist that the annual review takes place on your birthday, if you cant make that date you have to wait until next year. Mine also tells me that I should follow the eat well guidelines and have meat, fish and carbs at every meal. :banghead::banghead: Every time I point out my HbA1c levels and the fact I am a life-long veggie :banghead:
 
Scimama said:
@rockin67 we obviously have the same DN. Mine now insist that the annual review takes place on your birthday, if you cant make that date you have to wait until next year. Mine also tells me that I should follow the eat well guidelines and have meat, fish and carbs at every meal. :banghead::banghead: Every time I point out my HbA1c levels and the fact I am a life-long veggie :banghead:
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Invite her to your party! She can tickle your feet and take your blood pressure while enjoying a wonderfull low carb vegetarian meal!
 
My DN has been replaced by a Health Care Assistant. My 30 minute annual review was completed in under 10 minutes and included comments such as 'I'm glad I don't have to tell you off'.
As my surgery allows access I looked up the record of our meeting. Half of it was a complete work of fiction!
 
Dr Snoddy said:
My DN has been replaced by a Health Care Assistant. My 30 minute annual review was completed in under 10 minutes and included comments such as 'I'm glad I don't have to tell you off'.
As my surgery allows access I looked up the record of our meeting. Half of it was a complete work of fiction!
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That's such poor practice! HCAs are able to do many tasks, but a skilled nursing assessment isn't one of them. What an insult to the nursing profession (and obviously, to patients.) I bet the nursing professional bodies and unions have had something to say about this.
 
Scimama said:
@rockin67 we obviously have the same DN. Mine now insist that the annual review takes place on your birthday, if you cant make that date you have to wait until next year. Mine also tells me that I should follow the eat well guidelines and have meat, fish and carbs at every meal. :banghead::banghead: Every time I point out my HbA1c levels and the fact I am a life-long veggie :banghead:
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Why would you want to waste your birthday? You have better things to do.
 
Dr Snoddy said:
My DN has been replaced by a Health Care Assistant. My 30 minute annual review was completed in under 10 minutes and included comments such as 'I'm glad I don't have to tell you off'.
As my surgery allows access I looked up the record of our meeting. Half of it was a complete work of fiction!
Click to expand...
At my last review I was told that my control and Hba1c (35) was very good but try not to let it get any lower! However we did not have the statin ‘chat’ so perhaps they’ve finally got the message that I will not take them.
 
Daphne917 said:
At my last review I was told that my control and Hba1c (35) was very good but try not to let it get any lower! However we did not have the statin ‘chat’ so perhaps they’ve finally got the message that I will not take them.
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Did you ask why? Might have been an interesting response; or, maybe, she really would have had no idea why she said that.
 
Jenny15 said:
That's such poor practice! HCAs are able to do many tasks, but a skilled nursing assessment isn't one of them. What an insult to the nursing profession (and obviously, to patients.) I bet the nursing professional bodies and unions have had something to say about this.
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Thanks, Jenny. I need to see the practice manager!
 
Scimama said:
@rockin67 we obviously have the same DN. Mine now insist that the annual review takes place on your birthday, if you cant make that date you have to wait until next year. Mine also tells me that I should follow the eat well guidelines and have meat, fish and carbs at every meal. :banghead::banghead: Every time I point out my HbA1c levels and the fact I am a life-long veggie :banghead:
Click to expand...

I can imagine the unenlightened approach, 'oh, one of these veggie types, silly fad diet, no, no dear you need potatoes and steak'.....:)
 
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