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Diabetic Nurses - Discuss

My normal DN is lovely but pretty useless to be honest. Actually this is unfair, she gets me what I want/need, if I ask her for things like tests etc. She is very helpful, just isnt much help with advice.

My new DSN is kind, gives me loads of time, listens, and seems to know her stuff, I have her mobile number, I texted her my bgs in my book she gave me (because I was proud of myself hehe) and she called me about 7pm to discuss, spent ages on the phone with me, I very much doubt she was being paid to talk to me, she makes me feel like we are working together and I have an opinion that matters. I am very very happy and greatful to have her.
 

Our nurse is a real sweetheart. Maybe because she is a paediatric nurse. As to low carb - no, no one wants to hear about that, but mainly because my daughter is 10. I was more upset with a dietician who said a child must (?) consume 200 carbs per day. Our kid has a good appetite but honestly - 200 carbs? It’s way too much even for her.
 
they trained to do a job unsure whether their speciality is Diabetes though as people with Diabetes tend to know more about how their body reacts to certain things ie medication than they do lol but at the end of the day no need for them to be rigid and bossy types
 
My DN is a gem. She listens, does humour really well, is up-to-date and being mature shares my Luddite tendencies.
She also communicates well with my doctor and other health professionals and is not afraid to speak her mind.
A text or brief chat on the mobile helps sort out intermittent problems. She is also great with children and adolescents - so the child within forms part of the quest to make diabetes fun !!
 
My DSN is wonderful.

She was originally a dietitian but she understands that my brittle diabetes laughs at the rule books at all times. I have had snooty folk in the past but that was more at kid level.

She is happy to support whichever diet her patients want to follow. If a patient wants to be low or high carb or 30 odd grabs at each meal which is pretty standard then she will support them all the way, not mention other diets she is well aware I know about given I'm 20 years in, and does what she can for me. She treats me as a person rather than a diabetic statistic to be ticked off and dealt with and I will always adore her for that.
 
GPs at my surgery have nothing to do with diabetes support/management etc, it is given by a nurse. I see her once a year for HbA1c, BP check, weight. I am asked if I am still taking Novo Rapid & Levemir insulin, glances at my feet and off I go for another year. Absolutely useless!! I was discharged by the hospital 10 years ago and have self managed my diabetes by ignoring the nurse! It's brilliant if you have a good informed nurse to talk to, but not everyone has. I've been type 1 for 52 years + and have no complications. Phew! After a BIG battle I have succeeded in being referred back to the hospital to the care of a consultant. There are some brilliant diabetes nurses throughout the country and some very supportive GPs but not everyone has access to them. It is surely our right to be properly cared for
 
I adore my DSN, by far one of the best I've ever had. She listens and understands everything I've got to say and she's always there to lend a helping hand if I'm struggling. Between my consultant appointments, I go to see my DSN and she's always wonderful. I also have her number/email if I ever need to get in touch. Oh and an added bonus is she has the first same name as me which always is a good laugh when someone comes into the room with us
 
DSN at the hospital.....I really can't recall when I seen one last!!! I see a dietitian every 3 months who know a lot about diabetes and is lovely.
GP's DSN WOW!!!!! useless is been complimentary to her. I am seeing her tomorrow to discuss ketone test strips for my Libre..Its not going to go well lol. Must bite my tongue while there!!
 
It's more the dietitians that both fail to understand or listen.

An example, on a "course" for the Libre , I was asked to spot the carb levels for the lowest.........two I got wrong....an omelette the other was a cheesy thing.......Fair enough you might think........Except I had already said I don't eat Eggs, Cheese, generally meat(oh tomatoes,I'll get to that later)......the thought of an egg , or seeing one makes me vomit
So the carb value it has , to me of no consequence.......Yes that's me being narrow minded, but that's not the point....She never listened, and then became condescending

As for low BS .the last thing I need is someone trying to force a Tomato and Cheese sandwich down my throat, as has happened

As for reducing Carbs/Insulin levels as oppose to a low Carbs, not sure where I stand on that one regarding advise given, in the 9 months I've been trying it ...However being objective. I'd say I'm like a bear with a sore head(ie exceedingly high stress level)
 
I now have a new DN, my third in 5 years. She is young, interested and very well-informed. When impressed by my blood glucose control, I actually told her about LCHF, and she was prepared to listen. We also had some discussion about the responses of many of her other Type 2 diabetics, most of whom are unwilling to change their diet and or just want medication. This DN has taken over from a Health Care Assistant who clearly had little actual knowledge and was following a script at best.
 
Dr Snoddy said:
, most of whom are unwilling to change their diet and or just want medication.
Click to expand...
This is the narrative that I hear from a lot of HCP's (including my own doctors!) but as not a single one of them has ever suggested a dietary route to treatment then I fail to see how the poor patient would be in a position to make that decision..?
Dr Unwin manages to get almost all of his T2 patients to try dietary changes first before meds... I wonder if that is because he has the ability to communicate effectively with people and because he has been there and done it himself.
 
Consider yourselves lucky to be seen by a qualified Diabetes Specialist Nurse or indeed a GP. I have been coralled into having a blood draw and a review and neither appointment is with a DSN or GP. Both appts are with a HCA!

Left to my own devices and the way I feel today I would never have anything to do with HCPs ever again.
 
Better check your blood sugar!


*Moderator edit to remove quote of previously deleted post.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I do not see a diabetic nurse at my GP's, there used to be a sister there that did the diabetic testing years ago.

I can see a CDE that holds a clinic once a month there, who is pretty good. She explained a lot of stuff about T2 to me when I first saw her, and she never said a word when I told her that I was following a lchf lifestyle .
 
I see a few different nurses and all of them are lovely and caring and very encouraging . My surgery is fantastic no appointments we just walk in ask to see a doctor of our choice, sometimes we wait for a few hours but we get seen on the day we feel the need to see a doctor or nurse . Love it and feel very lucky to have such an amazing doctors surgery and nurses there .
 
'Wow. amazing. Regardless of type 1 or 2 or neither, I’d love to be able to say I’d done half of that.
 
I’ve seen my dn once at diagnosis 7 moths ago. She was great supported low carb, gave me a meter and a repeat for cassettes and foot cream. The GP I saw for another issue at the same time mention the diabetes and told me to eat in moderation and not to test as my fingers would get sore.

I understand the DN has been off on long term sick since. I’ve had two more blood tests since then, requested by me. No idea who signed off on them. No contact after either of them by the surgery. I have online access to results so know what’s happening but they’ve done nothing. No ones told me what to do next or when, ever. I’m going purely on what I see on here and asking the surgery for 3 monthly tests as a result. I had to chase the surgery for retinopathy which they had no idea about. I got it in the end. When I get to my 1 yr anniversary I’ll book an appointment. I hope the dn is back by then as she seems to be the only one with any idea.
 
Some damning reports. I hope these nurses and GPs read these threads.
 
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