First appointment with diabetic nurse

[enzina]

Hi all again,

I hope you are all in good spirits and life looks good.


I just came back from a very disappointing first appointment with the diabetic nurse. She was mainly just reading from a script on her screen. :roll: She just asked if i knew about diabetes and went on with her monologue. I gave up the discussion about the advantages of self testing, she just told me how expensive the strips are. Of course i told her, i wanna be able to find out, which types of food i can or cannot eat. She just told me, i'm testing obsessive.

The funny thing is, i'm still using my own strips! I bought many of Ebay and have not even started using prescribed ones.

I was in so good spirits before i got there because my levels are now between 6-8 most of the time. Just 8 days ago they were between 25-30....

I was just expecting a little credit for my achievement. It never fails to amaze me, which power HCA (Healthcare assistants) in England are having.

Anyway, at least she gave me an appointment with a podiatrist in the surgery and booked an eye test.

She said, not my regular GP but another one will treat the diabetes in the surgery. :roll:

I told her, i felt like she couldn't get me out of the surgery fast enough. I also told her, i don't wanna go on a Desmond course and don't wanna have her help as dietician at all. This all is just getting me more down. My diet works, thanks to you all i found a way, i could get my levels down quickly. Otherwise they would still be sky rocketing.

Can anyone understand this please?

Irene

 

[noblehead]

Irene,

I understand how you must feel, ashame she couldn't have been more caring and appreciated the hard work you have put in so far.

Nigel

 

[hanadr]

These medical "experts" can be so frustrating, when they know hardly anything. I would ask her about her qualifications. She may not have anything. She may just be a practice nurse who was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. She SHOULD have at least completed the Warwick course. If she hasn't, ask to see someone who has,or ask to be referred to the clinic at the hospital. Her behaviour is unacceptable. She obviously doesn't understand living with diabetes and doesn't have the humility to learn
Hana

 

[Reetpetite]

Hi Enzina

So sorry you had a bad experience with your diabetic nurse - I had my first meeting with my DN back in September last year and although she was very nice and tried to be helpful it was obvious that she didn't know very much. However, she listened to what I was doing - ie testing regularly and eating low-carb and, of course, I told her about this forum and how much it had helped me especially in the early months. I also told her about the books I had bought so that I could understand more and take responsibility for myself and she was very supportive - even to the point of asking if she could 'borrow' a couple of the books - which she still has!!

I am due to see her again shortly - so I hope the books have been helpful and she has learnt a great deal more than when I first saw her. Unfortunately, it seems that most DN's 'sing from the same songbook' and they don't get very good or enough training.

It seems you are on the right track with your levels coming down so keep up the good work - you are doing great.

Rita

 

[Robbie34]

Sorry to hear about your experience, but not all DNs are like that. My DN is excellent, and has looked after me really well.

I have recently been taken off Metformin because I have impaired renal function. I was prescribed an increased dose of Gliclazide - four per day instead of just one - and my BG went sky high and I put on four pounds in weight. My DN recommended Victoza, which I commenced yesterday, and one Gliclazide per day. My levels have come down and I feel fine. Hope this continues.

I have an appointment to see the DN next Thursday to see how I'm doing. She also asked me to check my BG each day and enter it in a diary that she gave me.

 

[dragongirl]

I too felt the DN was reading off a screen and telling me the ropes according to the NHS. After a while (ie when I took myself back for my first hba1c - no one invited me!) I demanded to see my GP even though the receptionist said a nurse could take the blood. I then told my GP that I felt I'd seen three people in three months (GP, then nurse for tests, then DN on dx) and that I felt I was falling between the cracks and no one would know what the other had said or been told. I said I wanted to stay in her care only, and she agreed! She did say the DN was better trained in DB, but I said that since I wasn't following the DN's advice, that was irrelevant. Decide what you want and try and insist that it happens. It will all be down to you anyway but it's nice if you can find someone at the surgery who is supportive and who knows and cares what happens to you. Good luck. You're doing brilliantly and at least you can take the credit for your improvement.
DG

 

[enzina]

Thanks for all your replies. By reading a lot on this forum i was half expecting such an experience anyway.
I get really angry by thinking, she wasn't even asking how i feel today or how i'm coping or what the levels are...

Dragongirl, you are right: too many people 'involved' already and this is just confusing.

On Monday i have an appointment with my regular GP because of the spinal condition. I'm still having pain after the surgery three month ago but can manage. What really concerns me, is the pins and needles feeling in hands, feet and sometimes elbow. The right knee is numb. I can manage that all but would like to know what's the cause of this? The arthritis in spine and neck, consequences of the operation or could it be because of the diabetes?

I know, i will get slaughtered but....i'm still smoking.

 

[alison2345]

Hi Enzina

I am sorry you had a bad time with your diabetic nurse, doesn't give you much confidence to go in the future!

My GP wants me to test my sugar levels so I can find out which foods affect my readings. He told me I will get them on free prescriptions and even sent me to the nurse for a free meter. Are you in the UK? Are you on medication?

 

[enzina]

Hi Alison,
Yes, i'm in the UK. The thing is, the GP prescribed the strips to me but the nurse said, i'm testing too much! I'm trying to diet control the diabetes. The doc said, we try for 3 month diet only.

 

[Synonym]

Hi Irene

Sorry you had such an experience with your DN – all horribly predictable. It is as well you had been on this forum and known it was possible. :roll:

If the different doctor in your practise is in the same mould as the one in ours he won’t know anything anyway! Mine confessed that he knows nothing about diabetes - and I wish I had thought to ask what he intends doing about that. :shock: :evil:

Get your GP to refer you to the hospital where you will probably get on much better. I go to my local hospital where the team are brilliant and are happy to provide continuing care, thank goodness.

In the meantime keep doing what you are doing since you are getting the numbers down and your condition under control – and you have done it all yourself! 8)

 

[enzina]

Hi Synonym,

Wow, your GP is unbelievable :roll: Mine knows about diabetes but is not dealing with it, have an appointment with another GP next week. That all really gets so complicated. :|

I just remember, the DN also asked me if i'm using English or Continental numbers for my readings. :roll: That insulted me and showed me, she doesn't take me and my monitoring serious at all.

 

[Cowboyjim]

Sorry to hear about your experience but don't worry you're not alone... mine is OK and that's about it. I am appalled but what can you do.... come here and find the real gen!

 

[Synonym]

She obviously didn't realise what a difference there is between them OR she couldn't believe how well you have done! :roll:

 

[dinosaur]

i am at canvey healthcare clinic and my diabetes nurse is fantastic never in a hurry will answer any question , checks everything everytime/talks to me about medication increases and decreases /diet/weight/etc etc. and takes min of 15 min every 4 months or so with me.



on the other hand when she is on holiday i get one of the doctors , who read the screen , call out the results , barley looking at you and you are shunted out 90 secs later , before i realised they have not taken blood pressure or even gave me the form or date for my next HB1AC or your cholesterol /thyroid etc etc results.

now if my nurse is not available i wait until she is.

i also get called in once a year to a different diabetes specialist for a general overview of my health and how my diabetes is under or out of control.

my brother in law was diagnosed 2 years ago , gets his repeat medication and to this day has never had a letter or been asked by phone to come in for eye/feet/hb1ac tests in 2 years.

he is with dagenham healthcare in outer london.

so it seems like pot luck what nurse /doctor you get and what health care trust you live in to how you will be treated .

 

[manu]

Hi enzina,
As synonym has already suggested, you should ask to be referred to a hospital/diabetic clinic! If you are not comfortable with your DN, then you'll feel like you're getting no support at all. If I were you, I would make a fuss with your GP, especially after the "continental" readings :shock:

I was luckily referred to a hospital clinic from the start, but when I went to my GP for prescriptions, he told me I had to be referred to their DN (and take all the tests *again* within the practice)! Thing that I really didn't want since I am more than happy with the nurses and doctors from the clinic, especially because they're very competent and they also have drop in sessions, where I can turn up whenever I need help. Well in the end I managed to be followed in the hospital clinic

I hope you can sort everything out because living with diabetes is not easy and you need all the support you deserve, especially at the start!!!

manu

 

[cavelioness]

I am supposed to get half hour with the dn once a year I dont like her and feel that the feeling is mutual as last time I was there she could barely listen to me and told me that I needed to go onto medication as I was bound to take up the bad eating habits that had excellerated me into diabetes. It always feels so rushed then she says my doctor wants to see me regarding my medication .....so with my heart in my boots I go in and she says that looking at my results there is no need to be medicating so will sign off now as off to the land of permanent confusion :?: