Frustrated

[kareeta]

Hi everyone

Had my annual review today and I am so fed up. HBAIC in range as far as they are concerned at 7.8 I'm not over the moon but I have certainly been high enough over the last 90 days to warrant a rise. I asked the Doctor if there was anything else I could so to support my control , saying I was low carbing, taking supplements etc and explained my problem with rising BG on aerobic exercise. I told her I was concered as I had been monitoring my levels very carefully and noticing trends which include injecting more and more of background and bolus. I asked if she thought this would keep increasing and she said yes probably. No explanation but a suggestion to keep increasing my dosage. I tried to articulate how upsetting this was (not the injecting) but the lack of control and she just suggested I was depressed and therefore required a 'good' antidepressant. Declined thanks. Then suggested being stressed made me high by pushing cortisone levels up, I am no more stressed than usual, working mum , I feel as though they have no interest in my genuine concern.

I also enquired about Byetta, after reading though the forum extensively. Doc says I could have it no problem if I put 3 stones on!! Great motivation. She also said its primarily prescribed as a weight loss med , and not as I thought an aid to lowering BG.

Sorry, rant over. I feel rather invisible to the NHS today

Karen x

 

[andybeet]

Some possible ideas for you?

1. ask for an insulin pump so you can more quickly change background insulin when exercising.

2. with injections i found i dipped to much when exercising so i tried splitting my basal half morning half night time injection. It you exercising after work dont give morning basal so you have to eat less when exercising etc. gives you more freedom.

I done lots of exercise on both injections and now pump. The pump is 100% better but you can still make improvements on control with injections.

also i dont even talk to the doc about this cos i know he dont have a clue. get in touch with your local specialist nurse.

 

[kareeta]

Thanks Andybeet

It was the 'specialist' I spoke to. My problem is the constant highs never low. Have posted before about how off the scale exercising was making me despite trying variations of injecting before/after eating before/after.

I suppose I am just fed up. Haven't been this down for a bit and would just like a bit of consistent control.

Karen

 

[shedges]

Hi Karen,

In my experience, it is the specialist nurses who give the best care and advice. Doctors have a certain kind of knowledge, but are more concerned with making sure your general health is ok, all the numbers add up, etc. Last year, I too was recommended antidepressants when I told my consultant I was down about things.

On admitting (to myself) I was down I managed to work out it was a combination of a lack of diabetic control, plus other aspects of my life. Later that year I made a concerted effort to better my control with the help of the specialist nurses at the hospital where I am looked after. Do you have a large hospital unit where you can go for diabetic care? Or is there a specialist nurse at your surgery? I find their attitude and approach a lot more friendly and caring. They are there for the individual patient. They don't have to worry about budgets and costs so much.

The result of my going through the process is that I'm going to be using an insulin pump from January. That's 18 months after I first realised something was wrong, and it has only come around as a result of the nurses. They are fantastic as far as I'm concerned.

If you want any help, advice, or just want to let off steam, drop me a line.

Sam.

 

[kareeta]

Thanks Sam I would love to take you up on that, no-one other than a Type 1 can possibly understand why I am stressing. I ended up feeling like a hypochondriac yesterday. The Doc was just saying your HBAIC is fine so dont worry about the daily highs but of course I am worried and ashamed to admit I ended up in tears in the office because I felt she wasn't listening to me. I said I don't mean to sound like a difficult patient (in fact I am not - in 12 years I have only had one hosptial stay after a bad kidney infection hid the ketacidosis) I never ring and bother them about advice, the main info I get is from this forum which had been immense.

Ta again
Karen

P.S I'm really happy that you are getting sorted. Goes to show it can happen !

 

[sugar2]

Hi Karen,

Question....if you have a HbA1C of 7.8, and have constant highs...do you have constant lows to balance them out and reach a Hba1c of 7.8...or is it the fact that what you consider high..the consultant doesn't? I get really annoyed too, when I am told that my HbA1c is great...and I don't think it is...mine was 7.8 as well. I had big swings though...so my average was not so bad, but actually my control was awful!!

I was prescribed a pump, becasue I happened to tell a "new" Dr, that i had 3 hypos a day. Thsi was not new, the "old" dr was aware of it...but told me to raise my BG...which reduced the hypos, but made control even worse!

As Sam said, try the nurse? I am a working Mum too, so I guess in some ways our situations are similar. For me, it was a combination of getting lucky, and having a visiting consultant, plus the fact that I was so obviously trying my absolute hardest to control my diabetes...which you obviously are too.

There is no way you are a "bad patient"!

Take care

 

[kareeta]

Hi

I have few hypos but they are hard to counter when I do and it takes a lot of sugar to bring me back up. Its a rare occurance if I am ever under 10.0 but usualy I have at least 4 corrective doses a day to bring me down. This is why my HBAIC looks good on paper I guess, but I would like to not be so high in the first place!!

I think I will try another Doc or Nurse just to see if it makes a difference, fingers crossed. I'm not holding my breath though :?

That really is the most frustrating thing, when you are trying and failing constantly..

Glad you are doing much better and thanks for your help , it means a lot

Karen