general questions

Perhaps you SHOULD check your sugar levels to find out if the tiredness and the feeling poorly after desert is connected to your blood glucose levels.
Personally I feel tired when my levels are a bit high, but I feel ill after eating cream and my BGs are normal - so I do not eat cream.

Its quite common for doctors to virtually ignore type 2's and say you don't need to monitor. After following their advice, and things went pear shaped, I would say test your self though getting a meter is not a problem as plenty of suppliers will give you one free which come with 10 test strips to get you going.

The problem for some is getting test strips on perscription is the problem. After learning the hard way how are you meant to know whats going on and what food affects you the best or the worst. My practice only tests the HbA1c once a year unless you report any problems.

If you can afford it just get the cheapest meter you can find at the local chemist. Then if you ring the surgery and ASK for the specific testing strips you need they may well prescribe them.
Telling you that you do not need to test is advice only (it is cheaper for the NHS in the short term) the official NICE recommendation is that Type 2s should be prescribed a meter and testing strips for the first year.
Simply, your doctor would rather treat you with expensive drugs that permit you a cheap method of self treatment. Its the way they are trained, they have fairly low opinions of the general public and think understanding the condition of Diabetes is beyond most of us.