Have you been told not to test your blood sugars?

[Melgar]

100% agree. When you dish out bad advise and quite frankly dangerous advice like that they need reporting. In any other job, giving out incorrect advice would get you reprimanded. When patients well-being is at stake, too right report them. I walked out of my diabetes intro session, the session was full of incorrect dietry advice and they were somewhat condescending towards everybody, like we were 5 years old. I left and did not return.

 

[ATB123]

Was told by the GP practice nurse on receiving the holy CGM, that I didn't need to do finger pricks anymore. - since which time I've done just as many as before to control the CGM or to get a more rapid BG result. She needs offing and I've reported her to the GP.

It's odd advice. Even on the libre training they tell you you still need to check if there's a difference between how you feel and what the libre is telling you. My surgery is pretty good overall, I've been given a GlucoFix and new strips now as well as the Libre, had glucorx before but now I need to be able to check ketones too. I wonder why your surgery has said that, I would have thought it dangerous advice to rely solely on a cgm. Also for driving, you do have to take a meter in the car with you even if wearing a cgm. Sounds like your nurse needs a bit more education and you did the right thing.

 

[Jasmin2000]

It's odd advice. Even on the libre training they tell you you still need to check if there's a difference between how you feel and what the libre is telling you. My surgery is pretty good overall, I've been given a GlucoFix and new strips now as well as the Libre, had glucorx before but now I need to be able to check ketones too. I wonder why your surgery has said that, I would have thought it dangerous advice to rely solely on a cgm. Also for driving, you do have to take a meter in the car with you even if wearing a cgm. Sounds like your nurse needs a bit more education and you did the right thing.

It's one practice nurse who is stealing a living. She was my intro to Libre - she never mentioned the lag or interstitial fluid or checking the CGM against BG ans she write in my notes that I had agreed to "change to freestyle Libre from testing strips" - and that's before I had even tried out the Libre! Even now she still refers to the Libreview data as "blood glucose".

I suggested she get some more education on the Libre. She declined and went back to being an oxygen thief.

 

[Lainie71]

As I am a type 2 I have been told I don't need to test! However, I ignore what I am told generally. If I am told not to do something, I will do it! I test and self fund

 

[Jasmin2000]

As I am a type 2 I have been told I don't need to test! However, I ignore what I am told generally. If I am told not to do something, I will do it! I test and self fund

It's a sad refection of the quality of UK GP practices in general. Fortunately, the majority of DSNs at the hospital level are competent and helpful.

 

[Lainie71]

It's a sad refection of the quality of UK GP practices in general. Fortunately, the majority of DSNs at the hospital level are competent and helpful.

Yes my DN knows not to rattle me know lol

 

[ATB123]

It's one practice nurse who is stealing a living. She was my intro to Libre - she never mentioned the lag or interstitial fluid or checking the CGM against BG ans she write in my notes that I had agreed to "change to freestyle Libre from testing strips" - and that's before I had even tried out the Libre! Even now she still refers to the Libreview data as "blood glucose".

I suggested she get some more education on the Libre and even offered to give (I'm a jr. clinician in a gestational diabetes ward at the Hospital where we use Libre's a lot). She declined and went back to being an oxygen thief.

It's so variable isn't it. At our surgery we have one diabetes nurse who is pretty good. Then we have one who is the exact opposite and is bad, very bad, in that she doesn't seem to have any knowledge at all. I've now been told by the good nurse, that if I have any problems with my insulin or diabetes, I'm to ring the surgery and request to speak with either her or my Gp, who happens to have specialised in diabetes. They must know how bad she is to have said that!

 

[cornylady]

By the time I actually got to see the DN I had made the decision to self fund a libre2 (T2) and had over a weeks data. During our appointment she never mentioned testing till I brought it up at the end and said I had a CGM and offered to show her the data. Her response was she had never seen one except in her training. I found the whole experience very frustrating - including the poor advice on diet. I was scheduled to see the GP a few days later. I did tell them it was not a positive experience but I don't think they wanted to listen, although the GP was much better and supported my approach of wanting to manage the T2 with diet rather than medication. I have been unendingly grateful to find this forum. It has helped me so much. I am currently 2 months in and predicted HbA1c on CGM is now 38 compared to my starting point of 55. I know that is only a guide but I've seen my numbers improve over the weeks and feeling much more confident in what I am doing, thanks to this group.
Also to add - the DN was not new and actually had a student in with her, so she was training someone else!

 

[Pandemonium]

This is not about whether the NHS should, or can afford to, provide test strips on a permanent or temporary basis to non-T1 diabetics. Having read #EveryCloud ’s post, and so many more like it over the years on this forum, I wonder whether we could gather together examples of Healthcare Professionals who have told people that it is either unnecessary or just plain wrong to test their blood sugars. It is a scandal that needs highlighting.

I was diagnosed last week and told not to test.
The nurse basically told me I have type 2 diabetes, go for 50g of carbs per meal, and see her again in 3 months for more blood tests.
I came away feeling totally confused and wondering how I'm going to manage this disease. Then I messaged my surgery and insisted on needing a monitor as I'm feeling so awful, I need to learn what is making me feel so ill. I've been given a monitor but been told I need to supply my own strips and needles etc.

 

[jjraak]

I was diagnosed last week and told not to test.
The nurse basically told me I have type 2 diabetes, go for 50g of carbs per meal, and see her again in 3 months for more blood tests.
I came away feeling totally confused and wondering how I'm going to manage this disease. Then I messaged my surgery and insisted on needing a monitor as I'm feeling so awful, I need to learn what is making me feel so ill. I've been given a monitor but been told I need to supply my own strips and needles etc.

Par for the course it seems in far too many surgeries.

If I had my way, the "Come back later" part of those conversations would include an overview of Ways to manage T2D, that INCLUDED a link to this site & a recommendation to read up on the success many have on a more informed LCHF diet.

Be interesting to see how the lchf adoptees faired against those who follow the more traditional Eatwell die-t.

Either way, a welcome to the forum from a fellow survivor of that first skirmish with indifference of the system to T2D .

And a Gold star for finding the forum so quickly.


Best wishes on your journey back to better BG levels.

 

[Taighnamona]

By the time I actually got to see the DN I had made the decision to self fund a libre2 (T2) and had over a weeks data. During our appointment she never mentioned testing till I brought it up at the end and said I had a CGM and offered to show her the data. Her response was she had never seen one except in her training. I found the whole experience very frustrating - including the poor advice on diet. I was scheduled to see the GP a few days later. I did tell them it was not a positive experience but I don't think they wanted to listen, although the GP was much better and supported my approach of wanting to manage the T2 with diet rather than medication. I have been unendingly grateful to find this forum. It has helped me so much. I am currently 2 months in and predicted HbA1c on CGM is now 38 compared to my starting point of 55. I know that is only a guide but I've seen my numbers improve over the weeks and feeling much more confident in what I am doing, thanks to this group.
Also to add - the DN was not new and actually had a student in with her, so she was training someone else!

Re your predicted A1c. My Libre also predicted 38 and my actual turned out to be 41. Very happy with that.