My sister has been ill for three years. All her symptoms are totally uncharacteristic but she has been labelled by the NHS and cannot get help. I'm no expert but her diabetes blood tests look to me like something is going on but the doctors just don't follow anything up. These are the results:
27th July 2007 – ref 3.5 – 6.00 result was 6.4.
4th August 2008 – result: plasma glucose level OR 6.5 ref range 3.5 – 6 – fasting yes.
3rd September 2008 – plasma glucose level 6.0 - fasting yes reason for request raised glucose levels in previous test.
31 July 2009. Plasma glucose level –Result: Plasma Glucose level – OR 7.1 mmol/l reference range 3.5 – 6.00.
Not many tests because the Drs say this is nothing to worry about. Are they right or should she have had some addtional tests to follow up further?
She has severe burning, stabbing pains in feet, legs, thighs and back. Frequent urine infections. Urine results all say she does not drink enough but she insists she does. Always thirsty. High blood pressure but sometimes this drops to alarmingly low levels. High lipids. Low potassium. Tuning fork tests have worsened in the last year (no response now at thigh level but was at ankle level a year ago).
Two different opticians in a regular eye test have asked if she has diabetes and said this should be checked urgently - they appear mystified when my sister said her doctors have said no.
She is being dismissed as a time waster - but I know my sister and know this is definately not the case. She lived a normal life until three years ago when this first started.
My questions to all you kind people are these:
1. The blood test results above don't seem to be very much out of range - could she be diabetic and could these low figures cause such devastating results with pain etc?
2. Where can we go to get some definitive test results? Are there private consultants that will do all the tests properly so we can trust and be sure whether she really has got diabetes or not? She does not have private insurance so will have to pay. Her GP is so useless that I don't want to ask for a referral. She lives in Hampshire.
She is at her wits end and so is her family - any help is gratefully received.
27th July 2007 – ref 3.5 – 6.00 result was 6.4.
4th August 2008 – result: plasma glucose level OR 6.5 ref range 3.5 – 6 – fasting yes.
3rd September 2008 – plasma glucose level 6.0 - fasting yes reason for request raised glucose levels in previous test.
31 July 2009. Plasma glucose level –Result: Plasma Glucose level – OR 7.1 mmol/l reference range 3.5 – 6.00.
Not many tests because the Drs say this is nothing to worry about. Are they right or should she have had some addtional tests to follow up further?
She has severe burning, stabbing pains in feet, legs, thighs and back. Frequent urine infections. Urine results all say she does not drink enough but she insists she does. Always thirsty. High blood pressure but sometimes this drops to alarmingly low levels. High lipids. Low potassium. Tuning fork tests have worsened in the last year (no response now at thigh level but was at ankle level a year ago).
Two different opticians in a regular eye test have asked if she has diabetes and said this should be checked urgently - they appear mystified when my sister said her doctors have said no.
She is being dismissed as a time waster - but I know my sister and know this is definately not the case. She lived a normal life until three years ago when this first started.
My questions to all you kind people are these:
1. The blood test results above don't seem to be very much out of range - could she be diabetic and could these low figures cause such devastating results with pain etc?
2. Where can we go to get some definitive test results? Are there private consultants that will do all the tests properly so we can trust and be sure whether she really has got diabetes or not? She does not have private insurance so will have to pay. Her GP is so useless that I don't want to ask for a referral. She lives in Hampshire.
She is at her wits end and so is her family - any help is gratefully received.
