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Hospital appointment What to ask

S

Smiler99

Well-Known Member
Messages
174
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Needles
I have recently been diagnosed with type1 end of August
I went through the shock tears and all emotions, one of my family thought I should be on anti depression tablets personally I just need time to get over the shock
So I have a appointment on 19th with diabetics team, what do I ask? Or what should I expect?
 
Glad that your are in the system at least and can make use of the time.
To expect:
Routinely you will get blood test for hba1c (your average bg readings), blood lipids, liver function etc. plus urine sample for kidney function .
They should ask how your feet and eyes checks are (you will be on an annual check )
They won't be expecting complications but the aim of these tests is to sport the possible complications and help you prevent them.
They may ask:
How much insulin are you using (basal and bolus)?
What are your readings for blood gulucose? Traditionally these were logged in a paper diary but the blood testing tech is getting better enabling more spohisticated ways of reading bgs and of analysing the results.
To this point you could ask about Freestyle libre (NHS provided flash glucose monitoring) particularly if you are good at counting carbs etc. but still suffer frequent lows or play a lot of sport etc. The funding for these things is rationed so you need to be a little pushy!
For practical support re dosing you may find the diabetic nurse is the best person so come armed with a list of when you are struggling and be aware that none of us do this perfectly after decades of type 1.
 

Hi there and welcome, I agree with Nicole above. How have you been doing since diagnosis, what is your current routine, how have your numbers been, have any specific issues cropped up? If you are able to tell us that it might help us to help you with some questions to ask the hospital. Of course you are depressed at such a diagnosis, that's natural when you've suddenly been told you have a life changing condition. I am glad you have recognised that there is a grieving process following this and it does not automatically mean that you should be on anti depressant tablets. I wonder how your family thought you should be reacting to this, families mean well but nobody knows what it's like unless they are the ones experiencing it.
 
At a hospital clinic appointment, they are also likely to weigh you. If you have scales at home, it might be worthwhile checking your weight before you go. Hospital scales can be massively inaccurate or spot on. Most recently-diagnosed type 1 people tend to put back any weight they have lost pretty rapidly, so you may find your weight has increased.
I think we can all understand why you have been feeling down. There would be something seriously wrong with anyone who thought a type 1 diagnosis was good news. Try to ignore people who aren't helpful in what they say or do. Living with type 1 is not always straightforward, but you will get better at managing things. Good luck.
 
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Please be assured that things will get better. Stay on this forum for support and valuable information on all aspects of life with Type1.
 
I have had my blood done 4 or 5 times for my kidney function and so on this is with a diabetes consultant
 
It was my partner family member I don't have a family network, your right about the grieving process I am okay now I have had good readings
Thank you
 
Smiler99 said:
I have had my blood done 4 or 5 times for my kidney function and so on this is with a diabetes consultant
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That's one less test to get done then. I would expect next lot to be 3-6 months but worth checking what to expect and best of luck with the consultant.
 
NicoleC1971 said:
That's one less test to get done then. I would expect next lot to be 3-6 months but worth checking what to expect and best of luck with the consultant.
Click to expand...
Thank you
 
Welcome to the forum

Yes it's a huge shock and with it comes many emotions, grief, depression, anger, denial, all of these can be experienced together or alone in stages as you process the information and learn to adapt but the most important one is the acceptance stage, which is where you start to adopt the behaviours required to cope with type 1 and living with the condition. It's a bumpy road so don't be afraid to ask for help or support ever, your nurse will hold your hand through the early days too so it's good to keep a blood glucose diary and track doses and glucose readings so any patterns can be identified and acted on if adjustments to insulin dosing is required. We do become the experts in our condition though, living with this 24/7 means you're in the driving seat as you can see what's going on so it's important you communicate well with your team. I remember very well my diagnosis so happy to help with any questions
 
Hi @Smiler99, being diagnosed as T1 shocked me rigid, sent me raging at people, crying and generally being and feeling horrible. Then when I realised that the diagnosis was actually a good thing. I understood there was a problem and started to get to grips with it, insulin and food. It isn't easy all the time but I've gone back to my normal nice person now. Glad to hear you're stabilising.

Others have covered what to expect

What to ask really depends on what you want to know but I'd want to ask about
1. Blood glucose control: has it HbA1c gone up/down, is it in an acceptable range?
2. Getting on a DAFNE course
3. The possibility of getting Freestyle Libre

This forum helped me a lot
 
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