How were you told?

[Kentoldlady1]

I have just seen apost from a new member who was told she was t2d by the gp receptionist. I was told in a phone call and told to make an appointment, which was for 4 weeks later.

It seems to me that such a huge bit of life changing information should perhaps be given face to face, by someone who can answer some immediate concerns and provide some basic info and not leave us to flounder about on our own.

I appreciate that those of us who are told in this way are quite lucky. We have not ended up in a and e, as t1ds, or t2ds in life threatening situations. And I am really grateful about that. But I went into full headless chicken mode for a week and only ate bananas (yes, I thought they were good for me) until I found this site.

I suppose in the end it has worked out ok for me. But like most on here I am fairly pro active. What about all the people who are told in that way and dont bother to look, because if the gp so obviously doesn't think its a big deal so why should they?
Or they are not computer savvy and just dont know how to access information?

Just curious to know if anyone has had a good experience. I was certainly given the impression that t2d was of no big importance.

 

[NoKindOfSusie]

Guy walks into room.

Guy says "Hello Ms. Notsusie, we have the test results back and I'm sorry to say that we can confirm the diagnosis of type one diabetes. The nurse will be along in a few minutes to take some blood."

Guy walks out of room.

 

[Hammer1964]

I went to my doctors because I had been having excruciating headaches for a few days and I was diagnosed with sinusitis and costochronditus, two weeks later I went back as still feeling really poorly and I begged the nurse to take blood tests, she checked it there and then and said I think you are a bit diabetic your blood sugar is 22! I left the surgery with medication and nothing else!

 

[novorapidboi26]

I in fact wasn't actually told, it was just silently assumed that I was now type one diabetic.....

I was actually involved with a diabetes study at the time, which was to run for a number of years and I was in to the study a year at that time.....

Being 15 at diagnosis meant I personally had other things on my mind but my parents soon clocked on to all the tell tale signs that they had previously seen with my younger brother....

 

[Deleted Account]

I went to the doctor because I was peeing lots.
Doctor told me about other symptoms I apparently had (which I didn't) and told me I had a UTI. Gave me antibiotics.
Two weeks later, symptoms still the same but none the doc had imagined. I saw a different doc who suggested a urine test just in case it was diabetes. Said it probably was but took a blood test to send off to lab.
Next day, saw diabetes nurse at hospital, type 1 was confirmed and I was given my bag of goodies.

With the exception of the first doctor, my experience was very good.

 

[oh_dear_me]

I had a phone call while I was away on holiday telling me my blood test result after a routine health check had come back as very high and that I was probably diabetic. When I asked what I should do I was told to make an appointment as soon as I got home and to "not eat any sugar" on holiday! Some holiday that was...I was terrified to eat anything!

 

[Kentoldlady1]

Guy walks into room.

Guy says "Hello Ms. Notsusie, we have the test results back and I'm sorry to say that we can confirm the diagnosis of type one diabetes. The nurse will be along in a few minutes to take some blood."

Guy walks out of room.

I was under the very mistaken impression that t1ds were given more info on dx. That is appalling. Did you have to work.it out by yourself? How long until you had some actual help?

 

[chalup]

I went to the doctor at age 37 because my cycles had stopped. Not pregnant so did hormone tests. When I went for results I got "You are in full menopause and by the way you are diabetic" Needless to say that was a very bad day.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I had my routine blood tests (for the over 60's as it was at the time), with no symptoms of anything.

A couple of days later I had an outpatients appointment with an oncologist. She looked at her screen, saw the results of my routine blood tests, and said "Oh I see you are diabetic". I replied that I was not. She then said she was an oncologist not an endocrinologist but told me to see my GP.

I phoned the surgery and was told by the receptionist a letter had been sent asking me to have another set of bloods taken. (It hadn't arrived). The receptionist made me an immediate appointment for these bloods, after which I was given an appointment with a nurse who confirmed I was diabetic. I asked her which type. She said Type 2. I asked how she knew. She said because if I were Type 1 I would have presented with a lot of symptoms and been poorly. At least she didn't say because I was fat!

 

[lovinglife]

Was admitted to hospital as an emergency with another condition and was diagnosed then - to be honest at the time it was the least of my worries so the impact was minimal - hospital were great and I got lots of attention from diabetes team, they even wanted to keep me in 2 more days to make sure I was confident in what I was doing politely declined lol

 

[Diabeticliberty]

I was told by the chemist who had looked after from being a little lad. I was diagnosed at 19. My idiot GP had given me a prescription which the chemist tore up and flatly refused to supply the drugs on it for the condition that my GP had completely messed up with. My chemist sent me back to my doctor and 5 minutes after walking back into the surgery I was on my way to hospital for intravenous insulin. Rather curiously the part I found difficult was when I was allowed a cup of tea at 10.00pm that night. The auxiliary nurse refused the 3 sugars I requested in my tea and said get used to it blue eyes. No more Tate And Lyle for you my boy.

 

[videoman]

At the age of 14 and losing wieght very fast,I was told to go to the hospital in Bangor N/Wales. I went with my farther and as soon as I walked in I was told ,You have Diabetes and would require injections for the rest of my life;and at the time I hated needles. I was injected by a nurse for two days to get my sugars in control and evey time I was told " you have to do this yourself" On the third day I was given a prefilled glass syringe and I was told inject it your selve if you want to live,A bit hard but was the best advice I was given and I have lasted till now and I am 71 and no seriuos problems

 

[Resurgam]

I was due a thyroid check - to see if the Thyroxine dose was right.
Somehow the test was mislabeled - it was done at the clinic rather than the hospital, by a nurse I had not seen before. I was contacted by my doctor a week later and told to come in ten days after that, told I was diabetic given a prescription and that was that.
The tablets made me ill so I stopped taking them.
Later on I was sent to diabetes education sessions - too late, I had already sorted out the problem. Later still I was sent an appointment for eye test and later still the nurse checked my feet, by which time I was no longer diabetic, not even prediabetic.
I have not seen my doctor since, but was asked to go in to see another doctor from another practice who tried to get me to take statins.
I have had two more tests for Hba1c and cholesterol, but still have no idea if my Thyroxine level is correct, despite asking about it each time blood was taken.

 

[TooSweetForMe]

I almost passed out at work one Saturday AM. Went to ER, BGL was over 700 and was told I was T2 insulin-dependent Stayed in hospital for 3 days and given lots of goodies to take home and use/read.

 

[archersuz]

In July I was sent a letter inviting me to go for a blood test because I had had gestational diabetes 22 years ago. The receptionist phoned a week after the blood test, told me I probably had progressive diabetes, to make an appointment for another blood test in 4 weeks time, and to make an appointment with my GP for a week after the second test. When I had the 2nd blood test the nurse told me to 'reduce portion size'. I then saw the GP and was told I do have T2. 'Reduce portion size' is the only 'official' advice I have been given so far as I am still waiting for my DESMOND course. I do however rely on this website and especially the forums for brilliant advice and support.

 

[MikeTurin]

Received a letter from blood bank with exam blood results and a note saying that I had to repeat the test because either they have messed up the sample or I could have some condition.
Repeated the tests, received another letter with the advice to go to the GP.
GP said that maybe I was diabetic and sent me to the specialist.

 

[Hammer1964]

In July I was sent a letter inviting me to go for a blood test because I had had gestational diabetes 22 years ago. The receptionist phoned a week after the blood test, told me I probably had progressive diabetes, to make an appointment for another blood test in 4 weeks time, and to make an appointment with my GP for a week after the second test. When I had the 2nd blood test the nurse told me to 'reduce portion size'. I then saw the GP and was told I do have T2. 'Reduce portion size' is the only 'official' advice I have been given so far as I am still waiting for my DESMOND course. I do however rely on this website and especially the forums for brilliant advice and support.

Archersuz, I was diagnosed in April 2017, I have had my eyes checked and my feet but no Desmond course offered. A friend of mine (same town, doctor and T2) had eyes checked on Desmond course but no foot check!

 

[delmcp]

I was serving down the South Atlantic (Nov 14) and was feeling really tired, urinating frequently. So I popped myself of the the medical centre. The took my bloods, urine sample, ECG and blood pressure. Went back two days later for the results, Bloods and blood pressure was high and glucose in my urine ECG was OK. Was not given any medication and told to watch what I ate. Diagnosis Type 2.
1 month later sent back to UK put on metformin, lisinopril and statins.
Nov 15 started loosing loads of weight no matter what i ate to try and gain weight.
Feb 16 went back to Dr not feeling to well, he made an appointment for diabetic clinic first referral since diagnosis of Type 2.
Appointment with clinic Mar 16 bloods taken, two days later contacted by consultants secretary they required me back in to the clinic in the hospital was re-diagnosed Type 1 and put straight on MDI.

 

[Grateful]

I had a routine annual medical. A few days later, a snail-mailed letter arrived. It was a single-sheet computer printout showing my blood and urine "numbers." Alongside the BG numbers, my doctor had scrawled:

"Your HbA1C results show that you have developed diabetes. Make an appointment to discuss."

He did not say what kind of diabetes I had, and strangely, the print-out did not actually list my HbA1C (I later found out that this is because the doctor ordered it separately, after seeing my instantaneous BG numbers). Plus, of course, I did not know "HbA1C" from my elbow.

The earliest available appointment was 12 days later. Those have to be among the worst days of my life. My wife was outraged by this procedure.

Having said all of that: Once I actually got to see my doctor and we got the (diet-only) treatment under way, he was near-perfect. I do think he really should have picked up the phone before sending the letter, but it seems I am expecting too much.

 

[NoKindOfSusie]

I was under the very mistaken impression that t1ds were given more info on dx. That is appalling. Did you have to work.it out by yourself? How long until you had some actual help?

Depends what you mean by help. I got told a lot of things I already knew about fast and slow cabohydrates, glucose metabolism, and how to count carbs. I was a runner, I knew how the human fuel system works, I was already trying to eat properly and not eat too much carbohydrate, so what I basically got out of three days of on and off stuff was "avoid fast carbs, count carbs, divide by fifteen and inject before eating" (I am simplifying slightly...)

The mistake I made was that I hated that place and the people there so much that I asked if I could go to a nearer, smaller clinic instead, which has turned out to be rubbish.