I just had a phone call...

Gosh @Chook that was a bit unfair and makes no sense whatsoever. Well done for defending your regime and I’m sure in a calm way. Its enough to make you hopping mad! Hope you still get your strips as you rightly said a small expense compared to the financial cost of insulin or complications. Why is it we can see that and they cant?

You should show them this....
https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/low-carb-program/#
No doubt there are other better references.

It's utterly insane....

Nothing grinds my gears more than people asking questions and then arguing with the answers. That call wouldn’t have lasted long if it were me.

Hi Chook
Sorry this happened to you, it's terrible how diabetics are treated.
Take care

Ignorance. Pure and simple. No wonder there's a diabetic epidemic at large when our front line medical workers only excel at prescribing drugs and aren't scientists (which they are and should be.) Well done you on holding your cool and explaining the science.

Send your GP this link: http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/clinica...b-diet-for-diabetes-patients/20037092.article

I suppose we should be glad that he rang you to discuss it, before he arbitrarily cut off your test stip supply.
But I wonder what his next action will be.

I'm actually quite stunned that you have been getting test strips on prescription after you stopped taking the insulin and other meds. Most docs would have stopped that prescription to a T2 at the same time you ceased filling the meds prescriptions.

So frustrating though.

I have had a couple of surreal conversations, one with the doc and one with a nurse along the lines of
'but your HbA1c isn't even pre-diabetic'
'I know, that is because I don't eat the carbs that would raise my blood glucose back to diabetic levels'
Blank look.
Change of subject.
Refusal to discuss it further even when I made a specific appointment to do exactly that, and produced print outs of Libre and prick testing to show them that yes, my blood glucose can reach 15mmol/l, and dip to 1.6mmol/l as shown in black, white and hypo red.

But no, no discussion. Subject closed. The HbA1c proves I am normal. No point in discussing it further.

So now I look after myself, including regular private blood tests, and self funding testing equipment.
I have also changed docs, but this time have wised up.
They have not, in 2 years, called me in for any blood tests, and obviously nothing gets flagged up on the system to remind them of how bad my blood glucose used to be.
So I have decided not to mention T2.
No point getting a reputation as a trouble maker, or someone with health anxiety, or confrontational - until I need to that is

Will carry on as I am for now, feeling better than I have for years, avoiding carbs, gluten, and monitoring my own bg, vitamin deficiencies, supplementing, and tracking insulin resistance via periodic insulin resistance tests via those private blood tests. I have even had a private CAC scan for atherosclerosis, a copy of which was sent to my GP, but they never got in touch to discuss the results, either for myself or my husband - and they REALLY should have done so for him.

I’d send them the link to dr unwins training package for gp’s.

Brunneria said:

So now I look after myself, including regular private blood tests, and self funding testing equipment.

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Bingo. Exactly the same as me.

I gave up on my “team” a long time ago. It should be me looking after them.

Brunneria said:

So now I look after myself, including regular private blood tests, and self funding testing equipment.

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Yup,Im in US and I do that even though I do have access to 'free' care at the VA.They just dont care and treat everyone as part of a decision tree,we all dont fit the 'norm',whatever that may be in their minds.With proper shopping I get my health care dirt cheap even as a cash payer.Worth every cent IMO.

Mr_Pot said:

You should show them this....
https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/low-carb-program/#
No doubt there are other better references.

Click to expand...

I pinged this to our two local surgeries this morning.

HSSS said:

I’d send them the link to dr unwins training package for gp’s.

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Do you have that?

Chook said:

Just a rant.

I just had a phone call from my GP. Apparently the new DN (yet another new DN??) and he were reviewing the diabetics on their books and I am an anomaly that they can't explain. My T2 isn't progressing as anticipated (which is good) and he wanted to know why I'm not using the insulin he prescribed a few years ago (which it seems is bad) and what and how I use my BG testing strips for if I'm not on the insulin or taking any diabetes meds except for metformin (which, he inferred, is very bad).

So I explained how it works for me (testing FBG and before and after foods and adjusting my diet accordingly) and he sounded totally bemused and confused and quite argumentative. Apparently he's not heard of using BG testing in this way and he's going to have to investigate if its okay for me to be prescribed them. I said using them my way is obviously the reason why I'm saving them money on insulin, other meds and any complications that might have arisen from high BG. He didn't seem convinced!

No wonder I'm the only T2 on their books that's low carbing... I feel completely let down by my 'medical team' - I felt like I was being ticked off for using the strips without injecting the insulin.

Sorry for the rant - I feel a bit better now.

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I am trying to bust through this nonsense locally.

DCUKMod said:

I have posted that link several times on your threads Listlad, if you have a look.

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I was looking for it today and couldn’t find it. If you have it readily to hand I will pass it on to my contacts at surgery level. Every little helps.

I cannot remember the title of the link/flyer so that hampered my search.

DCUKMod said:

I'm literally going out the door now, to a meeting myself, but if you look up RCGP e-learning Type 2 diabetes, you'll find it.

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Okay. Gottit. Thanks.

The lady I am dealing with doesn’t appear to be conversant with these changes. She is extremely well meaning, just not up to date on current progress and changes that are afoot within the NHS.

This should help a lot. I will ping it to her tomorrow.

The whole situation is complex as the not to be mentioned LCHF friendly GP doesn’t appear at these meetings and of the other 2 that will be, one is an unknown quantity and one doesn’t go with the high fat bit so much. Nurses and other staff are also a mixed bunch. So that e-learning module and the Low Carb Diet link ought to rattle a few cages if need be.

They are not a bunch that will liberally dish out test strips or advocate the use of meters in the way that this forum suggests. Another hurdle to jump.

Very sorry to hear this @Chook really unfair and also a stressful phone call too for you to deal with.
Given that you needed test strips at the time and then subsequently reduced your med bill it does seem crazy.
Like many other type twos I’ve had to self fund strips from the start but by doing so have saved money for nhs on diabetic meds, blood pressure meds and depression meds! When think back to my diagnosis at 97 Hbaca1 and the advice that it would be progressive and I’d be on insulin etc soon it’s unbelievable that simply changing what I ate and using test strips is regarded as strange and isn’t supported yet as a method. I feel so well and luckily could afford the strips so feel it is worth it but do worry about the fact that many simply can’t afford to self fund.