Me vs GP

[LittleWolf]

Janecee knows how I feel.

I don't get it.

Years of skin problems, all sorts of recurring infections (thrush, tinea, UTIs etc), fatigue, family history of rampant T2, I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, clear acanthosis nigricans and from a Caribbean background.

Home testing shows after any meal I am always going out of range 7-11

Fasting at the Doctor's office came back as 7mmol

He won't tell me what my HbA1c was! Just said my results were 'confusing'. What does that mean?

For the love of God do normal people get this after half a bag of prawn crackers??!

Would it be so hard to just help me out? Kind of sick of falling asleep after eating, the headaches and worrying constantly about food! I don't need anxiety over it as half of you already know I just got over anorexia -_-

Isn't any random reading over 11 considered diabetic? Why do I get the feeling the doctors like to let people fester until they get really bad...



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[Ali H]

Do some readings over the weekend along with a food diary and then present them to your GP. Good luck. That does seem rather high!

Ali

 

[Q007]

Aww.. Don't go there! - My GP makes me feel as welcome as a wasp in a space helmet. I had my annual service done last week and she just kept reminding me of time limits. She prints out yards of paper and hands them over, I told her I could do that for myself. I've just written a letter to her with my concerns. Big up, Q..


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[Q007]

And.. AND !! .. I took in a printout of my BP and pulse as I've noticed spikes, as high as 175/107 and drops to 80/56 at which point I can't stand up. She printed out another form and said fill this in for two weeks, when I got home I noticed the fields were the same as what was on the chart I'd brought in?? - So she let a hypotensive and hypertensive patient walk out without comment or, treatment.
Do ALL GP's get told by the NHS to give diabetics a hard time? - Q out..


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[pav]

With numbers like 19.4 some thing needs checking out asap, if your HbA1c tests were confusing I would be asking for them to be repeated or at least the doctor should be requesting a repeat test. They should also be saying what confusing is, some docs appear to like keeping the patient in the dark thinking what they don't know won't hurt them, I would rather know what the confusion is and then decide if and any action needs to be taken.

As suggested take reading over the weekend noting what you have eaten to get the readings. If you have a choice of doctors I would request to see a different one.

 

[Hellbunny]

You shouldn't have to but have you tried changing gp? How on earth he is a doctor I don't know. But good on you for actually making an effort testing etc despite no support from the professionals

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[Andy12345]

sheesh my rant didnt submit so now a little calmer id say, march into your gp`s receptionist and ask for a print out of your results, your results are just that....yours, it is your right to have them, they belong to you not the gp, you can take them with you as you leave and go to a different doctor

 

[LittleWolf]

I can do that? All ordering of blood tests have to be registered by a doctor and them the results get sent to them. Then I got that email from him saying "Yuor results were confusing" (typo included)

But if the receptionist can access that I 'll get down there on Monday. Yeah want to get this sorted- starting to get nagging pains on the right around the kidney area :/

I'm in Somerset for the time being, do you think they are allowed to disclose results over the phone if I call the office in London?

Thanks guys. And the additional rants do help me feel I'm not alone in frustration


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[charon]

I suspect so.
I got mine from the diabetes nurse. I included everything that had been done at that practice - very little until recently but did have my weight when I registered.

After my urine test I asked the receptionist if the results were in and she looked on the computer and said everything was fine - I think she was looking at the top of the list of all my test results.
Receptionist might want a doctor to authorise it but if it's tricky you can always send a subject access request (I think). Just mentioning that should change their mind.

 

[janeecee]

What's confusing about your Hba1c result? It's just a number after all. I suppose it might contradict your fasting number. Have you found out yet?

7.0 puts you into diabetic territory. Hba1c is supposed to be diagnostic of diabetes and prediabetes, but it's an average and can't catch the spikes. If you spend 12 hours of every day in the fasting state, overnight, etc, it cancels out the high post prandials.

Both my fasting and hba1c put me in the 'normal' category but unless I seriously curtail my carbs I'm also in the 7-11 range after my evening meal, but they still tell me that's normal. I'm going to bring it up again with another GP at the practice.


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[janeecee]

The policy at my surgery is that the receptionists can't give results. You can get a print out if the doctor agrees, that is if you ask a receptionist for copies. Otherwise you need to ask at your appointment for a copy. The practice nurse gave me print outs of my NHS health check test results during the appointment.


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[LittleWolf]

Apparently I need to call a hotline tomorrow morning. The receptionist could only tell me that it is 'normal' but then again a lot of doctors say 6.5% is normal, great, fantastic.

I suppose hypoing at the start of the 3 months played into it but I emailed him with many typical days worth of BG diary, including telling him that I had been both 'Lo' and 19 in 12 hours...

Booked another fasting test. I hope they don't make me do an OGTT. Pain. Nausea... Ugh. Anyway I find it weird that carbs from a meal or fruit juice spike me WAY worse than plain glucose for some odd reason (did an experimental OGTT test myself) But still I am don't like the idea of sitting in the office all tired and queasy and cranky.. Im such an irritable ***** when I'm too high

Janeecee we're on the same journey together. Hopefully we can get some help with this. The forum is great but the support of diabetic team and having my other symptoms (skin, infections, fatigue, muscle aches) addressed/monitored would also be great. And Metformin... If it will fix PCOS I would be very happy. It hurts. I have acne, Im scared i will end up obese, bald and with facial hair and my boyfriend is afraid I will always be infertile... Don't want to miscarry ever again.





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[janeecee]

The receptionists at my surgery will tell if a test is 'normal' but that's about it. Anything else you need to see the doctor. It's better to have a repeat test so they can confirm what's going on. Hba1c isn't really a diagnostic tool except if it's really obvious ie very high but I think there is too much of a grey area with the Hba1c. It seems that the NHS prefer fasting results backed up with an Hba1c test these days instead of the GTT, but that means they will miss many cases of Impaired Glucose Tolerance which seems to be my problem at this stage. When I get my numbers under control I might do my own GTT but not until then. I intend to keep records, and keep on with the doctors. Right now they'll give me short shrift with my 'normal' results.


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[Picci]

I work in a Gp surgery, and have forked for more than one. If a patient asks for a print out if their results the receptionists obliges. Loads if patients want a copy to compare a variety of results. GPs do not have to authorise it!! They're the patients results!! Madness, you must insist!! Perhaps the receptionist doesn't know how to print the darn things out.


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[steveamos1234]

I would move to a different practice / GP.

They vary greatly. My GP is great and even asks me what she can do to make my life easier (not the norm I know!). I can also phone and get results from the receptionist.

That said, other GP's in the same practice complain about the cost of strips etc and are not as good.

Good luck.

 

[kezz01489]

That's a very high reading if I were you do a food diary write down the before n two hours after blood results along with what you 've eaten. Then demand to see another gp a n d explain to them why and what's going on. You have every right to do this. Even ask to speak to your doctor's surgery diabetic nurse.

 

[Yorksman]

I can do that? All ordering of blood tests have to be registered by a doctor and them the results get sent to them.

You have a legally enforceable right to see your medical records which include the results of any health tests you have had, such as blood tests. Remind your GP of this and tell him to stop fobbing you off or you will make a formal application under the data protection act and bill him personally for your time and expenses.

From the NHS web site:

"How can I access my health records?

If you want to view your health records, you may not need to make a formal application. Nothing in the law prevents healthcare professionals from informally showing you your own records. You can make an informal request during a consultation, or by phoning the surgery or hospital to arrange a time to see your records.

If you want to make a formal request to see your health records under the Data Protection Act (1998), apply in writing to the holder(s) of the records. If you want to see your GP records, write to your GP or the surgery manager. If you want to see your hospital records, write to the hospital’s patients services manager or medical records officer."

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/rec ... to_do.aspx

You'll also see on that page "How do I make a complaint?"

 

[LittleWolf]

I already email him my food diary. Me emailing him with PP blood results in the first place was the ONLY way I got called in for a test. No one else took my symptoms seriously.

I was very angry that only months down the line did one GP out of about 5 point out my extremely low Vit D levels may have been a cause of my fatigue. Why did no or else point this out or out two and two together? This is why I want to see. The others were not concerned but one doc said it was unusually low even when most of the population is. If it was so anomalous how did it go unrecognised??

In going in for another fasting now and going to ask the different doctor for a peek at last time.. Wish me luck and thanks for your responses x


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[janeecee]

Good luck with the test. Obviously you don't WANT a high FPG result but it what it is, and the long term goal is to be treated and able to control your blood sugars. I really hope it works out for you this time.


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[LittleWolf]

Ugh I vomited so much after posting I actually missed the appointment, but they did say it was best I didn't come in whilst sick anyway so it didn't skew the results. Stupid birth control. Yesterday's and todays fasting was 7 again though even I am finding it slightly different for me.

I started testing a few months ago with normal fasting with a few freak am highs (7.2s, 7.5s and one 9.4) and moderately high PP. since making changes (the 9.4 was caused by pizza the previous night so got rid of that) things were more like 6-6.7 and the PP going into double figures as posted before. Now fasting is creeping up and becoming more average. Not sure I'm comfortable with this.

Im scheduled for another blood test on Tuesday. Apparently theyre going to make me take an anticoagulant @_@ it better not involve any more needles. This process is not helped by the fact I am notoriously hard to get blood out of..


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