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My GP is on my side ...!

T2#Me

T2#Me

Well-Known Member
Messages
136
Visited my GP today to discuss diabetes progress. She was happy to hear I was now exercising and dieting more strictly, and had lost 10 lbs.

She agreed with some supplements I suggested, so I went ahead and brought up statins (heart in mouth) ... no pun intended.

I suggested my medications should be reviewed in view of T2D, also bearing in mind that I now understand that high cholesterol is advantageous for elderly men (and all women) ... she agreed immediately that it gave protection from dementia.

I also explained I had discovered that diabetes is actually a known side effect of statins, and I wanted to concentrate on the current BSL problem, and the statins were lowering my cholesterol, so that was two strikes against statins.

She said it was so nice to see that I was looking after myself and taking steps to deal with the diabetes, as she had a patient who had really really high BSL and steadfastly refused to accept that she had diabetes at all. (I do feel for doctors sometimes ... seriously.)

We also discussed HBA1C, which I explained I found very motivational, and wanted to know how long it would be tested every three months before being moved to six months or a year.

She said I had clearly delved into the subject and was keen to help myself ... I told her about this website, and she said she would look into it as the information and advice from people who are actually suffering from diabetes was immensely better that some advice floating round the internet.

Anyway, she then suggested that "we" should agree to cut my statin in half, for a period of six months, and review the situation then ... I was stunned ... I agreed. She also agreed to maintain my A1C tests at 3 monthly intervals until "we" were happy the BSL was under control.

She even gave me my flu jab.

So, from being a bit offhand and dismissive at our previous meeting, she was now treating me as a person with information and opinions worth discussing, and entering into a kind of partnership for future treatment. This means a lot to me, as she has been my GP for years and years, and I really did not wish to fall out with her in any way.

Guess what I'm going to say next ...

Thanks to everyone on this forum who have advised and helped me, and the forum itself for the wealth of information available to lurkers and posters alike! Respect.

:)

PS Should have said I take statins for CHD after having a 2nd heart attack 8 years ago, so I am in a different niche than the ridiculous idea to give statins to healthy people ... a bit more wary of stopping statins for that reason.
 
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Well done. We should all have this partnership type of relationship with our primary care doctors, all too often it is a case of 'us and them'. Keep up the great work.
 
Very well done! It’s good to hear of another GP who is working in partnership rather than dictating. My GP is one too :)
 
A day of wins with hcp. My surgery told me 2 months after my last hb1ac the nurse wanted to discuss it. Finally got a call today from a nurse I’d not spoken with before. It was to say well done and ask how I’d done it . How nice.

She agreed to continue at 3 months for now until we’re sure it’s stabilized and agreed to remove lipids from my next blood request. I’d explained I was losing weight so it wouldn’t be a fair measure and had already “discussed” it with a gp at diagnosis 6 months ago. A little worryingly she already emphasised no need to fast for it though. Even better she agreed to leave test strips on the repeat for now too.

Don’t get many wins at my surgery (generally terrible in multiple ways) but diabetes nurses since diagnosis have been excellent. Sadly drs neglected to tell me about yrs of prediabetic readings claiming them normal.
 
People always tell GPs they will do things and don't hence many GPs don't believe what most people say. The difference is that you have now proven to the GP you are taking action by losing the 10 pounds.
 
T2#Me said:
PS Should have said I take statins for CHD after having a 2nd heart attack 8 years ago, so I am in a different niche than the ridiculous idea to give statins to healthy people ... a bit more wary of stopping statins for that reason.
Click to expand...
Congratulations and thanks for posting. So good to hear. Apparently statins are more beneficial to people with a previous history of heart attacks, but no so much for people without, but you knew that already.
Also thank you for the brief summary on statins vs. no statins. I'm glad I didn't need it at my last review, but I may well need it for future consultations. My mum died of vascular dementia, so I'm only too happy to hear that my high colesterol levels probably gives me some protection against the same fate.
 
T2#Me said:
Visited my GP today to discuss diabetes progress. She was happy to hear I was now exercising and dieting more strictly, and had lost 10 lbs.

She agreed with some supplements I suggested, so I went ahead and brought up statins (heart in mouth) ... no pun intended.

I suggested my medications should be reviewed in view of T2D, also bearing in mind that I now understand that high cholesterol is advantageous for elderly men (and all women) ... she agreed immediately that it gave protection from dementia.

I also explained I had discovered that diabetes is actually a known side effect of statins, and I wanted to concentrate on the current BSL problem, and the statins were lowering my cholesterol, so that was two strikes against statins.

She said it was so nice to see that I was looking after myself and taking steps to deal with the diabetes, as she had a patient who had really really high BSL and steadfastly refused to accept that she had diabetes at all. (I do feel for doctors sometimes ... seriously.)

We also discussed HBA1C, which I explained I found very motivational, and wanted to know how long it would be tested every three months before being moved to six months or a year.

She said I had clearly delved into the subject and was keen to help myself ... I told her about this website, and she said she would look into it as the information and advice from people who are actually suffering from diabetes was immensely better that some advice floating round the internet.

Anyway, she then suggested that "we" should agree to cut my statin in half, for a period of six months, and review the situation then ... I was stunned ... I agreed. She also agreed to maintain my A1C tests at 3 monthly intervals until "we" were happy the BSL was under control.

She even gave me my flu jab.

So, from being a bit offhand and dismissive at our previous meeting, she was now treating me as a person with information and opinions worth discussing, and entering into a kind of partnership for future treatment. This means a lot to me, as she has been my GP for years and years, and I really did not wish to fall out with her in any way.

Guess what I'm going to say next ...

Thanks to everyone on this forum who have advised and helped me, and the forum itself for the wealth of information available to lurkers and posters alike! Respect.

:)

PS Should have said I take statins for CHD after having a 2nd heart attack 8 years ago, so I am in a different niche than the ridiculous idea to give statins to healthy people ... a bit more wary of stopping statins for that reason.
Click to expand...


Well done! That's fantastic. Good relationships with GPs can be rare. Congrats on having your statin dose halved.
 
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