Newly diagnosed

[GemGar]

Hi. My name is Gemma. 36 years old and I was told yesterday that I am type 2 diabetic. I have an appointment with a diabetes nurse in a couple of weeks, but I do have a few of questions.
1) does the NHS provide the blood sugar level monitor things, or do we have to buy them?
2) does this mean that I'm now entitled to free medication?
3) will I need more regular eye tests?
4) will I need to inform the DVLA? (I wasn't prescribed any medication, and am learning to drive).

 

[ajbod]

Welcome to the club you never planned to join Gemma, In Short

1) No (unless you are on active blood lowering medication)
2) Yes but only diabetic medicines that actively lower blood sugars (not Metformin)
3) Yes but they are not regular eye tests, your Health care team will organise them, usually annually.
4) Yes BUT only if you are on active blood lowering medications, (not Metformin)

You do have to notify your car insurers, but it has no bearing on price or anything else.

 

[GemGar]

Welcome to the club you never planned to join Gemma, In Short

1) No (unless you are on active blood lowering medication)
2) Yes but only diabetic medicines that actively lower blood sugars (not Metformin)
3) Yes but they are not regular eye tests, your Health care team will organise them, usually annually.
4) Yes BUT only if you are on active blood lowering medications, (not Metformin)

You do have to notify your car insurers, but it has no bearing on price or anything else.

Thank you for replying. I'm not sure if I will be prescribed any diabetic medicine yet.
Ah so I would still need my regular eye tests too?
It's a club that I've been expecting to join, but had hoped to go a few more years before joining. It's also had me wondering how bad I must have been before I gave up chocolate for Lent!

 

[ajbod]

Just to add, as far as i'm aware, once you are on blood lowering med's, you can apply for an exemption certificate which covers all prescriptions.
What was your Hba1c score, as this will most likely give an indication of the treatment plan.
If you are on any others med's it may be worth getting a prepaid certificate. It's approx' £108 a year so if you have enough on prescription is well worth doing. I'm now officially an old fart so so don't pay anyway now

 

[GemGar]

Just to add, as far as i'm aware, once you are on blood lowering med's, you can apply for an exemption certificate which covers all prescriptions.
What was your Hba1c score, as this will most likely give an indication of the treatment plan.
If you are on any others med's it may be worth getting a prepaid certificate. It's approx' £108 a year so if you have enough on prescription is well worth doing. I'm now officially an old fart so so don't pay anyway now

Tbh I wasn't listening after she said diabetes. Not until she said type 2. I only had about 2 hours sleep before the appointment and had to walk there (over a mile), and have memory issues anyway due to dyspraxia.
Should be fun. Dyspraxia means that I injure myself. I've been told that injuring myself isn't good with diabetes.

 

[ajbod]

As you have regular eye tests there will be no damage to your eyes yet, and may never be if you can control your sugar levels. As opticians report any seen abnormalities.
As a registered diabetic you get one free eye test a year from your own opticians.
also when ordering a meter and test strips tick the box for diabetes and you don't pay VAT.
Provided your blood sugars are in a good place, healing doesn't necessarily take any longer.
But if your Dyspraxia is very bad you may struggle to finger prick

 

[Antje77]

It's also had me wondering how bad I must have been before I gave up chocolate for Lent!

Do you like the very dark (85% cocoa content) chocolate?
Many of us have developed a taste for it, it doesn't have many carbs so you can likely enjoy without driving your blood glucose up!

 

[GemGar]

As you have regular eye tests there will be no damage to your eyes yet, and may never be if you can control your sugar levels. As opticians report any seen abnormalities.
As a registered diabetic you get one free eye test a year from your own opticians.
also when ordering a meter and test strips tick the box for diabetes and you don't pay VAT.
Provided your blood sugars are in a good place, healing doesn't necessarily take any longer.
But if your Dyspraxia is very bad you may struggle to finger prick

Ah ok, I'm sure I'm due an appointment anyway so I'll let my optician know..
Where would be the best place to order a meter from?

I'm sure it can't be that difficult to prick my finger. I manage to cut them often enough

 

[GemGar]

Do you like the very dark (85% cocoa content) chocolate?
Many of us have developed a taste for it, it doesn't have many carbs so you can likely enjoy without driving your blood glucose up!

I don't like dark chocolate. Too many bad memories of a medicine that came in the form of dark chocolate when I was a child.
Might have to give it a go though, but after Lent!

 

[ajbod]

My joke was intended to mean missing the mark, i hope i didn't offend.

 

[GemGar]

My joke was intended to mean missing the mark, i hope i didn't offend.

I often joke about my dyspraxia. I was once asked to touch my nose with a finger and nearly poked my eye instead

 

[ajbod]

Bit like Ted Strikers drink problem in Airplane.

 

[GemGar]

Bit like Ted Strikers drink problem in Airplane.

Yes. I'm glad my parents never tried to film me growing up. Mind you, all those £250 from You've been framed would have been helpful

 

[ajbod]

Perhaps they could do a one off special Gemma's been framed.

 

[GemGar]

Perhaps they could do a one off special Gemma's been framed.

I think they should!

 

[lovinglife]

Welcome to the forum, it’s a very friendly place and full of very knowledgeable people

I hope you don’t mind me correcting you @ajbod but you’re not right on the free prescription info

If you are on any medication for diabetes INCLUDING just being on Metformin (after filling in a form and getting signed off by your GP) all your prescriptions not just diabetes related scripts will be free, you will receive an exemption certificate card in the post.

 

[GemGar]

Welcome to the forum, it’s a very friendly place and full of very knowledgeable people

I hope you don’t mind me correcting you @ajbod but you’re not right on the free prescription info

If you are on any medication for diabetes INCLUDING just being on Metformin (after filling in a form and getting signed off by your GP) all your prescriptions not just diabetes related scripts will be free, you will receive an exemption certificate card in the post.

Thank you

 

[ajbod]

I wasn't entirely sure of the set up, but everything i read excluded metformin from the ability to get an exemption.
I knew that everything was exempt once a certificate was given. thanks for clearing it up.

 

[finzi1966]

Metformin DOES entitle you to free prescriptions - being a Type 2 diet controlled only doesn’t, you have to be on medication.

However because metformin doesn’t cause hypos there will be very little hope of getting a meter and strips prescribed- they are only provided for people at risk of hypos (gliclazide, Insulin and a couple of others)

 

[GemGar]

Metformin DOES entitle you to free prescriptions - being a Type 2 diet controlled only doesn’t, you have to be on medication.

However because metformin doesn’t cause hypos there will be very little hope of getting a meter and strips prescribed- they are only provided for people at risk of hypos (gliclazide, Insulin and a couple of others)

Thank you