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Not Seen a Doctor?

rab5

Well-Known Member
Messages
842
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
My Diabetic nurse
I was just thinking abut how I was told I was T2

The doctor rang me told me I was diabetic and then said I had to see the DN. That was it. I went to see the DN had a full on disagreement about how I would proceed and she did another blood/urine test. I didnt get the results for 2 weeks after she had them in her possession, she was constantly unavailable. When I did get the results the secretary told me as the DN appears to be avoiding me lol.

Is this normal
 
Kind of.. I have never seen the doctor concerning Type 2 alway the nurses apart from one specific appointment I made to try and get a dexa scan to look at visceral fat. GP had never heard of it.. I also mentioned the Newcastle Diet and Prof Roy Taylor. Doc had never heard of either and he's the GP with responsibility for diabetes in the practise! Apart from that I have only ever seen either the diabetes nurse or the practise nurse (when the DN had quit and not been replaced). Have been met with ignorance (from the DN's) and a full blown row with the PN concerning carbs. Need less to say all results now online and minimal contact between me and the surgery apart from blood tests.
 
I'm lucky to have relatively well informed GP and DN, both support my low carb approach and my GP even said that I was one of the few diabetic patients she would trust trying the Newcastle approach with VLCD.

My latest HbA1c puts me at the top end of what they're happy with and thanks to the FreeStyle Libre, I can see my problems are not related to carbs so much, but mornings can be a complete surprise leaving me thinking "Where the HELL did that come from" having not eaten for 12 hours. Even exercise has been a surprise.

As an aside, am I right in thinking that we tend to treat our BG pro-actively. I'd like to treat my morning highs reactively, maybe. I just don't want to be taking Gliclazide regularly again, I gained weight last time, 10 kgs actually so not insignificant.
 
I just had a letter telling me to make an appointment with the nurse to review my diabetes ( I have annual blood test re high blood pressure ) and that's how I was informed that I was diabetic lol
 
I had my annual routine MOT blood tests at the surgery.

2 or 3 days later I attended an oncology outpatients appointment. After I sat down, the oncologist looked at her screen and said "Oh! I see you are diabetic". I replied that I wasn't. She then said "I'm an oncologist, not an endocrinologist, so I suggest you contact your GP"

I rang the surgery reception, and was told a letter was in the post asking me to make an appointment with the nurse, which I did. It turned out the routine blood tests had revealed diabetes. I have never seen or spoken to any doctor about my diabetes, and frankly I am glad. My nurse is lovely, very supportive, and knowledgeable about diabetes.
 
I had a phone call from my surgery asking me to make an appointment to see the doctor. I had just had my annual blood test and for 10 years it had shown I had a glucose intolerance so I was not surprised when she told me the blood test showed my sugar level was just over 7 so I had T2 diabetes The same week I saw the nurse who just chatted about diabetes in general checked my feet and asked me what my diet was like which was not much different then to what it is now low saturated fat and not much sweet stuff so just cut out the starchy carbs and all sugar stuff she said it was fine and she has never mentioned diet since.
 
Hi. DNs are often better than GPs for diabetes. Do setup the online service with the Surgery including your test results etc. That way you can find out your test results as soon as the surgery does and it makes it simpler when you have you diabetes appointment with the DN as you can discuss the way forward each knowing your results.
 
I've been registered with three different GP surgeries since being diagnosed, and none of them has had a specialist Diabetes Nurse on the payroll.

I always end up seeing a Practice Nurse.

All three have differing levels of care, and of incompetence, and none of them seem to really understand what controlling with diet and exercise really means.
 
How do I set this up.... to be honest I have never heard of this
 
rab5 said:
How do I set this up.... to be honest I have never heard of this
Click to expand...

All GP surgeries are supposed to give you access to your medical records, and most will have an online portal where you can book appointments, order repeat prescriptions and see your basic records. To get further access to see your actual results usually takes a bit more hoop jumping but you should be able to get them eventually.
 
rab5 said:
How do I set this up.... to be honest I have never heard of this
Click to expand...


Only in England. Scotland has a different method. Wales doesn't have anything. All English surgeries were asked to put test results on line almost 2 years ago. I believe most have now done this, but you have to complete a consent form at the surgery, provide ID, and wait for a GP to authorise it. You are then given instructions on how to access it. It is the best facility going. Brilliant. My test results are on line within 24 hours. I can also see all my past consultation details, diagnosis details, vaccinations, and much more.
 
Some here who have registered for online services but find as I do that we only get access to order repeat prescriptions and make appointments no test results. It is up to the doctors how much access they give they do not have to give patients access to their medical records
 
If you want access to your own results you will usually have to get on your hands and knees, plead, fill in 6 forms, provide 3 pieces of ID, get at least one piece of ID signed by the Pope and another piece by the Earl of Wessex, then plead again and they might just deign to allow you access within 2 months.
 
Why would you need a dexa scan to measure your visceral fat? And why would you expect the NHS to pay for it? You could probably get one privately or just look in the mirror/work out your BMI
 
Tannith said:
Why would you need a dexa scan to measure your visceral fat? And why would you expect the NHS to pay for it? You could probably get one privately or just look in the mirror/work out your BMI
Click to expand...
I would have imagined that you as a Newcastle Diet devotee would understand only too well the importance of knowing visceral fat levels especially around the liver and pancreas. What do you think Prof Taylor is looking for in his scans?
I could well have got one privately but wasn't aware of anywhere locally offering the service and more to the point neither was the "diabetes overseer" at my surgery who had never heard of the Dexa.
Looking in the mirror isn't an especially "scientific" way of looking for visceral fat.. ask any TOFI and BMI is a completely useless measure too as I'm sure you are perfectly aware. Neither method is any good at looking for visceral fat.
As for why should the NHS pay for it? Aren't they there to preserve our health?
 
Can I get a DEXA scan on the NHS?
Short answer, unless you have something wrong for you it’s unlikely you will be able to get a DEXA scan on the NHS for body composition analysis.

The NHS doesn’t treat the healthy or the ‘worried well’ so, while it’s the biggest owner of DEXA scans in the UK, you won’t be using one to track your health and fitness goals.

cc.lan-uhttps://bioniydexa-sk//
OK, so it would be more accurate to take a waist measurement than to just look in the mirror but the principle is the same. If you were able to lose 8 stone you are hardly likely ever to have been a TOFI! If a person has a high BMI (above the middle of the normal range) and a higher than average waist measurement then in my opinion they would be wasting their own money or NHS money getting a visceral fat scan.
 
I'm not going to bother to argue with you as you obviously seem to be under the impression that subcutaneous fat and visceral fat are the same thing. Which they patently aren't. So the NHS has the Dexa machines but won't use them on patients who have paid for them through their taxes and national insurance. Not surprising....but disappointing especially as I imagine they sit there unused for most of the time as apparently even the doctors don't know about their various uses. Money well spent NHS?
 
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I take that as an insult. Obviously, like most people, I know the difference. The large waist and pot belly indicate the visceral type.The Dexa Machines in my area are in huge demand. I was put in a 3 month queue for one but was lucky enough to get a cancellation albeit at 9am at less than 24 hours notice. They have other uses besides fat.
 
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