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Pigs do fly!!!

purplepenguin

Well-Known Member
Messages
319
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I just thought I would share an incredible visit to my nurse this evening.
I only recently moved to the area and this was he second visit to the surgery and the first visit with this particular nurse. I had an awful hba1c just before Christmas after getting it down to 61 so they wanted to see me.

In the intervening 3 weeks I have got right back on the wagon and lost half a stone (total 2.5stone in 12 months) sugars are always below 7, mainly in the fives. All very good and I feel like I'm back on track after the crazy summer I had.

So I go to the appointment and am asked how my diabetes journey has been. I said I'd followed the eat well plate and been very 'healthy' but got fatter and fatter and sicker and sicker. I told her that I found LCHF last year and had great success, only to find she was very, very positive about it and said LCHF was the best way for type twos.
Then, to dumbfound me even more, she said I could have more test strips even though I only had some two weeks ago. She said that they look case by case for type twos and that those who have good control and use testing to help can have strips when they ask for them!!!

I feel very, very lucky.
 
what a nice experience you had there... wish more would be met with such positive support
 
Amazing just hope this really helps you in your control. You now have to live up to expectations and hopefully good results.
 
I think I will have to move to your area!
 
My GP said my HBA1C of 46% (6.4) is “normal” when clearly it isn’t!

Its within the pretty-diabetic range!

She said she’s very happy with 46% and to stay there.

Worrying!
 
How lovely to get such positive support - just what we need to hear (ensure adequate pampering when required - need to make sure she doesn't move on elsewhere anytime soon)
 
I have to say my surgery are pretty on the ball (Lincoln area), they seem to support LCHF and IF - my GP even recommended the "Fast Diet" book saying it was excellent. I think with the DN's they sometimes panic when you say low carb, and actually hear " No Carb" which puts them in a spin briefly. Once you reassure them you're not collapsing every 10 minutes they are grand. My last DN left and the new one is a bit less enthusiastic.... but I will work on her. I always take the "Eat Fat" book and offer to lend her it

It seems also that a lot of people are happy to just turn up for review and hold out their hand for the ever increasing list of meds they need. I got congratulated for taking ownership of my diabetes and bothering to do my research. Now if I could just put it into practice full time.....
 
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Absolutely brilliant.
 
NewTD2 said:
My GP said my HBA1C of 46% (6.4) is “normal” when clearly it isn’t!

Its within the pretty-diabetic range!

She said she’s very happy with 46% and to stay there.

Worrying!
Click to expand...
Yes. It's complete rubbish.
 

I believe my DN is fabulous too.
 
NewTD2 said:
My GP said my HBA1C of 46 (6.4%) is “normal” when clearly it isn’t!
Click to expand...

It is of the level where you are unlikely to get any complications from high BG within the next few year, hence it is within the range that makes GPs happy, but will want to retest each year.
 
ringi said:
It is of the level where you are unlikely to get any complications from high BG within the next few year, hence it is within the range that makes GPs happy, but will want to retest each year.
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I’m type 2 and on insulin my gp and dn both want me to get my hba1c stabilised at 6.5 meaning my hypo awareness and my general control is stabilised and good
 
ringi said:
It is of the level where you are unlikely to get any complications from high BG within the next few year, hence it is within the range that makes GPs happy, but will want to retest each year.
Click to expand...
My DN said exactly the same when I tested at 44. She gave me more test strips but took me off Glyclizade and said to come back in March. She also said the long term way to stay low is to find out how much and what food with carb cause spikes but in any case a good rough guide was absolute maximum 90 per day of low gi carbs. So no white bread, cakes, biscuits or sweets but plenty of fat for energy and proteins.
Rachox said:
My GP supports low carb diets, I might just broach the subject of test strips on prescription next visit!
Click to expand...
 
@purplepenguin: that sounds great!

NewTD2 said:
My GP said my HBA1C of 46% (6.4) is “normal” when clearly it isn’t!
Click to expand...

For what it's worth, here in the U.S. the recommendation of the American Diabetes Association is to keep HbA1c below 7.0% (53). A level of 7% or above warrants "therapeutic intervention."

This is also the standard followed by my doctor. At diagnosis I had 8.3% (67) and he asked me to go on a low-carb diet (no drugs). This has worked fine, so far, and he is still telling me that as far as he is concerned the "intervention level" is still 7%. I am actually doing much better than that, which gives me a great "safety margin" before the doctor starts advocating drugs!
 
I think 7 is too high.
 
dbr10 said:
I think 7 is too high.
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I have no "factual" opinion on the matter, not having enough scientific knowledge and not having seen any long-term studies that follow people who are in that "borderline, only-just-diabetic" range for substantial periods of time.

Personally speaking, it is another matter. Given that the HbA1c is a "moving average" of the previous three months, even a good number will mask daily spikes. So I feel much more comfortable having a number substantially below the diabetic range (6.5% and up), or even the pre-diabetic (5.7% and up), range. However I have also decided that if there are times in my life when my A1c rises towards 7%, I will not make a big drama about it, unless it shoots through that level and goes on increasing! My aim is control, and a relatively low number, but Life Is Not All About Diabetes.

Of course I am Type 2. From what I recall, some Type 1s are given advice to aim for a relatively high number (by Type 2 standards) of maybe 7% or even 8% in order to reduce the risk of hypos, among other things.
 
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purplepenguin said:
only to find she was very, very positive about it and said LCHF was the best way for type twos.
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can you clone her and send her round the country? not that i can complain, we've now got a very good specialist nurse at my local health centre who isn't anti-lchf.
 
It’s great to hear that some gp’s back the low carb diet. Unfortunately mine doesn’t. I went to see him 3 months ago and told him I was doing low carbing HE WAS NOT PLEASED. So I’m waiting on my yearly appt which should have been in December!! Actually I haven’t had a yearly appt for the last 2 years I seem to get missed. This time I am holding on and will insist on getting it. I have lost weight, hba1c first thing in the morning is around 6.5 this is good for me. I just decided when he put me down and didn’t even want to look at my food diary. I came out a bit miffed and thought I’ll show you. So hopefully at my next appt he will be surprised. Watch this space.
 
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