newly diagnosed in Feb, had very very high readings and my blood sugars were 19+. after long chat with the diabetic nurse etc re diet, medication i asked if i needed to have a meter to test my blood and was told NO. she said the 3 month blood test - which ive just had is enough. My question now is how do i know what foods will spike my sugars etc. Cant get an appt til June to review the b test l've just had this week. Think this is a joke! Does anyone advise me going to see my GP? Not sure if he can help any further. I feel like i was just given my medication and told to go away basically. I was suppose to get a letter re the local NHS diabetic group - never arrived. Im quite upset that even after explaining things ot the receptionist i stil lcant get an appt any earlier and was told i didnt need to see the nurse only once a year!! Sorry for the log post and rant - just need to get it off my chest and see if anyone can offer any advise
Refused blood meter to monitor blood sugars
- Thread starter Marie24
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mean people , gardening , dishonest people , and war.
why can't everyone get on........
Hi Marie24
welcome to the forum
unfortunately you have run into the type of nurse that reads from the company manual and cannot see beyond it to what is actually good for you the patient. You won't know exactly which foods spike you without a meter but generally speaking all sugar based and complex carbs won't help.
I am tagging @daisy1 for her great starter pack which she should be along with shortly.
I would advise investing in a meter and strips yourself should you not be able to get one from your GP ( worth speaking to him about it ).
welcome to the forum
unfortunately you have run into the type of nurse that reads from the company manual and cannot see beyond it to what is actually good for you the patient. You won't know exactly which foods spike you without a meter but generally speaking all sugar based and complex carbs won't help.
I am tagging @daisy1 for her great starter pack which she should be along with shortly.
I would advise investing in a meter and strips yourself should you not be able to get one from your GP ( worth speaking to him about it ).
Hi Marie24
welcome to the forum
unfortunately you have run into the type of nurse that reads from the company manual and cannot see beyond it to what is actually good for you the patient. You won't know exactly which foods spike you without a meter but generally speaking all sugar based and complex carbs won't help.
I am tagging @daisy1 for her great started pack which she should be along with shortly.
I would advise investing in a meter and strips yourself should you not be able to get one from your GP ( worth speaking to him about it ).
thank you - reading through all the other posts on here and finding them really useful
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You could certainly try your gp and ask for test strips and a meter, but if your unsuccessful and funding your own is an issue then the SD Codefree bg meter might be worth considering, the test strips are around £7 for a box of 50 which is a lot cheaper than other manufacturers.
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Quite a lot of us are in the same boat .. I use the code free meter as the strips are cheaper than the rest ... You may also be told to eat lots of carbs .. Not the best advice for a diabetec !
You will find lots of help in these forums and @daisy1 will be along soon with your welcome pack full of lots of very helpful info
You will find lots of help in these forums and @daisy1 will be along soon with your welcome pack full of lots of very helpful info
daisy1
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@Marie24
Hello Marie and welcome to the forum I agree with the members above that it is important to test your blood in order to see what you can eat without problems and what it is better to eat very sparingly or not at all. Here is the information which two members have mentioned and which I hope you will find helpful. Carry on asking questions and someone will come and reply.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 140,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Hello Marie and welcome to the forum
I agree with the members above that it is important to test your blood in order to see what you can eat without problems and what it is better to eat very sparingly or not at all. Here is the information which two members have mentioned and which I hope you will find helpful. Carry on asking questions and someone will come and reply.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 140,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Scubamup
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Hiya. Sorry to hear you haven't been given a meter. My practice told me to go and buy one on day one and I've been on prescriction strips since my first box. They're still trying to work out if I'm type 1 or 2, and they put me on Gliclazide which is maybe why I got the meter, and I'm thankful they did. For the last few weeks I've been bumping along in the low 4's and having to snack to avoid feeling wobbly. But at least I knew why.
Why is there no consistancy in the NHS?
Karl
Why is there no consistancy in the NHS?
Karl
Robbity
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Welcome to the "Type 2 Diabetics Don't Need to Test" Club, run by the "You'll not understand the readings, you'll just worry too much over them, or you'll obsess too much about testing" Committee.
Many of us are also in the same boat, and end up funding our own meters and strips, it's the only way we can get the better of our condition.
The best thing you have done to help yourself is to find our forum, and asked here about your concerns.
Robbity
Many of us are also in the same boat, and end up funding our own meters and strips, it's the only way we can get the better of our condition.
The best thing you have done to help yourself is to find our forum, and asked here about your concerns.
Robbity
poohtiggy
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Saw a surgery nurse today for my annual heart health check as I'm classed high risk, it was with a nurse I never see.
"Oh my" she says, "you have lost weight and you look very very well" your BMI is down to normal range, your cholesterol is better, keep doing what you're doing and you'll live to a hundred"
I asked then if a reading of 3.2 was anything to worry about as I had a couple recently. This was when I almost ran for shelter.
"Why are you testing?"
"So I know what I can eat safely"
"Oh, you shouldn't' t be testing you will make your fingers sore"
"If I do I will take a rest from testing, they are my fingers"
"Do you know of and understand the Glaecemic Index? I will go and get you a sheet"
She comes back and offers this sheet, here's a little of what it said.
YOGURT: Choose low fat
Nuts:....... High fat content so eat in moderation
Potatoes: Jackets are a good choice and good with baked beans over
Rice and Chicken
Eat more Pasta based meals
3 pieces of fruit a day
Avoid full fat milk and cheese
By the time I got that far I had read enough. I could not believe she was telling me to eat the way I used to which made me DIABETIC would I really live to a hundred eating like that?
I will continue to test and test, it's the only way!
"Oh my" she says, "you have lost weight and you look very very well" your BMI is down to normal range, your cholesterol is better, keep doing what you're doing and you'll live to a hundred"
I asked then if a reading of 3.2 was anything to worry about as I had a couple recently. This was when I almost ran for shelter.
"Why are you testing?"
"So I know what I can eat safely"
"Oh, you shouldn't' t be testing you will make your fingers sore"
"If I do I will take a rest from testing, they are my fingers"
"Do you know of and understand the Glaecemic Index? I will go and get you a sheet"
She comes back and offers this sheet, here's a little of what it said.
YOGURT: Choose low fat
Nuts:....... High fat content so eat in moderation
Potatoes: Jackets are a good choice and good with baked beans over
Rice and Chicken
Eat more Pasta based meals
3 pieces of fruit a day
Avoid full fat milk and cheese
By the time I got that far I had read enough. I could not believe she was telling me to eat the way I used to which made me DIABETIC
would I really live to a hundred eating like that?I will continue to test and test, it's the only way!
I agree its a lottery for sure I was given a meter by the DN I saw but she did say if I'd seen 'other Dn ' I wouldn't have been given one
. Saying that I can't get strips on prescriptions so have to resort to bidding for them on ebay 