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Some advice would be appreciated please

S

sccarson

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Hi, I am posting this on behalf of my husband who was diagnosed as diabetic in August 2007 after repeated infections. After an initial high reading of 14.5, his fasting blood test gave a healthy reading of 7 and the doctor was satisfied that it could be controlled via diet. He was called back to see the nurse a month later for a repeat test, only to be sent away by the nurse as they "only test diabetics once a year, you will be contacted when your next test is due". This seemed a little wrong to me, I thought it would make sense to test a few times when newly diagnosed and also to provide more advice and support.

Anyway, we soon adapted to a new diet and a new way of thinking and forgot all about blood tests and appointments until my husband started feeling ill over the past couple of days - headaches, thirst, peeing a lot etc. I tried to remember when he's last been tested & couldn't, so forced him to go along to the doctors to get his bloods done. It turns out that his blood pressure was so high they were close to having him hospitalised, and his blood sugar was 23.9!He's been given a prescription for something to help bring it down and the doctor has filled in the form for an exemption certificate, so does this mean he's on medication for life?

There was no apology or explanation as to why he was left so long without being checked, he'd missed eye appointments, podiatrist checks and dietician appointments. There is still no real information or advice about his condition, just an appointment for next month to be checked again. I'm really getting worried now, frightened that he could have had a stroke or something with the high blood pressure, and I still don't really understand what these blood sugar levels mean.

How often should blood be tested? Is once a year normal? Should we have been given more advice and guidance? Are these blood sugar levels dangerous or pretty normal?

Sorry for all the questions, but we're confused and a little scared. Thank you
 
What you say is horrible And not unusual. Newly diagnosed diabetics have a right to education. ( won't get it in West Berks, who don't run courses)
7 isn't good enough a reading anyway. non diabetics run at about 5 all the time and that's where your husband needs to aim. Download the NICE guidelines for diabetes print off a copy and go make a BIG fuss at youer health centre.
 
Welcome to the forum,scarson.Sorry to hear all the trouble your husband is having.Yes those blood sugar levels are pretty scary!!
You are right in thinking that he should have been tested more often than once a year initially!They should have been checking at least 3 monthly till he settled into a good dietary routine.Now,because of their failure to care properly he will probably have to go onto medication for life unless he can get his blood sugar levels down and in control.Please go back to the doctor and cause a fuss! You say he missed eye appointments, podiatrist checks and dietician appointments, does that mean that these appointments were never made or that he did not go ?He needs information on diabetes and he needs it ASAP.I do hope that he gets the care that he should now.Please keep asking us questions,we understand about being scared,we've all been there.

http://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/CG66/Pu ... oc/English
 
Thank you for your replies. The appointments were never made for him. He went to all those appointments when he was first diagnosed 15 months ago then nothing since. I'm just so angry that they have forgotten about him like this, and worrying myself sick about what could have happened if I hadn't put the phone in his hand this morning & made him phone the surgery.
 
Please think about buying a blood testing meter so that he can test regularly and try and bring his blood sugar levels down fairly quickly. To do this he will need to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that he eats to smaller portions than he is eating at the moment.I recommend the Collins Gem carb counter or calorie counter book as a reference to deciding how much he eats.By the sound of it you probably will not get a meter from your doctor but you can try!!Quote the NICE guidelines at them!!(If you are in England and Wales)
 
The doctor said he shouldn't use a home testing meter??????? Think maybe the whole family would benefit from reducing carbs. Is that all carbs - even pasta, rice & potatoes? We're in Scotland, should that affect these guidelines?
 
Oh you're in Scotland ,yes in that case it is the SIGN guidelines you need,I will look for them in a minute.All carbs turn into glucose in the body.The starchy carbs such as bread,all flour based products , pasta ,rice and potatoes convert 100% to glucose so portions should be fairly small.Doctors are unwilling to prescribe test strips for meters because they are so expensive but how else are we supposed to see how each food affects our blood sugars unless we can test before and after a meal?!!I bought my own meter and test strips initially but now ,for the moment ,get my test strips prescribed by the doctor.I am in Scotland as well.
 
sccarson said:
The doctor said he shouldn't use a home testing meter??????? Think maybe the whole family would benefit from reducing carbs. Is that all carbs - even pasta, rice & potatoes? We're in Scotland, should that affect these guidelines?
Click to expand...

Get a new doctor. This one makes Harold Shipman look like a nice man.

Seriously. They are doing you absolutely NO favours by treating him so cavalierly.

Start here

http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/10/d-day.html

there's a lot you could have done already had you not been so appallingly treated
 
Dear sccarson
Not use a home test meter!!!Then they forget to do even annual tests. I think I'd be in the practicw office repeating the word malpractice loudly nd often.
annual tests are not frequent enough for a newly diagnosed diabetic. Make a complaint
 
Hi
I just had to reply to this post as i am totaly disgusted to the way your husband has been treated. i have been a diabetic since July 2008. My doctor gave me an infomation sheet on diabetes, a home testing kit, a web site for more info http://www.diabetes.org.uk. She told me to phone her or go to see her anytime i need help understanding or controling or for infomation. i get checked every 3 months. I was with her for 1 hour when i had my results and she told me a lot. This is patent care!! Go and make a big noise. give them hell, i would!

Be careful though on what you read. Diabetes is personal, every one is different in the way they have to control it. Find a good diabetic health team and listen and obay. My relitive didn't listen and carried on as normal, he now has kidney problems, lost his sight, all teeth broke all through not controling diabetes. If you do what you are told you can lead a normal life with out problems. Good Luck
 
dobber said:
Be careful though on what you read. Diabetes is personal, every one is different in the way they have to control it. Find a good diabetic health team and listen and obay. My relitive didn't listen and carried on as normal, he now has kidney problems, lost his sight, all teeth broke all through not controling diabetes. If you do what you are told you can lead a normal life with out problems. Good Luck
Click to expand...

That's all very well if you actually DO find a good healthcare team, in all too many cases on this and most other forums many patients end up like your relative through following exactly the advice they were given :(
 
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