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Strange experience of diagnoses

plonkish_

plonkish_

Well-Known Member
Messages
76
Location
UK
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
As I'm over 50 I have annual blood tests for cholesterol, diabetes etc. This year, a few days after my blood test, I received a call from someone at my doctors surgery who just said that I needed to come in and see the nurse as soon as possible "to talk about your diet" I asked why and she said she didn't know until I mentioned that I had blood tests recently and suggested it could be for that (she didn't have access to the results). I later rang back (I was curious! ) and was told my glucose test came back 7.4 but that was all they knew. I went to my appointment with the nurse who looked at the computer screen and casually asked if I was there for an annual diabetic check up. "I don't have diabetes" "Yes you do, now let's have a look at your feet"

I asked further questions and found that my hba1c was 57 (I had no idea until searching later what that was or what it meant). I was weighed and had my blood pressure and feet checked then asked if I wanted tablets or would I like to try diet for three months. In shock, I said diet. The nurse then said that she'll see me in three months anyway and I'll be put on tablets then "but they'll probably make you sick so I'm giving you these three months to try the diet"

I was then given a little piece of paper with the website for diabetes UK on it. That's all!
:(
I've found out more about diabetes and what to eat etc in five minutes on this forum than I did with 20 minutes with that nurse (who turned out to be the diabetes specialist at the surgery! ) I haven't seen a doctor at all and wasn't offered testing kits or even diet sheet.

Is this normal?
 
Sorry I should have said it's type 2 (at least that's what I'm guessing, I haven't actually been told! )

Also, I did try and ask questions but these seemed to annoy her. She suggested I go to the local diabetes group that meet during the day (when I'm at work)
 
Hi and welcome
To answer your question unfortunately it seems that how you have been treated at your Drs is not unusual.
The good news is that you have found us and we will do our best to answer any questions you have and help you with managing your diabetes.
Regarding diet you can pretty much ignore anything the NHS tells you as its outdated and wrong
Have a read and please ask anything you like
 
No worries at all :)

Expecting answers from other members and Qs from you. You are in the RIGHT place :)

Need GOOD advice? It is here
 
Good morning plonkish, I'm pretty sure there is a duty of care issue there. A lot of people just think it's no big deal. A lot of attitude I get is u don't need them tablets just sort your diet out. It's easier said than done. And most research says diet alone doesn't actually work. I would speak to your clinic manager and file a complaint. And also maybe arrange to see the hospital diabetic nurses instead of your local one. I'm very lucky with all mine but I know others who been treated the same. You are a person with feelings after all.
 
Hi Plonkish, I went to the doctor as I was getting numb patches on right thigh. She suggested it could be MS, diabetes or a trapped nerve. She arranged for bloods etc to try and eliminate the diabetes.

I later received a letter from the surgery, telling me I had to see the nurse and then a different doctor. I asked why I was going to see a different doctor than my preferred one, and the receptionist replied "she's our diabetes doctor" I was a little shocked and jokingly said "I guess I have diabetes then?" The receptionist then said "Yes, you have, and you need to see the doctor urgently"

So I was diagnosed by the receptionist and not a Doctor. I saw the doc, she measured my waist, gave me three leaflets, and a box of metformin.

I'm still awaiting the outcome of my complaint letter to the practice manager
 
You need to get a meter of your own. I think the Code Free is cheapest to run. Test before and two hours after a meal. I find it useful to test after one hour and then every hour until I'm back to baseline when I'm testing a new food to see what it does to my bg. Eventually you'll get to know what you can eat and what is best left.

I do LCHF, low carb high fat, and my bg is normal as long as I stay off the carbs. The Dietdoctor is a good site http://www.dietdoctor.com/diabetes

This site is a well of information: http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/index.php
 
@plonkish_

Hello and welcome to the forum :)

You have already had some good advice. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will help.


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 130,000 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
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

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.
 
Hi. Your treatment as others have said is not untypical. I was diagnosed with a urine stick and told to diet for 3 months depsite being thtn and having very high blood sugar which the GP didn't measure for 3 months. Ho hum. Yes, that HBa1C indiactes diabetes and if you are a bit overweight then it will almost certainly be T2. Reduce the carbs and have enough protein and fat to make you feel full. If you are prescribed Metformin plain version it may make you have bowel problems (not sick) but if you are prescribed the SR (Slow Release) version it's much kinder but a bit more expensive. Sadly NICE doesn't recommend it due to the cost. Fortunately my GP gave me that version from the start. Many do overcome the bowel problems after a few weeks. The feet thing is normal as the NHS is very procedural. If you have unconrolled blood sugar you can have neuropathy. As and when your blood sugar comes under control then the risk of neuropathy fades
 
Thank you all so much for your replies!

There's certainly more information here than I got that day from the nurse. I'll have a good read and digest what I've read so far. I have looked at the low carb diet too which is totally the opposite of the type of diet I was brought up on. So some education is in order!

I will also look into buying a testing kit. I have friends and a relative with diabetes and they had the kits provided so I'm assuming this is cost cutting.
 
Hi and welcome,

I have never seen a doctor about my diabetes (type 2). After routine blood tests I was called in to see a nurse, but I knew why because in the meantime I had been for a routine appointment with my oncologist at the hospital. She had my latest blood results up on her screen and told me I was diabetic, so when the phone call came a day later I was prepared.

There was nothing untypical about your appointment. The nurse was following the correct care pathway recommended to the NHS by NICE. You are entitled to annual retinal eye screening tests, foot checks, and referral to a course (which will probably be in a few months time). Your nurse will see to the normal things such as waist measurements, weight, BP and regular blood tests. It is good (in my opinion) that she gave you the choice to try to control this by diet. Medication will be prescribed later if you haven't managed to lower your levels on your own. Metformin (the first line medication) only helps to a limited extent by suppressing appetite to help you lose weight and by reducing insulin resistance to a very limited extent. It won't lower your levels on its own. A suitable diet with added exercise is the key, not Metformin alone.

A testing kit is essential. These days Type 2's normally only get them if they are on certain medications that require testing. Sad, but true.
 
Hi @plonkish_ , welcome :)

Yes your experience is entirely normal (and tragic for those who don't find their way to a site like this).

Good advice above, also try reading the first linked item in my sig below.

Ask any more questions!
 
plonkish_ said:
I will also look into buying a testing kit. I have friends and a relative with diabetes and they had the kits provided so I'm assuming this is cost cutting.
Click to expand...
Yep, these days the NHS Would "skin a louse for its tallow" and tend not to provide test strips. The meters themselves are provided, free, by the manufacturers, not the NHS!
When we are self - funding testing (if the meter suits you) the cheaper option seems to be the "code-free" as the cost of the meter is offset by the cheaper strips.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sancho panza said:
Hi and welcome
To answer your question unfortunately it seems that how you have been treated at your Drs is not unusual.
The good news is that you have found us and we will do our best to answer any questions you have and help you with managing your diabetes.
Regarding diet you can pretty much ignore anything the NHS tells you as its outdated and wrong
Have a read and please ask anything you like
Click to expand...

I do think its terribly confusing for newly diagnosed members when they come in here...most are in shock at being diagnosed anyway, listen to the GP/DN whatever, try to take it on board, then come in here and are usually told everything they've been advised by the medical profession is wrong. I felt very muddled when I first joined as I'd already been diabetic for quite a few years before I found this forum and the advice went against what I'd been given but I HAVE learned since then that the views in here, given by so many posters are, in fact, brilliant for me and most, I just think it'd be better if we asked people to look around the forum rather than tell them whats right and whats wrong so they can judge for themselves :confused:

Don't get me wrong, LCMF [low carbs, medium fat] works for me and I was glad to find all about it in here but it DID take me a while to take it all in and a lot of trial and error as we're all individual, what works for one doesn't work for another.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi @plonkish, similar thing happened to me, I was offered 3 months to try diet only. Learnt a lot through reading posts on here, also found David Cavens book reverse your diabetes helpful as a kind of read it all in one go approach! All the best.
 
Pollylocks said:
I do think its terribly confusing for newly diagnosed members when they come in here...most are in shock at being diagnosed anyway, listen to the GP/DN whatever, try to take it on board, then come in here and are usually told everything they've been advised by the medical profession is wrong. I felt very muddled when I first joined as I'd already been diabetic for quite a few years before I found this forum and the advice went against what I'd been given but I HAVE learned since then that the views in here, given by so many posters are, in fact, brilliant for me and most, I just think it'd be better if we asked people to look around the forum rather than tell them whats right and whats wrong so they can judge for themselves :confused:

Don't get me wrong, LCMF [low carbs, medium fat] works for me and I was glad to find all about it in here but it DID take me a while to take it all in and a lot of trial and error as we're all individual, what works for one doesn't work for another.
Click to expand...
I agree we need to strike a balance on the information we give for newbies. I may say go low-carb but leave it at that. I think for most newbies that info is important to get bs down and most newbies come with high bs. Also many are told by the NHS to go high-carb and we know that is seriously bad and harmful
 
Thank you all again.

I'm taking it all on board and will read as much as I can as I change my diet too. I think the research will keep me busy!

I still can't quite believe the off-hand manor that comes along with the diagnoses and it seems I'm not the only one to have this experience. Lucky for me the nurse DID mention this website, even if the rest of the appointment was a bit ******.
 
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