Telling off for self testing

DavidGrahamJones

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Sadly this attitude from DN's is far too common. It is NOT malpractice, but it should be!

That might be because we're more likely to speak out when we receive poor treatment. In the interest of fair play may I just say that my DN is totally on board with low carb and self testing in her mind is absolutely essential. Even better, she doesn't try to shove statins down people's mouths just to follow some NICE guideline.
 

kitedoc

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Not yet, the DN said if there was an issue then I would hear soon if not, then I would get a letter in 2 - 3 weeks
You could almost report her for threatening you. but please stay calm.
Is she going to be counting the dots on your fingertips? You could request a less threatening nurse.
There is supposed to be a non-bully policy for staff. Just translate that across to non-bullying policy against patients.
State that you will not be bullied and will write a complaint if she keeps carrying on in this way.
Then show her the food diary.
 
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kitedoc

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I cannot believe that they would just depend on an annual blood test when it is such a progressive disease.
My understanding is that HBA1Cs are done every 3 months. That is the time interval that they measure.
How often do other T2Ds have their HBA1Cs done ?? Any takers ??
 

Chook

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My understanding is that HBA1Cs are done every 3 months. That is the time interval that they measure.
How often do other T2Ds have their HBA1Cs done ?? Any takers ??

I think it's supposed to be every six months but the last gap between tests was nine months. The only time it was every three months was the first year after diagnosis.
 

Antje77

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My understanding is that HBA1Cs are done every 3 months. That is the time interval that they measure.
How often do other T2Ds have their HBA1Cs done ?? Any takers ??
I'm T1 an have my hba1c's once a year, as per my request. I suppose they would let me have it twice or maybe 3 times a year if I wanted. When they still thought I was T2 I had them once or twice a year.
 
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My understanding is that HBA1Cs are done every 3 months. That is the time interval that they measure.
How often do other T2Ds have their HBA1Cs done ?? Any takers ??
I used to be every three months for a hba1c and full cholesterol panel, digoxin levels etc. It got to be a pita fasting so I go just for the digoxin levels and lft every three months/.

My GP is happy with me doing the rest six monthly now that I have got them down to 5.3% or 34 mmol/mol.
 

Mr_Pot

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I used to be every three months for a hba1c and full cholesterol panel, digoxin levels etc. It got to be a pita fasting so I go just for the digoxin levels and lft every three months/.

My GP is happy with me doing the rest six monthly now that I have got them down to 5.3% or 34 mmol/mol.
Does that come under Medicare or do you have to pay?
 
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Does that come under Medicare or do you have to pay?
If my GP ticks the blood test request form "Bulk Bill" box, then I do not have to pay the pathology shop. If he did not tick the box I have to pay up front before the tests get done.
 
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Bluetit1802

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My understanding is that HBA1Cs are done every 3 months. That is the time interval that they measure.
How often do other T2Ds have their HBA1Cs done ?? Any takers ??

The general rule is 3 months initially. Once levels are reasonable and medication is stable, it moves to 6 months. Once out of the diabetic range and medication is stable or non existent, then 12 months. I was told I was moving from 6 months to annually about 3 years ago but I pulled a face because I wanted to keep an eye on my cholesterol and other bits and bobs. My nurse and I agreed I could have the blood tests 6 monthly but only have an annual nurse review. This works well for me, and saves my surgery some money.
 
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kitedoc

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Thank you @Bluetit1802, so if one's HBA1C remains above a certain level then 3 monthly tests continue - thinking here of all types of diabetics?
 
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so if one's HBA1C remains above a certain level then 3 monthly tests continue
I waited till I had a couple of hba1c tests that came back into the 30's, before I talked to my GP.

The next hba1c test I have this coming June and if it's still in the low 30's I will ask to get off Metformin, then get another test after three months to see how I am going without them.
 

jjraak

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No, *** is alive and well, four from the end bottom row. :***:
hahaha...

Mmmh.
Doesn't quite cover the exasperation though, does it.

( I know it's not, but for each poster like that, I always tend to see it, as if it was my mum or sister/brother/child...
having a hard time and being spoken to like that, not sure i'd take it well.
i think they sometimes forget we are people, going through a hard time, and not robots awaiting orders

little background...
Mum got diagnosed with cancer.
family in room with doc..no word of what was wrong, but we knew it wasn't good, and we were all worried.
Doc casually blurted it out at end of meeting, before telling us to go wait for more tests.
Mum in shock..dad too.

we left room as a group, mum in tears..

i then returned and spoke to doc, and maybe a bit too forthrightly told him his manner was appalling.
kept it civil ..but only barely...(i make no apology, about it..i'd do it again )
Received apology ..as he believed we'd been spoken to earlier.,,was quite contrite about it.

so i had to accept that.
hopefully he checked with the next patients..)
 

kitedoc

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Hi @jjraak, Sorry to hear how things went!!
In Oz, years ago we had a subject as part of the medical school curriculum called "Breaking Bad News" which medical students had to read and research and do role play practices for assessment and exams. Sounds like either not all medical schools do this, or it has been pushed out by other 'more deserving ' topics !!! :oops::oops::oops:
 

RobsterUK

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GP's not taking any real notice in my symptoms & losing drastic amounts of weight
Same sort of thing with me, I’ve been testing myself for only 4 months, GP told me my average blood sugars are stable & to only test 4x a week until test strips run out as not giving me more - I’ve already bought a different testing machine & strips as the current ones are too expensive to self fund
If my blood sugars were that stable I’d like to know why they vary between 5.2 - 20 - this week they average between 9 - 18 & I really watch what I consume

I also might be misdiagnosed with LADA! Seeing a specialist this week
 

DCUKMod

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Hi @jjraak, Sorry to hear how things went!!
In Oz, years ago we had a subject as part of the medical school curriculum called "Breaking Bad News" which medical students had to read and research and do role play practices for assessment and exams. Sounds like either not all medical schools do this, or it has been pushed out by other 'more deserving ' topics !!! :oops::oops::oops:

With respect, I think your assessment that, ".... Sounds like either not all medical schools do this, or it has been pushed out by other 'more deserving ' topics !!!...." is somewhat simplistic. Let's face it, all medics are taught the importance of informed consent, explanation of potential side effects and so on, but we'd be somewhat naive, in my view, not to concede some are better than others. Breaking bad news is a variant on that.

Attending lectures, seminars, tutorials and all that is all very well, but the in the wild, reality deals up different mixes every time.

I'd violently agree it is a highly, highly important topic, but some will be better than others, and for some it will be purgatory.

I am not defending the individual being cited here, because I didn't hear or see what was said, but stating the reality of the matter. Whatever he said, and however he said it, he gauged it wrongly on the day.

Without doubt, most of us on here have ebbs on the receiving end of "that could have gone a lot better" situations with medics in our time. They're no different to other human beings.
 

kitedoc

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With respect, I think your assessment that, ".... Sounds like either not all medical schools do this, or it has been pushed out by other 'more deserving ' topics !!!...." is somewhat simplistic. Let's face it, all medics are taught the importance of informed consent, explanation of potential side effects and so on, but we'd be somewhat naive, in my view, not to concede some are better than others. Breaking bad news is a variant on that.

Attending lectures, seminars, tutorials and all that is all very well, but the in the wild, reality deals up different mixes every time.

I'd violently agree it is a highly, highly important topic, but some will be better than others, and for some it will be purgatory.

I am not defending the individual being cited here, because I didn't hear or see what was said, but stating the reality of the matter. Whatever he said, and however he said it, he gauged it wrongly on the day.

Without doubt, most of us on here have ebbs on the receiving end of "that could have gone a lot better" situations with medics in our time. They're no different to other human beings.
Hi @DCUKMod, Point taken. Yes, there will be some better communicators than others, some more mature, some less so.
 
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jjraak

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Good point @DCUKMod ..and I'm sympathetic to the fact.

Yet, how many I wonder, walk away stunned or in this case, for the O/P...left feeling berated, because sometimes we dare not correct them, but simply endure poor, and in some cases, crass behaviour.

Pretty sure we have all had at least one experience of too much power going to a receptionists head, for instance.

I'd like to think, as you put it..it is just a poorer skill set, then some others.

I think we do us ALL a disservice by just accepting such an unsympathetic style in my book.

But your point remains, we are human, and few of us are perfect.
 

DCUKMod

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Good point @DCUKMod ..and I'm sympathetic to the fact.

Yet, how many I wonder, walk away stunned or in this case, for the O/P...left feeling berated, because sometimes we dare not correct them, but simply endure poor, and in some cases, crass behaviour.

Pretty sure we have all had at least one experience of too much power going to a receptionists head, for instance.

I'd like to think, as you put it..it is just a poorer skill set, then some others.

I think we do us ALL a disservice by just accepting such an unsympathetic style in my book.

But your point remains, we are human, and few of us are perfect.

Don't mistake my post for your criticising medics as a whole. @kitedoc pointed out that all medics should be trained in this very important aspect. My statement was to say that irrespective or training given and completed, some will be better at delivering bad news than others, and we can all have a bad day.

It was not meant to challenge the validity of what you experienced and how it made you feel. That clearly wasn't good or acceptable.

Yes, I made the point that I reckon every person on this forum will have had an experience leaving them feeling " that could have gone, or been handled better".

It still doesn't change how distressing you felt it to be on the day.