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The testing debate continues......

C

chocoholicnomore

Well-Known Member
Messages
639
Location
Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi All

Just need a bit of a rant on my soap box!!!

Was at a diabetic support group meeting tonight (thought I'd give it a go).

The speaker was talking about a project encouraging diabetics to go on line for their medical info eg hba1c results etc or ask their GP for a print out which they are entitled to. The aim of the project is to increase/improve self management of diabetes and improve care resulting in less complications. All fine and good. I don't dispute it is a good idea.

However, when I plucked up the courage and said "wouldn't the money be better spent on providing testing equipment for T2s", it didn't go down very well to say the least. I went on to explain that we need it so we can establish which foods affect BG level and to better control it. Well, the man sitting in front of me (who I think was also diabetic) said "you don't need to test you just need to avoid sugary foods!" I wanted to punch him :evil: :evil:
 
Proud of you for fighting the testing corner in front of a hostile audience Choccy.

Would have been only slightly prouder if you had actually punched the bloke in front:
"If you think that violence is not the answer, it's probably because you're not using enough of it..."
 
Thanks Stephen- I am so angry that I didn't think I could laugh tonight until I seen your reply.

I really expected all the other diabetics in the room to fight our corner together. I was really taken aback when they disagreed with me. Will be frightened to speak out again.......but I will!
 
chocoholicnomore said:
Will be frightened to speak out again.......but I will!
Click to expand...

Never be frightened to fight your corner. Although it probably seemed that the audience was all hostile, there would have been some that heard you and were too nervous to speak up.

You'll never convince the likes of "the bloke in front", thems is the ones that end up as blind amputees.

You've inspired me to find some local meetings to go to, so I can kick up some trouble too...
 
borofergie said:
chocoholicnomore said:
Will be frightened to speak out again.......but I will!
Click to expand...

Never be frightened to fight your corner. Although it probably seemed that the audience was all hostile, there would have been some that heard you and were too nervous to speak up.

You'll never convince the likes of "the bloke in front", thems is the ones that end up as blind amputees.

You've inspired me to find some local meetings to go to, so I can kick up some trouble too...
Click to expand...

I'm heading to one of these at the end of the month, going in with an open mind though to see what's what. Maybe there is something running in your area?

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=26249#p240916
 
You did well Choc :thumbup:

I've had a Google for local support groups and nothing came up for here.

The 'bloke in front' is a sheep who probably blithely munches away on carby food because his doctor and diabetic nurse told him to and because he never tests himself he lives in blissful ignorance until complications set in and then it is too late.
 
The only local support group I know of are a downtrodde bunch who sit placidly , or sleep, through lectures by "professionals " .

Participation or commens by the audience is not encouraged and most of the discussion takes place over its head between the invited speakers and officials . HCPs of course. Looks good on the CV.

Sometimes as a special treat, there are blood testing sessions. Most people only seem to attend for the tea and biscuits.

Just wondering if I should sign up with a view to furthering the "revolution". Not sure whether this would be cruel or kind to the

captive audience. Hmmm
I
 
Marina, what was the official reaction to what you had to say, was it the usual arguments?
 
ladybird64 said:
Marina, what was the official reaction to what you had to say, was it the usual arguments
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The woman speaker didn't really comment much on it. All she said was that all GP practices are different and her father never had any problems getting strips. We were all given a feed back sheet at the end to send away with our comments so guess what I'm doing next........
 
Well done Choc you should be proud. :clap:
 
Wallycorkers_ghost said:
kick up some trouble
Click to expand...

Diabetes needs all the trouble makers it can get.
Click to expand...

Errr, wasnt it being a trouble maker that got you banned from here before?


I foresee more of the same :roll:
 
chocoholicnomore said:
ladybird64 said:
Marina, what was the official reaction to what you had to say, was it the usual arguments
Click to expand...

The woman speaker didn't really comment much on it. All she said was that all GP practices are different and her father never had any problems getting strips. We were all given a feed back sheet at the end to send away with our comments so guess what I'm doing next........
Click to expand...


As her father did not have a problem, ask her next time if he finds it beneficial to test and would it make a difference to him if he was denied them? You could write this on your feedback form and say that you are confused. He gets them and you don't so are you both getting the package of care that you deserve?

There has always been the myth that sugar causes diabetes and some people go on their merry way thinking that if they leave sugary products out then they will be fine. It is not always the HCP's fault, some people think they know it all as this man obviously thought he did. He is probably one of many that doesn't keep his follow up appointments.
 
I am not so sure about that catherine. Some people are very complacent especially if they have had the condition for years wih o complications. The raionale being that they have just done as they are told for years with no problems and anyone who disagrees is a troublemaker or seting themselves up as knowing more than the professionals.

This atitude is not just confined to diabetes , of course.

When I was first diagnosed ,meformin affected my coordination and speech as well as stomach. At that time self -testing was COMPULSORY and we were almost bullied into it {imagine that!} I just found it impossible to coordinate he strip, meter, blood sample. Well, walking wasn't that easy either.!

Noone understood or believed me. My husband was quite concerned and asked advice of a couple he worked with , both long term T2 diabetics. They couldn't understand either- they had never had a problem with metformin and offered to teach me how tio use the meter!

It was quite obvious that they did not bother about their diet in any way.

A few years ago both suffered suffered collapse and complications at around the same time. It transpired that they had been running HBA1Cs of 11s and 12s for some years , Their doctor had found ths perfecly acceptable. So why should they argue?

I have some neighbours also T2 with the same atitude and the same response from their Dr, They have never been given any guidance and shrug their shoulders about their condition. Its just a matter of taking a few pills . Works for them!

They all keep their appointments. No reason not to. It makes for a quiet life for everyone.

I think many HCPs do't or didn' boher {that may be changing , Which is good} If it ain't broke why fix it? Instead they waited unil complicatios set in and then started to do the things which might have prevented the complications if dome earlier.

I am not blaming them. It is a fact that they were all used to T2 being diagnosed mainly in the elderly, There were fewer treaments available and trying to change the habits of a lifeime in their patients might have been seen as harmful and a wase of time.

Now this is all changing and change can be difficult.
 
Wallycorkers_ghost said:
In the early days all diabetics need to test, test and test. Without testing you will never gain control of your diabetes.
Click to expand...

This is so true. Only today via testing did I learn that I had to change something. I test before meals and two hours later, and am learning what I can and can't eat. Without testing I would have had no clue, and without this forum and no meter would have done nothing more than cut out sugar, which wouldn't have helped at all. My Doctor wouldn't give me a meter, so I bought my own and I am so pleased I did. I now control my diabetes, my diabetes does NOT control me.
 
Were told, yesterday, when we went to see the Diabetes nurse, Nurse Death, that all we had to do was keep every reading below 7mmol. We shouldn't worry about it being a bit higher occasionally, or a bit lower, just keep to eating starchy stuff at every meal (she couldn't stress just how important this was) and let her worry about the figures as they are for her use really :shock: . The only figure we need concern ourselves with is the HBA1C.

But I fail to see how we can be concerned with the HBA1C if we don't monitor BG levels and diet carefully. I hate to think of the absolute head fit she's going to have in three months time when (if) we mention the bitter melon caps. She's probably also going to wonder why, the day after we last saw her, the BG levels dropped to normal and stayed there............. :wink:

Julia
 
Am I the only one to find an honest nurse? The diabetes lead nurse at my GP (not a DSN) said that whilst I'm still entitled to strips as an insulin user, the amount is to be reviewed as they've been told by the PCT not to prescribe more than absolutely necessary and that type 2s can't have any at all. She said this was crazy and how were people supposed to know what to eat if they could not test their blood. She seemed quite miffed about it all but said there was nothing they could do as the PCT was trying to save money.

I am glad she did not pump out the party line of 'Type 2s don't need to test'. Perhaps she has to say that to the type 2s, but felt she could be honest to me as I'm not a type 2 so they will continue to prescribe me strips.

There is a massive market out there for cheap test strips - why oh why have they not been invented? Bayer contour currently retaliing at £28 per box in boots - that's over 50p per strip. In normal market economics surely a cheaper competitor would come along to undercut the current manufacturers and take market share - why isn't this happening? They can't be that expensive to produce, can they? It's not like they've just been invented, they've been about for a while.
 
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