Told NOT to test BG and I must eat carbs.

Alanp35 · Oct 28, 2014

[eQUOTE="Brunneria, post: 664303, member: 41816"]I very firmly believe that if we let the NHS try to keep us healthy, we will be less healthy than if we take personal responsibility.

EveryCloud, please don't let health care professionals (or your mother) bully you into doing what your common sense tells you is wrong.

And don't worry - you will be proved right when your next blood test results come in.[/QUOTE

Not sure what happened here but ............

We need to own our individual health and management of that health. There is so much evidential support in this forum it would be foolhardy, for me anyway, to ignore that and go only on the support/ advice of those who may not be current in their knowledge of diet, carbs, and glucose no matter how well intentioned.

secundaw · Oct 28, 2014

EveryCloud said:
Finally got to a diabetic clinic meeting. I never said much about what I had been learning from books and the internet, I explained that I had been testing my BG on a regular basis and they asked me why? I explained that I like to know what was going on, and that some days even though it would seem that the metformin is working as it was below 10, there are some days when it spikes into the teens, this is when I will go a walk and try to get this down. I was basically given a telling off and felt like a naughty child, I was told to stop testing my BG alltogether and that I should just trust that the meds are working. They went on to chat about food and asked the group what we were eating, I explained I was cutting down on carbs to reduce my BG and that was working, I was shot down again and I was told this is nonscence and I must eat carbs every time I eat anything. I was even told to take a high carb snack with me where ever I go because "Carbs regulate my blood sugar" I just kind of zoned out after that, I felt like I couldn't do right for doing wrong... You know? That feeling?

I feel like ****, really deflated, I thought I was doing good and this has hit me hard.

I had the same problem first doctor gave me a meter and lots of info told me to check in the morning then an hour later,went to see my go and he said I don't need to test at all as I am not on insulin,at the moment I'm testing about twice a week unless I feel awful, but if 2 doctors are giving you advice who do you take notice of very confused.

Paul59 · Oct 28, 2014

if I wasn't testing I think I wouldn't be able to to keep my diabetes under control. I'd suggest you talk to the doc that gave you the meter & ask them how do you know if you're doing the right things to bring your levels down so your not causing damage to yourself, which can happen, which I guess you.. have already been told. I have found there is a fine line between good readings & bad.

Lamont D · Oct 28, 2014

I have a different condition than diabetes! I am carb and sugar intolerant just like diabetics. I can't eat starchy carbs or even medium GI carbs. My blood sugar levels react to how many carbs I eat!
My medical team advised me to low carb as much as possible.
My doctor on the other hand insisted at the time I had to have carbs like all the usual less informed do!
Then taking my wife to her check up (she hasT2!) was told to reduce her carb intake!!
The word is out there! The policy just needs to change!
Everycloud. Do what you think best, but please try the lo carb. I would be in in a horrible place now if I didn't! Control is the key, testing and experimenting is the way forward!
Good luck with what you choose! Let us know how you get on!

Paul59 · Oct 28, 2014

Totally agree, it's the individuals choose on which way.. to take control of it, but testing,, is the key.

Scandichic · Oct 28, 2014

secundaw said:
I had the same problem first doctor gave me a meter and lots of info told me to check in the morning then an hour later,went to see my go and he said I don't need to test at all as I am not on insulin,at the moment I'm testing about twice a week unless I feel awful, but if 2 doctors are giving you advice who do you take notice of very confused.

If you are newly diagnosed and do not test or keep a food diary how do you know what food spikes you and should therefore be avoided. I encountered a doc who told me not to test. I pushed and pushed very nicely. In the end he admitted that it was down to finances. Just a thought.

Enclave · Oct 28, 2014

If a Dr tells you to test .. then they have to prescribe a meter and test strips .. that costs money that they are not willing to spend. If they are diabetic I bet you they will test !!!

EveryCloud · Oct 29, 2014

I have decided to follow you guys. They were also quizzing me about what I was eating. I think in future I will just keep everything to myself. Everyone suddenly becomes an expert when you say you have diabetes. So I am not even going to mention it any more and I will just keep track of things privately, but obviously share it in here.

DeejayR · Oct 29, 2014

EveryCloud said:
I have decided to follow you guys. They were also quizzing me about what I was eating. I think in future I will just keep everything to myself. Everyone suddenly becomes an expert when you say you have diabetes. So I am not even going to mention it any more and I will just keep track of things privately, but obviously share it in here.

Hooray, another winner.
I'll play it by ear when I next see my GP/DN but it occurs to me that self-testing would be lonely and probably futile without this forum to put the readings in perspective and advise accordingly. The professionals need to understand that we're not abandoning the NHS treatment and all its support systems (ie lots of pledges, mission statements etc) to "do our own thing" like willful children but are in fact swapping the lonely path of the NHS patient for a broad road with friendly and knowledgeable fellow-travellers. Something like that, anyway.

Enclave · Oct 29, 2014

On my Drs notes I read .. I am NOT controlling my Diabites ... I have my sugars normal now and lost 4 stone in weight .. When I followed their advice I gained a stone and my sugars were in the mid to high 20's ..so When I told them I was going to test and LCHF they put I was not going to controll my DB's .. I don't give them any info now.

Brunneria · Oct 29, 2014

Enclave said:
On my Drs notes I read .. I am NOT controlling my Diabites ... I have my sugars normal now and lost 4 stone in weight .. When I followed their advice I gained a stone and my sugars were in the mid to high 20's ..so When I told them I was going to test and LCHF they put I was not going to controll my DB's .. I don't give them any info now.

Wow.

Heard it all now.

That's astonishing, Enclave.

alliebee · Oct 29, 2014

Enclave said:
On my Drs notes I read .. I am NOT controlling my Diabites ... I have my sugars normal now and lost 4 stone in weight .. When I followed their advice I gained a stone and my sugars were in the mid to high 20's ..so When I told them I was going to test and LCHF they put I was not going to controll my DB's .. I don't give them any info now.

Wow??? I'm seriously shocked at this. How awful. So you now have a 'non compliant' record on your notes

Nuthead · Oct 29, 2014

Enclave said:
On my Drs notes I read .. I am NOT controlling my Diabites ... I have my sugars normal now and lost 4 stone in weight .. When I followed their advice I gained a stone and my sugars were in the mid to high 20's ..so When I told them I was going to test and LCHF they put I was not going to controll my DB's .. I don't give them any info now.

Interesting in a bad way. I test a least four times a day. Just show DN the results and get left alone. Under DN with chemotherapy knowledge as had cancer and diagnosed T2 whilst in hospital. Steroids get the blame. Now clear of the big C and wondering if I will get harresd. Every hcp had no clue what to do when I was on chemo.

Dillinger · Oct 29, 2014

EveryCloud said:
I explained I was cutting down on carbs to reduce my BG and that was working, I was shot down again and I was told this is nonscence and I must eat carbs every time I eat anything. I was even told to take a high carb snack with me where ever I go because "Carbs regulate my blood sugar" I just kind of zoned out after that, I felt like I couldn't do right for doing wrong... You know? That feeling?

I feel like ****, really deflated, I thought I was doing good and this has hit me hard.

That is the classic horror story that comes up too often here.

I agree with all that has been said; you are on the right path and you know what you are doing. Ignore these idiots whose advice will cause untold damage. Carbs regulate blood sugars. Really? That's not science, it's not the result of observation, it's just idiotic dogma and is as we all know 180 degrees wrong; carbs disrupt blood sugars if you have an impaired insulin response which every single diabetic in the world does.

What makes me really irate is that you have managed to see through this stuff but think of all those people who don't have your smarts and just go along with this because the doctor knows best. It doesn't bear thinking about.

You need to attend your surgery and get all the blood tests done but if you don't relish a fight I'd just smile, nod and get on with it. If you do fancy a fight; there is a lot of ammunition here to load up on before you see them again...

Best

Dillinger

Enclave · Oct 29, 2014

alliebee said:
Wow??? I'm seriously shocked at this. How awful. So you now have a 'non compliant' record on your notes

Yes sadly I do ... But that's not the worst bit of my Drs .. When I had very swolen leg and foot .. My Dr only said .. Yes it very swolen .. Why don't you get a hobby ! Tried to report him but got nowhere .. That was some years ago, and I do have heart failure

sanguine · Oct 29, 2014

Enclave said:
On my Drs notes I read .. I am NOT controlling my Diabites ... I have my sugars normal now and lost 4 stone in weight .. When I followed their advice I gained a stone and my sugars were in the mid to high 20's ..so When I told them I was going to test and LCHF they put I was not going to controll my DB's .. I don't give them any info now.

Enclave said:
Yes sadly I do ... But that's not the worst bit of my Drs .. When I had very swolen leg and foot .. My Dr only said .. Yes it very swolen .. Why don't you get a hobby ! Tried to report him but got nowhere .. That was some years ago, and I do have heart failure

Apart from changing your GP (which won't in itself erase the note from your records) I would write a strong letter to him and/or the practice manager demanding to have the note removed, and saying if they don't you will be writing to your MP and the Medical Ombudsman about it.

annelise · Oct 29, 2014

EveryCloud said:
I have decided to follow you guys. They were also quizzing me about what I was eating. I think in future I will just keep everything to myself. Everyone suddenly becomes an expert when you say you have diabetes. So I am not even going to mention it any more and I will just keep track of things privately, but obviously share it in here.

EveryCloud, you are a wise person in choosing to follow this strategy

I have the same strategy - I have made a pact with my doctor (one-sided though, as he doesn't know about this pact - nor need to be told ...).

It is that "I will myself take full responsibility for my diet and control of my diabetes - he on the other hand will take care of the occasional blood tests and give his suggestions about how to interpret the results".

And even sometimes when I get a bit in doubt about his interpretations or conclusions, there may be old-time and very knowledgeable posters on forums such as this, who will give me some pointers.

annelise

beatdise · Oct 29, 2014

I met my DN yesterday and she was a wonderful nurse, however, she did suggest that I shouldn't be using a meter. I said look, I want to get things under control and i want to know where I am at. I don't want to guess, I want to know which foods effect my blood sugar, so that I can mitigate my risks of complications. She said that the NHS wouldn't pay for the strips. I said frankly that fortunately that is the last thing I am worried about. If I can work out stuff in a couple of months I wont need to test so frequently. But while I am a newby I am NOT going to just hope the medication works and that the foods I am eating and the exercise I am undertaking will hopefully tell me in 3 months time that it is or isn't. I just WILL NOT take those risks with my life. Nor Should YOU. I understand that we shouldnt be panicking as I have already done a few times each time I get a spike. But with this great forum you get the words of wisdom based on knowledge and experience that just calms everything down. Good Luck

Enclave · Oct 29, 2014

Dibbles1 said:
Sadly all too familiar to me.
Told I was overweight because I had nothing better to do than sit on the sofa stuffing my face with doughnuts, by the surgery nurse, during a period when I put on weight after my accident.
She told me to get on my bike and go cycling.
I'm not allowed on the roads, or to go out on my own as I have a TBI. I couldn't balance a bike even.
I wasn't over eating, It turns out I had hypothyroidism which was one of many things being covered up by Poole hospital as it was related to spinal/neck/head injuries they'd missed.
Dread to think what's actually written on my records, since I started questioning things.

As a teenager I was sent to the GP by mum, who had received a letter from the school nurse, requesting I be put on the pill. Due to severe pain and sickness and having to constantly be fetched from school by a family member.

The GP made me cry asking if I was having sex. I hadn't even been kissed.

She refused my mum and the nurse request, leaving me suffering for years more.

I read the resulting records some years ago.

She had written that I was obviously sleeping with men and had manipulated my mother into bringing me to the surgery to be put on the pill. Lawd, she obviously knew nothing about my mother

It seems nothing changes with the NHS.

This is why I like these forums, I always thought I was the only one to have any problems with a GP. When I had a heart attack in the Drs office I was told to go home I was only having an panic attack ! The hospital went ballistic when I told them .. Have a fair bit of damage to my heart now caused by panic attacks!
Edit to add .. My life's to short to get into a fight with the medical staff

chris lowe · Oct 29, 2014

Well why on earth would you want to keep a check on your sugar levels when we all know how prolonged high bs can cause eye problems, foot problems etc etc etc, and why not eat carbs to keep our levels sky high. I suspect that the NHS doesn't encourage us to test because if they did, then they wouldn't be able to wriggle out of supplying us with test strips for free. There always seems to be a report in the press about how much diabetes is going to cost the service in the future but perhaps if they gave us the means to control our health it would actually save money in the long term by not having to treat complicatons

Told NOT to test BG and I must eat carbs.

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