At my diabetic clinic I was recently asked to name all the complications caused by diabetes. This was the first sentence said to me. I was close to tears when the appointment started because I've been feeling so terrible. I didn't answer because I knew it would make me cry but the diabetes specialist insisted and instead told me a long list of things I already knew which did make me cry. I found it so upsetting because I've been struggling for years to get help with fluctuating BS and always get told I'm fine because my hba1c is good.I've thought about complications every day for 15 years. I don't think it was necessary to force me to name them and it took away any faith I had in the diabetes team to help me deal with things at my own pace. what do you think?
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Told to name complications
- Thread starter twilight
- Start Date
IanD
Well-Known Member
Cheer up! They've got it all wrong :wink:
Sadists :twisted: When I was diagnosed (10 years ago at age 61) the Dr told me ALL the complications I could suffer, & finished by computing the PROBABILITY of a heart attack. I was in a state of shock for months afterwards. There was Steve Redgrave winning gold medals at the Olympics while my life was finished. I had the disease that would kill me.
She went on tell about diet & exercise, & referred to a 1 day hospital information programme. I learnt that diabetes is progressive, so even if I did follow all the recommendations I would get worse, & the complications would come.
I was, of course, afraid NOT to follow all the recommendations carefully. Including eating all that carbohydrate. I kept up the exercise - tennis, joined an exercise class my wife goes to at the hospital. I started medication - metformin & simvastatin. (I stopped the simv due to muscle pains.) The prophesied complications duly arrived - I had neuropathy (leg numbness) when I was diagnosed, I became chronically tired (I had to stop for sleep when driving,) & then the beginning of retinopathy. Then leg muscle pains (peripheral neuropathy) threatened to end my active life. I could not do the gentle exercises designed for heart patients.
Then, praise the Lord, I discovered this forum, & took the low carb advice. Complications? What complications? Three years on & I'm well & more active than ever.
Sadists :twisted: When I was diagnosed (10 years ago at age 61) the Dr told me ALL the complications I could suffer, & finished by computing the PROBABILITY of a heart attack. I was in a state of shock for months afterwards. There was Steve Redgrave winning gold medals at the Olympics while my life was finished. I had the disease that would kill me.
She went on tell about diet & exercise, & referred to a 1 day hospital information programme. I learnt that diabetes is progressive, so even if I did follow all the recommendations I would get worse, & the complications would come.
I was, of course, afraid NOT to follow all the recommendations carefully. Including eating all that carbohydrate. I kept up the exercise - tennis, joined an exercise class my wife goes to at the hospital. I started medication - metformin & simvastatin. (I stopped the simv due to muscle pains.) The prophesied complications duly arrived - I had neuropathy (leg numbness) when I was diagnosed, I became chronically tired (I had to stop for sleep when driving,) & then the beginning of retinopathy. Then leg muscle pains (peripheral neuropathy) threatened to end my active life. I could not do the gentle exercises designed for heart patients.
Then, praise the Lord, I discovered this forum, & took the low carb advice. Complications? What complications? Three years on & I'm well & more active than ever.
twilight,
Not a pleasant experience and can well understand why you found it upsetting. In my own clinic there is usually 2 or 3 consultants working - if yours is similar I would ask to see someone else next time and give him a miss altogether from future visits.
Nigel
Not a pleasant experience and can well understand why you found it upsetting. In my own clinic there is usually 2 or 3 consultants working - if yours is similar I would ask to see someone else next time and give him a miss altogether from future visits.
Nigel
Hi, Your story echo's mine! A certain senior diabetic specialist nurse has had me in tears both times I have seen her. pressurising n bulldozing me to eat MORE CARBS n go onto insulin. So much so I want to avoid her like the plague n dont wish to return to the diabetes centre again. Surely they shouldnt be doing this?? Have posted more on this on another thread, see newly diagnosed n dont know what to do,see end of page 2 . [am anna29] Am due to see the consultant june1st n depending on what happens n transpires ? will be logging a formal complaint if it ever happens again as it felt so wrong n bang out of order. Anna. x
Hi, Your story echo's mine! A certain senior diabetic specialist nurse has had me in tears both times I have seen her. pressurising n bulldozing me to eat MORE CARBS n go onto insulin. So much so I want to avoid her like the plague n dont wish to return to the diabetes centre again. Surely they shouldnt be doing this?? Have posted more on this on another thread, see newly diagnosed n dont know what to do,see end of page 2 . [am anna29] Am due to see the consultant june1st n depending on what happens n transpires ? will be logging a formal complaint if it ever happens again as it felt so wrong n bang out of order. Anna. x
C
catherinecherub
Guest
Hi twilight,
It is not a professional approach and has clearly upset you.
I notice you posted another topic about control and, at last, you have had a reply from a Type 1 to your query.
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=21132
I suggest your revenge is to gain control and prove that any complications will be the luck of the draw as you are educating yourself to improve your management.
It is not a professional approach and has clearly upset you.
I notice you posted another topic about control and, at last, you have had a reply from a Type 1 to your query.
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=21132
I suggest your revenge is to gain control and prove that any complications will be the luck of the draw as you are educating yourself to improve your management.
borofergie
Well-Known Member
That's an easy question to answer:
"there are no complications for well controlled diabetes".
"there are no complications for well controlled diabetes".
Good control can only reduce the risk of getting them or improve existing problems.
tigger
Well-Known Member
My response would have to answer the question with a question - "what causes complications and how many people with control within x band get these complications?". Then watch as they witter about statistics for a while before you politely inform them that you are a person not a statistic and you had believed that you were seeing a dr not a statistician. That was my response (minus last part of the sentence) when my new consultant raised the subject in a less aggressive manner to yours. Admittedly my hba1c was around 7 so hardly a major criminal but still I object to people treating me like an idiot who can be bullied into doing what they want. Just because I look considerably younger than everyone else in the clinic I've still had type 1 for 28 years which is considerably longer than my consultant has been practicing endocrinology for.
If you have a dr like that it's generally good to take someone along for moral support. I remember when I'd first started attending appointments by myself (I think I was around 19) and I got a dr who attacked me for being overweight. I knew I was overweight wasn't too happy about it but hadn't worked out how to lose it (did eventually). I got really upset and the next appt took my father with who didn't even wait to see which dr it was (a different one) but once the clueless dr had asked me how many years I'd had diabetes attacked him for not having read my notes and continued in this vein. Not perhaps a productive appt but it did make me feel much better!
If you have a dr like that it's generally good to take someone along for moral support. I remember when I'd first started attending appointments by myself (I think I was around 19) and I got a dr who attacked me for being overweight. I knew I was overweight wasn't too happy about it but hadn't worked out how to lose it (did eventually). I got really upset and the next appt took my father with who didn't even wait to see which dr it was (a different one) but once the clueless dr had asked me how many years I'd had diabetes attacked him for not having read my notes and continued in this vein. Not perhaps a productive appt but it did make me feel much better!
I've just got back from a disastrous doctors appointment thats left me crying for the last hour. I'm having dizzy spells thats making it really hard for me to tell when I'm low. My BS were 1 when I went out last week because I ignored the symptoms after thinking it was a dizzy spell. The doctor thinks the hypos are caused by anxiety and I can't convince him that the reason I'm so anxious is because my BS are either always low or around 19 and I'm so washed out. Every high BS is like a punch in the stomach and I don't know whats causing it. I can't change my insulin because I'm looking for a job and I cant handle both. I do 9 bloodtests a day and it's still not enough I'm starting to lose my hypo awareness, my feet are always cold and numb and I'm starting to see spots in my vision. Being asked to name all the complications by the diabetes specialist was one thing too much for me to cope with. Sorry to go on but I feel better already having written it all down for you guys to read.
