Who has never seen a consultant?

I've only been diagnosed since Jan, & have seen GP for diagnosis & practice nurse & diatician after that. Now have no appts 'necessary' for another year!!! They say I'm ok coz of 'execellent' control (thanks to advice from you lot!!). My last HBa1C was 5.8.

Btw, they 'forgot' to check my cholesterol, triglicerides, lipids, etc, so still have to go back for more blood-letting!! :roll:

Not what I expected as when I had gestational diabetes I saw the endo & dn every week!!!

Hey ho!

CurvyP

Life expectancy is reduced by at least fifteen years for someone with Type 1 diabetes.

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What?! :shock: :shock:

Where did that article come from. Is this over and above normal life expectancy for the social class/economic status you are deemed to be in. So as a Glasgwegian, type 1, I reckon that from now forwards I must have about 25 good years left if I am lucky. I knew it was shortened life expectancy but bloody 15 years!!!

hanadr said:

I ask this because in 6 years, I have only ever seen a GP and a DSN. I'm doing fine( last HbA1c 5.9%), but wonder if this is usual country wide? I have never seen a training course either and I got 1 short pretty useless discussion with a dietitian, before I was discharged from hospital nearly 6 years ago following my stroke.
Essentially, how did they know I'd cope?

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Hi - After nine years since diagnosis, my experience is very similar to yours but seemingly a little worse. I've never seen a DSN (I spoke to one last Friday after phoning the Barnsley PCT). My GPs surgery has never pointed me at any education training course (I self-referred myself onto a DESMOND course recently in my neighbouring Rotherham PCT). Just like you at the time of diagnosis I had a pretty useless meeting with a dietitian at my surgery - got different advice from the Dietitian, GP and Practice Nurse! However, I have had other meetings with dietitians recently - four sessions all with four different dietitians! In general, they ask me how I'm doing and write it down, put me on the scales and then start looking at their watches to indicate that my 5 or 10 minute slot is up. I'm not sure who is supposed to be sorting who out! After the initial meeting, I requested some more Food Diaries taht must cost 2p each - however, that seemed to cause big problems so I made started making my own.

Just like you I'm doing fine since I started taking control of my own diabetic situation and started testing against my GP's advice. Last four HbA1c readings have been 8.5% > 6.8% > 5.7% and the last one 5.5% - and still improving.

With hindsight, I'm very disappointed with the level of care that I've had over nine years.

kegstore said:

Sounds like a numbers game again to me - am I right in thinking there are many more T2s than T1s? Of course add that to the (incorrect) perception that T2 is "not as serious" as T1, so the former get palmed off to GPs unless specifically requested?

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Yes, around 10% of diabetics are Type 1. Curiously skinny Type 2s like me are regarded as "rare" but if we are 20% of the remaining 90% then we outnumber you! Likewise, supposedly there are about twice as many LADAs as childhood onset Type 1s.

Not A Lot Of People Know That!

Re. those statistics for life expectancy, they will be derived from POORLY CONTROLLED diabetics. Not only that but they will be somewhat suspect. Type 1s if uncontrolled will die quickly from lack of insulin, many Type 2s will die of cardiovascular disease before even being diagnosed.

OTOH WELL CONTROLLED diabetics of any type have around the same life expectancy as nondiabetics. Which is why I push testing and methods of gaining control. And why I fail to comprehend the motives of people who don't. Especially when they are Medical Professionals.

It seems the Hippocratic Oath was changed from "First do no harm" to "First spend no money" when we weren;t looking

Spot on Trink.

Figures like that certainly makes people wake up and take notice. :twisted:
As you say the Life expctancy IS for poorly controlled Diabetics.
Control is everything, control adds years to your life.

Ken.

I've just spoken with a doc. at a different surgery. I was there for something unrelated to diabetes but noted a book on his shelf called 'Diabetics in Old Age' or something similar and commented to the doc. that gave me hope after seeing the 15 years less for Type 1's on here. We discussed good control affecting that statistic but he said he knew diabetics with good control actually getting complications but also some with rotten control never getting complications. He reckons it's more to do with luck but he recommended I still keep trying for good control to lessen my chances of complications.
He also made my day by calling me 'thin', when he said it would have been obvious to him I was Type 1 from the word go. I never felt fat but I've not been called thin since I was a teenager. What a lovely man. I think I'll add this doc. to my Christmas card list. :lol:

Skating dangerously close to a very unpopular theory there choc! I like your style. I think there's quite a few people "who smoked 20 a day for 60 years and got run over by a bus" out there, to use an analogy. Until it's proven though I prefer to do what I can to mitigate the risk and the reality. If I had let things go years ago, who knows how much worse I'd be now, or whether it would have made any difference at all. :?: :|

Yep, me too kegstore. I intend trying as hard as I can, for as long as I can.

Oh yes it's all a crapshoot. My Type 1 uncle did a lot better on the old insulins than my mother's Type 2 uncle who had several parts removed. However you play the odds as best you can, in Type 2 there is a number of things you can do to reduce gene expression, Type 1s are more limited in that respect because the pancreas has been quickly destroyed and there's not usually insulin resistance and dyslipidemia to address, but you can work on reducing factors such as inflammation which is a major factor in cardiovascular disease and try to avoid weight gain alongside the BG control.

A friend's father died in his early seventies having had heart disease all his life. His grandson died in his early thirties. My friend is now in his sixties and somewhat paranoid. This appears to have genetic factors, "metabolic syndrome" but never attaining actual diabetes. Quite how much they could influence their genes to live longer is now unknown.

Excuse my ignorance, Trinkwasser but what is dyslipidemia, please?

Hi Choccy,

You've got to start Googling.

Wikipedia says that Dyslipidemia is a disruption in the amount of lipids in the blood. Nasty.

Regards,
timo.

OO-er, that's a new one on me. Thanks timo2.

I've never seen a consultant and because my surgery is a teaching practise the chances of seeing my doctor are few and far between. It takes at least 4-6 weeks for me to see my doctor or I see whatever is flavour of the week.

I went for a 6 month check last week and my blood pressure was up to 140/100 from 130/80 6 months ago. I was on metformin 500mg dose was 2 - 3 x daily and 1 of Reductil (sibutramine). I thought I'd been loosing weight as my waist was doing a disappearing act but my weight was the same as 6 months ago. I'm down to 122kgs from a high of 140kgs a year or so ago. I've been told that one of the side effects of Reductil side is high blood pressure and as it is also expensive. Therefore I was taken off it and now only have the metformin.

I have been feeling tired especially after eating during the last 3-4 months and that my last Hb was 12. something although I never get to see these results. I usually had between 6-7.5. I believe that the pressure that my son may have cancer and my university problems with certain subjects which I have no experience of (CAD as opposed to Drawing board)

I was nearly thrown off the doctors list because of my disagreement with their receptionist who was telling me what I could and couldn't have by way of medication. She took umbridge when I challenged her for her medical qualifications to tell me what I should be taking and when. Therefore I'm very careful now as if I do get ousted the doctor they send you to is 26 miles away.

I don't feel I'm getting proper treatment or care and that the practice is only in it for the money. I used to rresect doctors, not any more. Their staff think they are a cut above everyone and are not shy on putting you in your place. I don't speak to receptionists any more I use pen and paper thus denying them the excuse that I am being verbally abusive.

I call a spade a spade just my way I'm not going to change I'm too old now. I just want treated as a human being and not some drain on the GPs resources.

I'm open to suggestions about what to do next.

Well when I was in London, I did. But the care I've had here in Clacton sadly hasn't been that good so I'm fairly reluctant to go and see them. I remember going to the Endo in London though and having a row with him about what he deemed suitable for me, only to see another endo 10 mins after who actually agreed with me about what I should be taking.

Also, circumstances with my late dad who also had T2 where he died due to medical neglect kind of puts me off the medical profession. : :|

I was diagnosed about 3 or 4 weeks ago aged 72 - and have to see nurse twice a year (plus an extra visit in a month's time) and dr once a year

I had the glucose test for 3 years and it went up slightly each year

Dr said the blood results were excellent for any person/any age (lipids, kidney and liver etc etc)

It seems to be a do-it-yourself disease I was given the meter and told to do it myself - test how often?? - no idea I wasn't told much at all just eat a normal healthy diet - all very vague to me

Saw dietician yesterday who told me to eat more food and more often even if not hungry - 5 or 6 times a day to keep sugar levels - and yes I have a bit of a weight problem and try to keep to around 1,000 calories a day - and told to eat a certain amount of carbs too because she said cutting carbs was dangerous

Plus lots of walking/exercise

My husband asked about hypos and she said don't worry about those

Did a 24 hour blood pressure test and although it was considered low for healthy people without diabetes because I have diabetes I have to visit dr next week for medication - think it was averaging about 130/68

Have to take 1/2 a Metformin tablet per day am for 2 weeks and then slowly increase by 1/2 tablet daily for 2 weeks until I'm on 3 tablets a day which will take about 3 months

I do get tired and also get shaky sometimes before meals but was told you can't be too low you are more inclined to be too high - by the dietician

I find the whole thing very confusing - have bought some diabetes books and also borrowed some from library

But reading info on here will help me a lot I think and after a while I think I will ask to see a consultant/clinic - I will just see how things progress in a few weeks

Hopefully it won't take 10 years off my age once I get the hang of it or I won't have many years left LOL!!

It is in the family and my brother had a bad stroke (he's 80) so I want to avoid all those complications

Kate

You've got to start Googling

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"I'm doing it, dear. I'm doing it!"

Sorry, timo, had to reply like that after seeing your Basil photo. :wink:

That's ok, 'my little nest of vipers'.

Hiya
I have never seen a specialist But I do see the DNS either in the outreach clinic at the GP surgery or at the hospital. I know the DNS discusses my case with the 'Experts' so am confident she is doing her best. My GP is great and sees me now and again about the diabetes, and other things.
I did have a brief encounter with a dietician who was frankly unhelpful and angry that I should have been reffered to her,
I am already on a 'diet' quite low fibre due to the colostomy and when I presented her with my diabetic problem she just gave me a list of food that diabetics should eat, told me to cross of what I could not eat due to the stoma and eat what was left- end of consultation. I felt abandoned by her attitude.
I went on a DESMOND day, which I found totally traumatic, my GP admitted with hindsight, that it was probably not suitable for everyone but that the health authority were asserting themselves and did not look kindly on people not attending these days.
The DNS's at the end of the day had a sniffering wreck on their hands. They did wonder how I would cope when they read my notes, questions like 'what part of your body do you want to change?' were just too insensitive. and logic went out of the window for me.
I guess my experience was just the result of 'Specialists' lack of experience in other 'Specialist' areas and the GP who is the link to all of this just doesn't have the time to cover everything.
I know my particular group of health issues are unique at my surgery and at my last one too.

However It seems that I get quite a bit of attention for diabetes in comparison to others.

love and peace
julia

Hi,

I have never seen a consultant and only saw my Dr once on being diagnosed, he referred me to the specialist nurse. When I moved here 3 years ago, I had to change surgerys and was referred straight to the practise nurse after a new patient assessment with another nurse again without ever seeing a Doctor.

I never thought of myself as needing to see the Dr just because I have T2, as I have not been ill and believe the practise nurses are more of specialist in this than the Dr. I have known her to leave me in the medical room whilst she has consulted with the Dr but what he/she looks like still remains a mystery!!! :wink:

I've never seen an Endo.