Why does the nurse just not get it?

[Tweetypie]

Been mulling over this one since my most recent diabetic review a few weeks ago.

Saw nurse in October last year, following an hba1c of 5.7. She says I only need to test when I am ill. So, I relax a little, you get the picture. February this year, I see the nurse, have put on a stone and my a1c is up to 6.3! Am told not to worry, no two assays are ever the same anyway. Decide to ignore her advice and start testing regularly. See the nurse in October - have lost a stone and a1c is down to 5.5. But why are you testing so much? She says testing is irrelevant, the average is what matters. Annoyed that I have been "wasting" strips, she insists I have to go on a different meter, which uses cheaper strips. Am very unimpressed with her review. Does she not get that my a1c is better BECAUSE I am testing more?! Aaaagh!

To top it all, the hospital failed to check my cholesterol and vitamin d levels as part of the review. Owing to the enormous bruise from the last jab, which still hurts, I refuse to go through that again so soon.

Anyone else had similar experience?

 

[andcol]

But you don't need to test to make sure you do not put on a stone! However, I do understand why you test. It is good that she is providing you with strips. Well done bringing it down again. What you could try is only testing one week each month just to make sure things are still stable.

 

[Tweetypie]

But you don't need to test to make sure you do not put on a stone! However, I do understand why you test. It is good that she is providing you with strips. Well done bringing it down again. What you could try is only testing one week each month just to make sure things are still stable.

Yes, I see what you are saying. However, for me, no testing equals not worrying about what I eat, which equals weight gain. True, I don't need to test to know how to eat right, but it certainly helps me, cause when I see it on the meter, it makes me less likely to do it again and therefore keeps the weight in check.
From your response it seems I am lucky to get strips at all - do some not give them out at all? That seems ludicrous to me, but I am not surprised

 

[andcol]

Yeah most T2s don't get strips and I do wish that the HCPs understood what "average means" because you could live 12 hours at 12 and 12 hours at 3 and get a reasonable HbA1c. I admit there is nothing like a positive feedback loop to help control.

 

[AlexMBrennan]

Does she not get that my a1c is better BECAUSE I am testing more?! Aaaagh!

Yeah, I'm gonna keep sticking with the NICE guidelines instead of your highly rigorous n=1 trial if you don't mind.

The simple fact is that trial outcomes will conflict with "common sense" ideas, and when that happens the nurses and doctors have to go with what the science is telling them; patients who only go by "common sense" will inevitably end up complaining on forums. Sorry.