Newly diagnosed? Prepare for Diabetes Nurse appointment

[Chief LightoFeet]

Newbie here, diagnosed Christmas Eve 2019 (so within the 'Forum' I'm still standing on the platform while the train leaves the station!!) but hope the following helps:-
I first rang Diabetes UK helpline and they helped me navigate their website and signposted me to the 'Learning Zone' where I found...
"Newly diagnosed? Read this first!" and also printed off "15 Healthcare Essentials - Getting the care you need"
[I am guessing Administrator Team will better signpost if requested]
My Own Further List of Questions included things like, Medication or Not? Necessary to Stay On Them? Diagnostic Criteria (previous testings/monitoring?) Advice on How to Manage Symptoms like excessive thirst? overnight trips to bathroom? What other support available? .... much of this to be discussed at follow-up appointment(s) and at my pace.

In hindsight I would now request GP Practice Reception for printouts of results to take with me to DN appointment (although found any 'clinical' questions can only be answered by a doctor). When I was given Diabetes Type 2 Diagnosis (T2D) I sobbed! I also wish I had had someone to take with me - preferably another T2D for support.
Hope this helps. Sharing the love. 🙂🙂🙂

 

[Jodee]

Greetings ChiefLightoFeet. Is this all you as above or did you copy paste and reply to someone else?
Just a bit thrown by the words 'Hope this Helps'

Answering as if the above is all you, below is my response. Also Hope this helps 🙂

The diabetic nurse should be able to provide you with a copy of all your test results that resulted in your diagnosis. HbA1c, + see list on this page if you haven't already viewed: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/15-healthcare-essentials

The nurse I see gives me a print out, a copy is important to have as a comparison for next check. In addition guidance on what you need to do to help bring blood glucose down, as for referral to the education course, or you can self refer here: https://www.xperthealth.org.uk/

Knowing what your HbA1c result is can help you understand where on the scale you are and the target to reduce the blood glucose levels. Also whether or not you need medication, there are different meds, some people do not need meds, chats with the diabetic nurse will reveal.

Check out local support groups from this page just by entering your post code : https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_help/local_support_groups

You may find someone will be happy to accompany you to your 1st diabetes appointment clinic.

Diabetes is manageable and as long as it is managed properly you will be ok. Or were you sobbing because you thought no more chocolate and cakes.... 😉 that is something to sob over but never fear even Diabetics when blood glucose levels are in control indulge in the occasional amount of chocolate and to a lesser degree cake (smaller portion etc).

Excessive thirst and overnight trips to the bathroom are a symptom that the blood glucose levels are too high, so to remedy that and bring levels down will mean you won't have excessive thirst and too many trips to the bathroom. Since this is currently happening with you I would say you need to provide a urine sample, ask the nurse about this if she does not suggest it.

It depends what your HbA1c results are whether or not you will be offered medication that will help bring levels down as well as lowering carb intake and regular exercise walking etc.

 

[SB2015]

Newbie here, diagnosed Christmas Eve 2019 (so within the 'Forum' I'm still standing on the platform while the train leaves the station!!) but hope the following helps:-
I first rang Diabetes UK helpline and they helped me navigate their website and signposted me to the 'Learning Zone' where I found...
"Newly diagnosed? Read this first!" and also printed off "15 Healthcare Essentials - Getting the care you need"
[I am guessing Administrator Team will better signpost if requested]
My Own Further List of Questions included things like, Medication or Not? Necessary to Stay On Them? Diagnostic Criteria (previous testings/monitoring?) Advice on How to Manage Symptoms like excessive thirst? overnight trips to bathroom? What other support available? .... much of this to be discussed at follow-up appointment(s) and at my pace.

In hindsight I would now request GP Practice Reception for printouts of results to take with me to DN appointment (although found any 'clinical' questions can only be answered by a doctor). When I was given Diabetes Type 2 Diagnosis (T2D) I sobbed! I also wish I had had someone to take with me - preferably another T2D for support.
Hope this helps. Sharing the love. 🙂🙂🙂

It is great that you are planning for your appointment with the DN. the DN at the Practice will no doubt be a lot more knowledgable than your GP so don’t worry about it not being the GP.

The aim for all of us with Diabetes is match the insulin we have available to the amount of carbs that we are eating. For me that is calculating my carb intake and then injecting insulin as I don’t make any now (T1). For T2 you will still be making insulin, so it is matching the carbs to that insulin. It is also possible to use up some of the glucose that comes from any carbs you eat by doing exercise. I know that that is a very simplistic view of things. However the idea is that the DN will monitor your levels and also in some cases help you to achieve the targets. Many do this initially without meds, but depending on your levels that is a decision between you and the DN. whether you start on meds, or continue on them will depend on how you manage your condition.

In preparing for your appointment, it would be useful to go along with a food diary. This needs to focus on the amounts of carbs, but initially just recognising the sources of carbs that you are eating will be a good start. For the future there is information on packaging, I often end up googling ‘carbs in ...’ to get the info, and there are apps that you can get for your phone or books to refer to.

Many people with T2 on here choose to test, and purchase their own test kit and strips. It is rare that this is funded, but testing is the only way that you can see what impact different portion sizes and different carbs have on your glucose levels. Dan’s are often reluctant to promote this because of the funding issue.

Now that you are on the Diabetes register you need to ensure that you get an annual check and that is where the 15 health care essentials come in. I list those in a book and keep track of my results each year.

The thirst and trips to the loo in the night are often an indication of high glucose levels. As your management of the glucose, by managing your carb intake, improves the BG levels can improve and so the kidneys get a rest and don’t need to get rid of the excess glucose (less peeing) and so you will be less thirsty.

Enough for now, but keep coming back with questions, and apologies if I have repeated stuff in response to other posts that you have done.

 

[Chief LightoFeet]

Greetings ChiefLightoFeet. Is this all you as above or did you copy past and reply to someone else?
Just a bit thrown by the words 'Hope this Helps'

Answering as if the above is all you, below is my response. Also Hope this helps 🙂

The diabetic nurse should be able to provide you with a copy of all your test results that resulted in your diagnosis. HbA1c, + see list on this page if you haven't already viewed: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/15-healthcare-essentials

The nurse I see gives me a print out, a copy is important to have as a comparison for next check. In addition guidance on what you need to do to help bring blood glucose down, as for referral to the education course, or you can self refer here: https://www.xperthealth.org.uk/

Knowing what your HbA1c result is can help you understand where on the scale you are and the target to reduce the blood glucose levels. Also whether or not you need medication, there are different meds, some people do not need meds, chats with the diabetic nurse will reveal.

Check out local support groups from this page just by entering your post code : https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_help/local_support_groups

You may find someone will be happy to accompany you to your 1st diabetes appointment clinic.

Diabetes is manageable and as long as it is managed properly you will be ok. Or were you sobbing because you thought no more chocolate and cakes.... 😉 that is something to sob over but never fear even Diabetics when blood glucose levels are in control indulge in the occasional amount of chocolate and to a lesser degree cake (smaller portion etc).

Excessive thirst and overnight trips to the bathroom are a symptom that the blood glucose levels are too high, so to remedy that and bring levels down will mean you won't have excessive thirst and too many trips to the bathroom. Since this is currently happening with you I would say you need to provide a urine sample, ask the nurse about this if she does not suggest it.

It depends what your HbA1c results are whether or not you will be offered medication that will help bring levels down as well as lowering carb intake and regular exercise walking etc.

Hello Jodee and thank you for this! It was indeed "all me" - I went to type 'hope this helps open up a thread..".then realising not necessary only part deleted - getting too foggy brained (also have fibromyalgia). Thank you for your response - very informative. Ta.

 

[Jodee]

Hello Jodee and thank you for this! It was indeed "all me" - I went to type 'hope this helps open up a thread..".then realising not necessary only part deleted - getting too foggy brained (also have fibromyalgia). Thank you for your response - very informative. Ta.

Possible choccy withdrawal 😛 x

 

[Chief LightoFeet]

I know that that is a very simplistic view of things.

I need "simplistic" as foggy brain challenged (fibromyalgia)

 

[Chief LightoFeet]

In preparing for your appointment, it would be useful to go along with a food diary.

Very useful response, thanks. Will also give food diary a try.

 

[Ralph-YK]

In hindsight I would now request GP Practice Reception for printouts of results to take with me to DN appointment

The diabetic nurse should be able to provide you with a copy of all your test results

I've only had results to HbA1c printed out once, in a letter. Verbally sometimes. Then a load of times they've not told me at all. My old practice actually refused to do a printout.
If you have a copy of the results before seeing the nurse then you'll have them ready. I'm afraid it can be a case of insisting.

 

[Jodee]

I've only had results to HbA1c printed out once, in a letter. Verbally sometimes. Then a load of times they've not told me at all. My old practice actually refused to do a printout.
If you have a copy of the results before seeing the nurse then you'll have them ready. I'm afraid it can be a case of insisting.

Hi Ralph my diabetic nurse on the annual check goes through the required list its part of the care plan https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/care-plan perhaps you should ask for a copy of your care plan with test results on your next annual check.

My bloods and HbA1c tests are done before I see the diabetic nurse, although she was a bit slack last year and didn't request the urine test. But the other thing I have arranged through my surgery is access to my test results on-line and so I can view test results before I see the nurse too.