A Type 1 diabetic first, a Doctor second.

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Abi - probably comes from the years of indoctrination that many of us got from the NHS, ie if it doesn't work like it says here is this book - then the only thing it can be is User Error.

For 'User' substitute own name .......
 
Wow,

I feel very welcomed. Lovely to hear from all of you.

Interesting to hear everyones experiences.

I will definitely be looking into that part of Diabetes UK and checking out the ups and downs blog too.

How is your vision now Twitchy? My left eye has required some extensive laser treatment too (plus some avastin injections) - unfortunately a risk of the length of time with the condition i guess. My right eye however is not too bad. Just wondering what I may have to look forward to....

Carb counting is an interesting one.... there seem to be large numbers of diabetics who are very interested in their condition and take charge of it. But equally surprising are the numbers who haven't got to grips with carb counting etc. I was brought up on "exchanges" of carbohydrate, which isn't vastly different, just different terminology i guess.
I would love to get onto a DAPHNE course, but never made/found the time to do it.
I am just starting the BDEC course (found from the links on this website) to see if i find it useful or not.

Lovely to hear from you all
 
you will find the bdec course helpful I am sure if you are n't confident re carb ratios etc
If you find you still aren't where you want to be control wise then the book " using insulin" by John Walsh goes into even finer detail- It''s American but gives blood gluose levels in mmol/L as well
 
Hello again 🙂 My vision now nearly 2 months post op feels blooming brilliant! :D I suspect that my night & peripheral vision are not what they were but am still fine to drive & was told the lasering was quite peripheral so actually the effects should be relatively minimal. Having had 2 + years prior to the op of very frequent bleeds (lots of black blobs, sworls, 'oil mist' /vaseline smear effects that moved in the vision, I am really enjoying having drastically clearer vision now! The problem for me was scarring from the lasering had snagged a blood vessel & was tearing it, so although the lasering had sorted out the retinopathy the bleeds continued. The eye clinic & eye casualty at my original hospital were always crazily busy & felt quite rushed & noone spotted the real problem ( they just assumed bleeding = active retinopathy so more laser!!!). Eventually i paid for a 2nd opinion at a different hospital where they found the problem & have now fixed it (hurrah!!!!) So things are good now - but the care at the two hospitals is poles apart! I've learnt a valuable lesson about doing your own research & not just accepting what you're told! I hope your experience with the eyes is a good one. 🙂
 
Hi

Welcome to the forum. Personally the care I've had has been pretty good.

2 down points though:

I had to find out & book myself onto the local run education workshop which I found out by a google search. Would have helped if GP practise had mentioned they existed when I was diagnosed.

The other is the plain refusal (I was told not needed in second sentence after being told I was a type 2) to prescribe testing strips if you are not on insulin. 12 months later I bought my own & found out that although my HBA1c good at 6.5 I am very high first thing in the morning.

At the moment I'm taking part in a small aspirin study & once completed I'll be catching up with parctise nurse at GP clinic to discuss and work out a plan to improve early morning readings.

BUT IF I HADN'T BOUGHT MY OWN STRIPS I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN I HAVE THIS ISSUE.

NHS want us to self-manage but put pressure on GP's not to prescribe strips. What are we supposed to do except where you can buy your own & keep a check yourself.

Probably not connected but since my old dad had his strips taken off prescription his control got worse & he is now on dialysis 3 days a week for end stage kidney failure. May have happened anyway but his health did get worse after he no longer had strips to use was a bit coincidental.
 
Just saying hello and welcome dr voles.

Was interesting to read this whole thread.

I have great care from gp and consultant. Have had right from the start of diagnosis
 
Twitchy said:
Hello again 🙂 My vision now nearly 2 months post op feels blooming brilliant! :D I suspect that my night & peripheral vision are not what they were but am still fine to drive & was told the lasering was quite peripheral so actually the effects should be relatively minimal. Having had 2 + years prior to the op of very frequent bleeds (lots of black blobs, sworls, 'oil mist' /vaseline smear effects that moved in the vision, I am really enjoying having drastically clearer vision now! The problem for me was scarring from the lasering had snagged a blood vessel & was tearing it, so although the lasering had sorted out the retinopathy the bleeds continued. The eye clinic & eye casualty at my original hospital were always crazily busy & felt quite rushed & noone spotted the real problem ( they just assumed bleeding = active retinopathy so more laser!!!). Eventually i paid for a 2nd opinion at a different hospital where they found the problem & have now fixed it (hurrah!!!!) So things are good now - but the care at the two hospitals is poles apart! I've learnt a valuable lesson about doing your own research & not just accepting what you're told! I hope your experience with the eyes is a good one. 🙂
Click to expand...

Well it sounds like you were taken down the long route to getting the treatment you seemed to need.
I'm glad things are much better for you now 🙂

I had my diabetic clinic (hospital) appt today....at my a new clinic. I'm very impressed. Very thorough, well organised, friendly, clear and so forth. Furthermore i've been given the date of my next appointment already (a problem i've had in the past waiting fro appointments in the post that never came.)

Thanks Abi, i'll check out that book too. Its not that i don't know what to do, and so forth, its just a matter of being able to get my dosing right, and it just seems to have become more difficult lately.

Cheers guys
 
Hi there dr,
Really good to read all the threads on here. I started with diabetes when I was 30 and was brought on during pregnancy. The help and advice that has been given since has been brilliant and second to none especially at the hospital and the diabetic nurses are extremely helpful.
After the birth of my son the diabetes went for six weeks then came back and my results came back at 28.1. I went back on insulin five times a day but struggled with highs and lows most of the time.
Enrolled on dafne and then went on an insulin pump in 2010. Hb1ac was 10.1. Now down to 7.9. Do suffer with colds and regular bugs as work in a day nursery but find the pump so much better. Won't deny it still have good and bad days but wouldn't go back.
I do however have problems with getting testing strips. When I am doing lots of fasting periods and exercise I use quite a lot of them and when I try to get more the receptionist are reluctant to get them for me. I am using the optium Xceed.
Great to have a dr on here!
Natb
 
Hi Dr Voles

Welcome to the forum 🙂

I'm in West Yorkshire and the level of care is quite good.

The only problem I have come across relating to Diabetes \ metformin is I saw 5 GP's and 2 Dentist's with problems I was experiencing with sore mouth\gums.

It took 2 years and lots of tears, tantrums before B12 deficiency was diagnosed. Apparently it's can be caused by Metformin, something about 'intrinsic factor'? I have a B12 injection every 3 months, it lasts about 4 weeks then the symptoms come back. My brother is with a different GP and has his once a month. My Doctor says I shouldn't need it more than every 3 months.

That sounds more like a moan than a welcome, I don't mean to.

Best regards

Andy
 
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