Appointment with DSN

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SacredHeart

SacredHeart

Senior Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Just had a call from my DSN, saying that there was some sort of error, and some poor (non-diabetic!) woman with a similar patient ID to me got sent my appointments with my DSN and the consultant! 😱

Anyhoo, I've got an appointment with my DSN on Monday, which is my first proper one - was wondering if there was anything in particular that I should bring up with her? I have a tendency to forget what I mean to ask/say, so I plan to write it all down. 😉
 
WOW what a serious error that was hun 😱😱
I think really the first appointment will be a case of she will give you loads of info maybe some leaflets and some websites to look out for on the net, she might check you over r.e blood pressure check your feet check your weight see whats what and go over a through guidelines with you regarding diet , at my meet i got a meter as well to take bloods so you may get on of those as well,after she has finished chatting you could maybe get your questions in you need answering like you mentioned id write it all down , i didnt really ask alot at first i just sat and took it all in..
here are a few questions you could ask :

what kind of diet and exercise should i follow?
what is the best way for me to take insulin?
do i have to stop eating sweet foods?
how often do i need to test my blood glucose levels?
is they anythign i cant do ?
do i need to exercise more?
how do i treat hi and lo blood glucose levels?
HOPE THIS HELPS
 
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what regime are you on????

if not basal/bolus id ask to be swapped onto it as it gives better control. also discuse what your chances are of going on a carb counting course. maybe also look into what monitors they are using and get one you think you can get on best with. thats all i can think of for now, but they will give you loads of info like steff said and it is a lot to take in.

hope that helps a little

mike
 
SacredHeart said:
...Anyhoo, I've got an appointment with my DSN on Monday, which is my first proper one - was wondering if there was anything in particular that I should bring up with her? I have a tendency to forget what I mean to ask/say, so I plan to write it all down. 😉
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One thing you should definitely ask about is basal/bolus (also known as MDI - multiple daily injections). I was on this from the start and find it hard to imagine how I would have gone on if I'd been on the two injections a day routine. Basal/bolus gives you much more freedom over your lifestyle and food intake - more injections, but definitely worth it!🙂
 
Good idea to write anything down you want explained.

Steff thanks for list as the DSN is at my doctors surgery next week and I was wondering what I needed to ask too...
 
Just thought of something else - how to cope when you are ill. Illnesses can cause the blood sugar to rise, plus you might not be able to eat much. It's important to know how to treat yourself if you get something like a cold for example - extra insulin and testing for ketones.
 
no problems caroline i like to be of use occasionly x
 
Form your replies I made a list of things to ask when I see the DSN. I thought I'd make the most of having a specialist and I get information smaller than a full stop from my GP!

I can't help feeling I ought to know more than I do (it's been three years now), but my GP is less use than a sieve in a leaky boat sometimes, and that is where my diabetic care has been.
 
Caroline said:
Form your replies I made a list of things to ask when I see the DSN. I thought I'd make the most of having a specialist and I get information smaller than a full stop from my GP!

I can't help feeling I ought to know more than I do (it's been three years now), but my GP is less use than a sieve in a leaky boat sometimes, and that is where my diabetic care has been.
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Hopefully things will improve considerably once you have seen the DSN, Caroline. I was extremely lucky to get excellent care right from the very beginning, although luck shouldn't come into it!😱
 
Northerner said:
Hopefully things will improve considerably once you have seen the DSN, Caroline. I was extremely lucky to get excellent care right from the very beginning, although luck shouldn't come into it!😱
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I have come to the conclusion if you have anything outside his normal comfort zone, unless he can get paid for it (another bloody polotician) he doesn't want to know.

Actually I think I'm set for a row with him soon. I went to the hospital earlier this week because I was in so much pain (amongst other things) with my feet I couldn't wait to see someone. Turns out to be celulitis and I have antibiotics for it.
 
Caroline said:
Form your replies I made a list of things to ask when I see the DSN.
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Just had an idea that this sentence inspired in me. Perhaps as a forum of actual diabetes er people we should collectively publish a set or series of checklists to be hosted somewhere in PDF format so that if someone is a newly diagosed diabetic we have a checklist they can download and print off with information and questions to ask DSN/GP etc as they come to terms with their initial diagnosis and perhaps don't think of many questions they want to ask there and then but then have ideas of things they wanted to ask later on.
 
Great idea Marc
I have a whole load of changes/amends to make to the site and will gladly add this in!
 
Ask for a blood ketone monitor (optimum xceed) if you haven't already got one.
And ask about basal bolus regieme as the others have said.
 
blood is much better, gives you an accurate currrent level, urine lags behind.
You test in the same way that you would for blood glucose.
 
MarcLister said:
Just had an idea that this sentence inspired in me. Perhaps as a forum of actual diabetes er people we should collectively publish a set or series of checklists to be hosted somewhere in PDF format so that if someone is a newly diagosed diabetic we have a checklist they can download and print off with information and questions to ask DSN/GP etc as they come to terms with their initial diagnosis and perhaps don't think of many questions they want to ask there and then but then have ideas of things they wanted to ask later on.
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That is an absolutely brilliant idea! :D
 
SacredHeart said:
BLOOD ketone monitor?! I didn't know you could measure ketones that way. I got given a tub of urine test strips when I left hospital, though.
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the optium exceed is the blood monitor to go for if you want to test for ketones using blood instead of urine.

advantages of bloods over urine is that it gives a much more upto date picture of whats going on if you have ketones as obviously urine has been in your system for sometime.
 
Admin said:
Great idea Marc
I have a whole load of changes/amends to make to the site and will gladly add this in!
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Excellente. I know the Diabetes UK site probably has something like this already but I think for people who want to get help from this community would like the idea of a downloadable PDF that we have put together from our collective expertise. It could also be things to make sure a DSN does and not just questions that someone might want to ask.

SacredHeart said:
That is an absolutely brilliant idea! :D
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Ta muchly. I have one roughly every year so I'm spent until 2010. 😉
 
Will add request for monitor to my list...
 
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