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What are the four main challenges face by diabetics when coping with on-going treatment plans?

1. Testing can be a huge burdon on everyday life. If I am out I may have to stop and check if I feel my BG lowering.
2. As I am currently one 2 injections a day I have to eat meals at set times during the days, making it hard t fit life around.
3. As I have just been diagnosed I have had alot of appointments with different doctors, nurses etc.
4. Up and down BG results can be very annoying. One day it can be fine then the next it can rise without eating anymore than I usually do.


What has been the most effective health care support found to help you with these issues?

I was diagnosed three months ago after going into a serious case of Ketoacidosis. The help was phenominal after diagnosis. I have since met with two DSN's at my local hospital and the dietician. They are keeping a close eye on me at the moment and having regular appointments. I am hoping to hear about the DAFNE course soon so I can switch to the Basil bolus regime.

Good luck with your studies 🙂
 
I am T1, diagnosed over 20 years ago as a teenager. I have been on a pump regime for about nine months.

What are the four main challenges face by diabetics when coping with on-going treatment plans?
Much the same as the other T1s: -
  1. Getting a good balance between not allowing the diabetes to control my life and yet choosing options that help me maintain good control. Although I think both the pump or modern MDI regimes provide a much better quality of life because the flexibility that these approaches provide I do sometimes find myself thinking that my initial fixed daily insulin dose with a fixed number of carbohydrates at each meal each day was a more straightforward regime to implement albeit one that required a lot more discipline to maintain.
  2. Maintaining good diabetic control despite its volatility and all the different variables that can impact upon it.
  3. Not allowing the frustrations and worries that result from any failures to get or maintain good control to boil over into full-blown depression.
  4. Getting medical advice on non-diabetic issues without the focus being placed entirely on the diabetes.
What has been the most effective health care support found to help you with these issues?
I am very grateful for the excellent support I have received from my current DSN and dietician; my GP; from attending the local equivalent of the DAFNE course; and obviously from this forum too. I do think however that the most effective care support I have received was from my family when I was first diagnosed and indeed since.
 
runner said:
Hi Kate,

Pester them and ask for a referal to the hospital for your neuropathy. there's some stuff in balance magazine about neuropathy. If you don't get the mag, PM me and I'll tell you what it says.
Click to expand...

Thanks runner. My review is due next month so I'll ask.

Thanks too Northener. I was feeling a bit low yesterday.
 
other suggestions

Thanks everyone!!!

If you have any other suggestions how health care professionals could better support you please feel free to moan away lol!!!
Once again thanks for taking the time to post.
🙄
 
suggestions

Thank you everyone I'm really grateful for your posts, and please don’t hold back if you suggestions I can put forward on how the health care profession in my department can better serve you guys.

Kirsty
😉
 
streakyhair said:
What are the four main challenges face by diabetics when coping with on-going treatment plans?

and....

What has been the most effective health care support found to help you with these issues?
Click to expand...

Hi Kirsty,

Here's my tuppence worth.

The four main challenges.
1) In my opinion too little contact with constultant endocrinologists and DSN's.
2) Obstructive GP's.
3) Health care professionals who don't have a clue abotu diabetes or rely on out dated knowledge.
4) The lack of widely available patient education, such as things like DAFNE courses or local equivalents.

Most effective health care support:
This place has to be up there. My DSN given that he is also a type one too and will bend over backwards to help me. General patient support, talking to people in similar predicaments.

This is from someone who's looking to train as a nurse next year and will be working as an HCA this year so. I suppose I also have a clear idea of what I want and think I should get from the folks charged with looking after me.

Tom

Tom
 
Last edited:
Hi Kirsty, I'm type 1, diagnosed 10 years ago at the age of 23.

The four main challenges I face are: -

1. Trying to get the doses of insulin correct each day, thinking about it constantly and testing all the time.

2. The annual review - or lack of in my area. Seeing a consultant is very difficult.

3. The lack of knowledge of diabetes that my gp has - because my HbA1c is within the normal range the gp thinks that is good but my overall readings show otherwise.

4. The lack of knowledge of diabetes from the majority of people, day to day! Diabetes info really needs to be put out there, Type 1 diabetes knowledge is very limited.

In reply to the support - the healthcare support I get from my current DN is second to none, I really don't know what I would do without her, she is great. This forum is brilliant too, has helped me so much.
 
KateR said:
As a T2 I've never seen a consultant or a dietician, just my GP and the practice nurse. I feel ignored, probably because of my age (63) and nobody ever mentions my neuropathy, which is getting quite bad. I just feel like crawling into a hole and waiting for the grim reaper.😡
Click to expand...

i cant beleive you are 63 ...i thought from your piccie you be in your 30's ....and im not just being nice hunny (sorry to go off thread !)
 
hi another very annoying thing is when something happened and you have to go to hospital the lack of knowledge from the professional (nurses and doctors)and as a mum you know more then them (sometimes really young nurses they dont even know what you are talking about) GRRRRRRR!! SOMETIMES YOU GO TO HOSPITAL BECAUSE YOU DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO ANY MORE not because you tell them what to do otherwise i will be at home if i would cope !!!
 
Dsn?

DSN ? Diabetic Speciality Nurse?
Just checking was on the same abbreviation?

And thanks once again!!! Everyone has been very kind in posting.



streakyhair said:
Hi All!!


I?m a Nurse Practitioner working on A&E. I've recently decided to study Adult Branch and have chosen to do some extensive study into Diabetes. It?s a particular interest of mine which I would like specialise in eventually.

I am hoping you can help me with two simple questions I have been putting forward. I am asking a wide range of people so I can best assess the more prominent difficulties when dealing with diabetes.



What are the four main challenges face by diabetics when coping with on-going treatment plans?

and....

What has been the most effective health care support found to help you with these issues?


I hope you can help me and would much appreciate your feedback from those who are best qualified to know 😉

Thank You Kindly,



Kirsty
Click to expand...
 
DAFNE course? DSN's

Hiya!!

Thanks for your reply. Would you mind telling me what the DAFNE course? Will provide and just to confirm DSN?. Is that your Specialist Nurse??
Cheers
glitteryredshoes said:
What are the four main challenges face by diabetics when coping with on-going treatment plans?

1. Testing can be a huge burdon on everyday life. If I am out I may have to stop and check if I feel my BG lowering.
2. As I am currently one 2 injections a day I have to eat meals at set times during the days, making it hard t fit life around.
3. As I have just been diagnosed I have had alot of appointments with different doctors, nurses etc.
4. Up and down BG results can be very annoying. One day it can be fine then the next it can rise without eating anymore than I usually do.


What has been the most effective health care support found to help you with these issues?

I was diagnosed three months ago after going into a serious case of Ketoacidosis. The help was phenominal after diagnosis. I have since met with two DSN's at my local hospital and the dietician. They are keeping a close eye on me at the moment and having regular appointments. I am hoping to hear about the DAFNE course soon so I can switch to the Basil bolus regime.

Good luck with your studies 🙂
Click to expand...
 
Hi streakyhair. I'll try and answer.

DSN is definitely Diabetes Specialist Nurse and the DAFNE course I think covers carb counting ins and outs.

So working out insulin/carb ratios and corrections doses.

And estimating carbs on a plate plus the effects of various types of food.
eg. fats will delay carb absorption, etc.

Not been on one but have read/heard about them.🙂

Good luck with it all. We need all the help we can get !

Rob
 
DAFNE = Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating
 
streakyhair said:
What are the four main challenges face by diabetics when coping with on-going treatment plans?

and....

What has been the most effective health care support found to help you with these issues?
Kirsty
Click to expand...


4 main challenges:
1. adjusting MDI constantly
2. trying to get on a DAFNE course
3. finding diabetes specialists who don't expect you to be a text book example of how to manage diabetes
4. getting a pump

and agree with most on here, it is normally the DSN who provides the most help and care to us all....just an even bigger reason why these need to be the right people in these posts as they are so valuable to us and essential to all dealing with diabetes.

hope this helps and good luck with all your research.
 
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