Back from GP

[Proudspirit]

Excuse my french but he is crap!

he told me that the morning readings were too high, evenings not too bad, i decided to stick up for myself and argued the case that testing twice per day was useless, how did i know that a reading of 11 after dinner was good or bad, ie if i was 5.9 before i ate then to go up to 11 would be bad but if i was 8.9 then 11 wouldnt be a huge leap. he said yes just carry on doing twice a day and i shouldnt let testing ruin my life, i said that i didnt want to go on tablets and then become insulin dependent and without knowledge i would end up that way. I was very upset but managed not to cry, he said do what you feel comfortable doing so i leapt in and said that i would feel comfortable doing 4 tests a day and learning how MY body deals with the food and keeping a proper food diary. so he said yes, so carry on doing what you are doing... i am going to do what i want to, keep a diary and then see, if he refuses test strips mid month i will buy them.

Then i said do you want to take my BP since i am on tablets, he said no cos it was ok last time... so why am i on tablets?

I feel very worn and run down today not been well today and had a day off work! and the lack of support from gp doesnt help.

Julie x

PS: he said that i could have a cake on my birthday if i wanted a treat... i don't eat cakes, why do people who are over weight have to eat cakes! lol

 

[Twitchy]

Oh dear, he doesn't sound too switched on!!

Have you got any contact with a diabetes nurse? They are often a bit more willing to listen. Hate to generalise, but unless you get lucky & your GP is the practice diabetes specialist they can sometimes be surprisingly ignorant! It might be worth enquiring if there is a special diabetes team at your practice & being "assertive" about getting them to look after you!

This might make you laugh...when I was at uni, I went to the docs cause I was shattered all the while (not partying, I couldn't keep up!!). The doc clearly hadn't bothered to read my notes because he gravely suggested that I might be diabetic...I managed not to laugh out loud or comment that it was a good thing I'd been having all those insulin injections over the past 20 years then! (In the event it was an underactive thyroid - d'oh!).

Good luck with getting some real support from your docs!

 

[sasha1]

Hi Julie...

Sorry to hear you feeling worn out and not to good today...Hope you feel better soon.....x

Can I ask are the tablets for you BP...if they are I would have thought the dr would need/ should have checked your BP regardless of the fact that it was ok last time.

I am so pleased you stuck up for your self and insisted you wanted to check your blood 4 times a day....twice in my opinion is'nt much good/use for anyone...at least you will be able to see exactly how foods etc effect your levels....and the food diary a brill idea......be proud of yourself..x

Heidi
x🙂

 

[Northerner]

Hey Julie, good for you for sticking to your guns! As has been said, GPs - even the 'diabetes specialist', are often behind the times when it comes to testing and treatment regimes. With the best will in the world, they spend very little of their actual time treating diabetics, unlike us who deal with it every day. It would be good if you could chat about things with a DSN - the ones I have spoken to have been absolutely brilliant!

Hope you are feeling better soon and filled with resolve to get your levels lower and steady! You can do it!🙂

 

[NiVZ]

Hi Julie,

Well done sticking up for yourself. More blood tests and a food diary will definitely help you find which food are affecting your blood sugars.

Doctors can be really rubbish sometimes tho - as Twitchy says they really should read their notes better. I get asked every year at the flu jab if I'm scared of needles. Come on people it's right there on the screen in front of you "Type 1 Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM)" 🙂

NiVZ

 

[bev]

Hi Julie!

I agree with you - sounds like a **** doctor! Is it possible you could go to another one - maybe at the same practice? If not, change doctors. You were absolutely brilliant stating how its your body and you want to know what foods have an impact. Why wouldnt he want you to be interested in helping yourself? As for the BP - i would have insisted he did it - if your on tablets for it - surely he needs to know if they are working!😱

Well done for telling him about testing too! I know A is type 1 - but i have tested him 8 times today already - because we had a 4 hour bike ride - and i needed to know if he was high or low so i could treat either way! There is now way i could 'guess' this information just by looking at him. As you have said, certain foods have different affects. So - keep testing and do it 4 times a day if you need to. But i would try to get them on prescription though. They were on half price sale in Boots a few weeks back - might be worth a try to start you off!😉🙂Bev

 

[bev]

Hi Julie,

Well done sticking up for yourself. More blood tests and a food diary will definitely help you find which food are affecting your blood sugars.

Doctors can be really rubbish sometimes tho - as Twitchy says they really should read their notes better. I get asked every year at the flu jab if I'm scared of needles. Come on people it's right there on the screen in front of you "Type 1 Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM)" 🙂

NiVZ

NiVZ,
A had his first flu jab in December - and he was nearly crying! Even though he injects 6 times a day! I think its the size of the needle though and the fact it goes into a vien! And he is 11!😱Bev

 

[Adrienne]

Hi Julie

I see you have a wally of a dr too. I have just encountered two twits at our practice in sucession and finally this week have changed. I haven't met the GP yet (but have only heard good things about them) but just the reception staff and manner is 200% better. Sometimes it is just what you need to do.

Are you friendly with any chemist staff locally to you? If so ask them who they may know who is ok. Do you know any other type 2 diabetic people in your area and ask them questions ie how many tests does your gp recommend. Do a bit of homework if you can and change.

You are doing everything right, he clearly shouldn't be looking after anyone with diabetes as he obviously didn't understand what on earth you were going on about.

I am very overweight and I don't really eat cake - bloody cheek, I'd rather have a load of sea food, can't work out why I have got so big (chocolate possibly but definately not cake!) 😉

 

[Copepod]

"I think its the size of the needle though and the fact it goes into a vien!" Bev - I sincerely hope that the vaccine goes into muscle, NOT a vein.

 

[Proudspirit]

Thanks guys, The GP is the practice specialist for diabetes! lol don't stand a chance really do i! anyway i feel better now that i have stood up to him. next time i will take a full diary and he will see its the only way, hopefully then a few mths down the line i will just check a few times a week!

Yes tablets are for BP last time her said that it was ok i asked if i could stop taking them and he said no!

Have Depo inj next week so will have it done there and chat with nurse. DSN only sees patients once a year GP sees them every 3 months but i have to go monthly.

Julie x

 

[aymes]

NiVZ,
A had his first flu jab in December - and he was nearly crying! Even though he injects 6 times a day! I think its the size of the needle though and the fact it goes into a vien! And he is 11!😱Bev

"I think its the size of the needle though and the fact it goes into a vien!" Bev - I sincerely hope that the vaccine goes into muscle, NOT a vein.

Also hope it's not the vein! But I know where you're coming from Bev, a very different needle. I don't mind any injections too much but don't find other people giving them to me too much fun, I would rather they let me do it myself 😉

 

[Northerner]

Also hope it's not the vein! But I know where you're coming from Bev, a very different needle. I don't mind any injections too much but don't find other people giving them to me too much fun, I would rather they let me do it myself 😉

It's true! 1500 injections a year!😱

 

[Caroline]

Your GP sounds about as good as mine, as usefull as a sieve in a leaky boat. I always do my own thing anyway and still have treats.

I agree fat people don't always eat cakes and there are other reasons why people are fat.

COme back here for sensible advice and see the nurse at the docotors surgery if you're worried about anything. The nurses seem to be more clued up...