Diabetic "Nurses!"

[Bryan Osborne]

Well I don't really know where to start. Our General Practice in my town has been "taken over." I dunno if it was a financial tender or bid... Its gone well "up the pictures!"

I have been working hard at my diabetes and looking to get to a point where I can become drug free and run on diet and exercise. It has mean't losing over 20kg in weight and being careful with diet. TBH I am quite pleased with my performance.

Recently I have been suffering some anxiety and stress at the least thing, which is a bit unusual. I was on 1000mg a day Metformin. I wondered if I needed to look at my diet in a bit more detail and consider vitamins and other stuff as perhaps I was suffering a bit of a lack somewhere. So I asked to see the wonderful GP who has been so encouraging.

I ring the surgery and the "gatekeeper" tries to vet the situation and ends up putting me to a New Diabetes Nurse... So I turn up for a 4:45pm appointment and end up being called in at 5:25pm. Whilst typing she asks me whats up. I explain the anxiety and she fobs it off with lifestyle. I ask her about diet and she then says "oh just eat a balanced diet, cut down on fats and sugars cos they are bad for your heart!" Err hello I don't have sugary foods I am diabetic and I get my energy from more fatty food than I do carbs and balance the effect via good exercise? I am then given the DUK Magazine Managing Your Diabetes that I read cover to cover last year and then asked... Was there anything else. Well I left the surgery disgusted with the service. I wont make a scene of it but I will now ONLY be satisfied with seeing the GP!

 

[Mark Parrott]

Complain. Bitterly. 😡

 

[mikeyB]

Indeed. It’s very rude not answer the question you asked. Ask the doctor, who may well not know the answer, but should have wherewithal to organise anything needed to answer you.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

I have a brilliant nurse, she advised to cut down on fats and calories, lose weight, Newcastle diet, sorted.
Have a look at it.
Your new nurse sounds good to me.

 

[Flakie]

I had a similar problem with the DN when I was first diagnosed 6 months ago. She also gave me a folder with some info in, including a booklet about this wonderful place, did some checks and a blood test and sent me on my way with the same instructions to eat sensibly. I was put on Metformin which I then gave up on as I couldn’t handle the gastric side effects. When she challenged me on this I said I couldn’t care for my autistic, learning disabled son and be his taxi to Day services etc if I couldn’t trust my system, so she said well, if if didn’t do as I was told I wouldn’t be around to look after him anyway! She also berated me for wasting surgery money on having them prescribe meds for me which I then refused to take! After this she declared me clinically obese and not to bother testing as it was a waste of time! I was so gobsmacked I didn’t even challenge her, which I wish now I had done. I have just had my first hba1c blood test since diagnosis which should be through on Friday, and desperately hoping it’s good as I really don’t want to go ten rounds with her again. Am ready for her this time!!

 

[trophywench]

You know Flakie, sometimes I have actually wished we paid for our healthcare rather than getting it free and not being able to 'sack' them easily. If the garage where you have your vintage car serviced at spoke to you in that sort of way - you'd tell them to indulge in sex and travel - and find somewhere else pdq!

 

[Deleted member 21371]

You can obviously opt to go private.

Many countries don't have an equivalent of our NHS

There is absolutely nothing to stop you opting out, and not spending taxpayers money on your healthcare.

 

[trophywench]

I have no complaint these days with the NHS @travellor and I doubt very much if I could ever have afforded the private prescriptions, even when still at work, let alone the drugs and paraphernalia! (or my pump or the knee op I recently had to have after I smashed my patella)

It's normally just odd people that raise my hackles - and I remonstrated with a lovely nurse on Thursday afternoon when, doing my Obs just before she walked me into theatre for my cataract removal she produced her glucometer so I held out my right hand (the BP monitor attached to my left arm) and bodged my finger painlessly - wonderful technically - except she and I got a 'spurter'. This is liable to happen when you bodge a right handed woman smack in the middle of her index finger! That's only one of the reasons we don't do it there! - as I explained LOL She said she never knew that - she's 'late middle aged' and been in the opthalmic dept for years, she was there with me when I had the first one done too. There was no falling out or anything - it's just better to say something when something ain't quite right. I LIKE learning - and I always assume everyone else does too!

 

[Deleted member 21371]

I have no complaint these days with the NHS @travellor and I doubt very much if I could ever have afforded the private prescriptions, even when still at work, let alone the drugs and paraphernalia! (or my pump or the knee op I recently had to have after I smashed my patella)

It's normally just odd people that raise my hackles - and I remonstrated with a lovely nurse on Thursday afternoon when, doing my Obs just before she walked me into theatre for my cataract removal she produced her glucometer so I held out my right hand (the BP monitor attached to my left arm) and bodged my finger painlessly - wonderful technically - except she and I got a 'spurter'. This is liable to happen when you bodge a right handed woman smack in the middle of her index finger! That's only one of the reasons we don't do it there! - as I explained LOL She said she never knew that - she's 'late middle aged' and been in the opthalmic dept for years, she was there with me when I had the first one done too. There was no falling out or anything - it's just better to say something when something ain't quite right. I LIKE learning - and I always assume everyone else does too!

I know I couldn't have afforded my care, so I can honestly I've never actually wished we paid for our healthcare rather than getting it free, and could sack them.
Then, apart from the cost, that means I'll have to imagine I know more than the entire medical profession, so they'll only be doing what I tell then to do, and as soon as they try to correct my wrong knowledge, I'll sack them and move onto someone that'll simply agree with me.

 

[Amigo]

You can obviously opt to go private.

Many countries don't have an equivalent of our NHS

There is absolutely nothing to stop you opting out, and not spending taxpayers money on your healthcare.

Agreed travellor but no one should have to pay simply to receive decent, responsive services and civil answers. If I’d had the same experience as flakie, the nurse would be in front of a nursing disciplinary board!
Incidentally, I am a taxpayer and am already paying for my NHS care.

 

[scottishlass]

I had a similar problem with the DN when I was first diagnosed 6 months ago. She also gave me a folder with some info in, including a booklet about this wonderful place, did some checks and a blood test and sent me on my way with the same instructions to eat sensibly. I was put on Metformin which I then gave up on as I couldn’t handle the gastric side effects. When she challenged me on this I said I couldn’t care for my autistic, learning disabled son and be his taxi to Day services etc if I couldn’t trust my system, so she said well, if if didn’t do as I was told I wouldn’t be around to look after him anyway! She also berated me for wasting surgery money on having them prescribe meds for me which I then refused to take! After this she declared me clinically obese and not to bother testing as it was a waste of time! I was so gobsmacked I didn’t even challenge her, which I wish now I had done. I have just had my first hba1c blood test since diagnosis which should be through on Friday, and desperately hoping it’s good as I really don’t want to go ten rounds with her again. Am ready for her this time!!

Hi Flakie,

If I read your post correctly you have got a fantastic result with yesterday's HbA1c! I hope you get the opportunity to tell the Nurse how you have achieved it, which I bet has been despite her "advice"! Well done.

 

[trophywench]

Well Mike's news this morning that the content of the Banting Lecture at the DUK \professional Conference reveals there are 70 different 'types' of diabetes they know about already amply tells me I by no means know everything folk - and I already knew that!

I don't ever expect every HCP to know everything about anything anyway - how can any person? Of course not. But as mentioned - being polite whoever you are with and whatever you might be doing - Yes I do expect ! It's a pre-requisite of any interaction between two humans - unless one of them is in severe pain or something? - extenuating circumstances, LOL

 

[pav]

Think it's at a point where it's far too common to have diabetic care that does not exist or is very poor. I left one practice where care was non existent, the final straw was a new DN that did not listen but dictated what she wanted as though she was reading from a book and one solution fits all, this led to me having complications. When I moved to an alternative practice which had a superb reputation for diabetic care, which we managed to start to get on top of things. That DN left and then it was back down to minimum care and more of a battle to get anywhere and with the practice mainly having locums in it made things hard word.

I moved practices again, when the old one closed down and I am starting to get things sorted out, though well overdue for an annual check up, which I must sort out. I am also due to move soon and will be outside the practices area and enquired about staying at the practice and was told I would need to find another new one. I looked at the new in 2015 rules about being at a practice out side their normal area and will be going back to see about this ruling as on the whole my current practice is good and don't know any in the area that has as a good as a reputation.

From experience if you have a practice that does not show or give support, in my own opinion it's best to check out what other GP's you have in your area and try to find out what care is like under them. Wish I left my original practice years earlier and maybe the complications would of been less or not there.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Agreed travellor but no one should have to pay simply to receive decent, responsive services and civil answers. If I’d had the same experience as flakie, the nurse would be in front of a nursing disciplinary board!
Incidentally, I am a taxpayer and am already paying for my NHS care.

Sounds like my nurse to be honest.
Diagnosed, told to eat sensibly, put on Metformin, (I can't say I did suffer side effects, but it was checked on at the next review, and I was moved to slow release anyway)
I was told I was clinically obese, (it was a fact, I was).

I wasn't overloaded with information initially, being diagnosed is enough to take in at the start.

However, at the right time, and in stages, the right support for me, was offered.

I'm no longer obese, and I seem to have reversed the type 2.
Could I have done it simply if the nurse decided to sugar coat the diagnosis and agree with me?
Or was getting me to face the problem something I needed, even if I didn't think I wanted it.

As to civil answers, I didn't know any of the questions.
I doubt if I still know the right ones.