GP tales

[tracey w]

I know most gp"s are great, but thought would be fun to hear some stories about what advice etc they may have given you.

when I was first diagnosed (diagnosed myself really as went to chemist to do fasting blood sugar, as suspected I was diabetic, was 19.6!) Went straight to gp who told me I had to have 2 seperate hospital blood tests, a week apart to fully confirm if I was diabetic! Imagine I felt very crap at this time, could not believe it. He also told me I probably had jam on my finger, even though it was a fasting test?

Went to hospital next morning, by the afternoon another gp called me to say come straigh in, high blood sugar can only mean one thing, you are diabetic. thank goodness, or so I thought. Went to gp, but they had no meter, told to go and buy one at chemist, didnt even explain what it was for. Told me not to eat grapes, was type two because of my age(turned out Im type one, as found out when rushed to hospital a week later) . thought I was going to throw up in the surgery as felt so awful, but on the bright side he told me that diabetics get a lovely glow to their skin???

Bless them

 

[AlanJardine]

Can't fault my GPs really, but they usually just let me be in control and do as I ask (unlike the hospital clinic).

 

[ivygirl]

Very happy with my GP. Most people on here seem to have been to a hospital diabetic clinic, is that so? I thought your GP looked after you!!

 

[ang1988]

I moved to a new city for uni and went to register at a new docs. when i went for my 1st appointment the doctor couldnt have been less bothered about me he inspected my urine and asked if anyone in my family had diabetes i said no and that was it. 3 months later having never been back to the docs i got a letter from a doctor i had never met asking me to hand in a urine sample 20 minutes after doing so a couple of days later i got a call from her asking me to go in and see her and she sent me straight to the hospital where i was told i was diabetic and would have been in a coma in a couple of days! Looking back now i had all the symptoms i just wasnt aware they led to anything but that first doctor should have done more tests 😡

 

[Lizzie]

I have many tales of incompetence by my GP. Once I went in because I was very low and depressed and wanted antidepressants. As soon as I got in the GP started interrogating me about when I was checked my blood sugar and telling me I would get loads of horrible complications. I was in tears and incoherent after ten minutes of this. The doctor did not comfort me, just said I had exceeded the appointment time and should leave. The only person who comforted me was another patient in the waiting room.

Another time, my GP wanted me to go on statins. I did not see why. He spent the whole 15 minute appointment searching in books and online for some information to show me and found nothing.

Or another time I wanted to add ketone strips to my repeat prescription. The doctor insisted they were already on there. It turned out that he did not know the difference between ketone and blood strips.

I mean, I know the GP cannot possibly know everything. But they are so completely sure they are right and that I know nothing, even though I have lived with diabetes for more than fifteen years and all they know is from reading a book many years ago.

And they are always forcing me to go to their surgery even though it is impossible for me to have an annual review there - they have no eye testing equipment and no diabetic specialists for a start. They also force me to attend "prescription reviews", as if I have magically recovered since I last saw them. I have to wait for half an hour or more past the given appointment time (and yet if I am five minutes late they cancel my appointment) just for five minutes, blood pressure test and that's it. If I do not attend, they do not dispense my insulin. This is despite the fact they are only open 9-5 which is highly inconvenient for me. Roll on the polyclinics I say.

I go to the diabetic clinic at St Thomas's Hospital which is OK. At least they have proper facilities there and they listen to what I say about my own care. I don't get how a GP surgery could look after a diabetic properly, surely they do not have the facilities and they are not specialists? Do other GPs have retinopathy test facilities and specialist consultants at the surgery?

 

[ivygirl]

Lizzie, your GP sounds awful. Is it practical for you to change?

 

[grovesy]

I am type2 and have been for nearly 5years , I have been under the care of the practice nurse Diabetic practioner and GP.

 

[paulnicholls]

Don't even get me started!

For around 2 - 3 years I've had uncontrollable thirst, feelings of vacancy and passing out momentarily, pains in my temples and behind my eyes, found that when I eat certain foods I felt great, then chronic, (cough) thrush I couldn't get rid of, depression, malaise, loss of three stone in a year etc etc.

I actually said a year ago (second time) that I was convinced I was diabetic, could he assure me I was not? I was told I was 'working too hard'. Hmmm.

Around 4 months ago I was told by my optician that blood vessels had grown behind my eyes, probably because of 'excessive contact lens wear'.

Last Tuesday I crashed my car into a tree suffering one of the many hypers, Sunday 23rd Nov I could barely walk, confused and suffering shocking head pains, I was 25.6 with very high blood pressure. Monday 24th I was told I was diabetic finally after a blood sugar level reading was taken around 22.

Do you think I need to change my GP? Lol!