Hello

Status
Not open for further replies.
an update

Hi everyone
Just thought I would give you a quick update, I have been on Humulin 1 for nearly 2 weeks now, I started on 8 units increasing 2 units every 4th day
my bg levels are still high fasting is still in the 10s although I did have 6.8
4 days ago and thought yippee at last something is working. it has been back in the 10s since then.. so I am a bit disappointed. my mealtime readings before and after are still between 14-17 but I suppose its early days and I am trying really hard not to be too down about it. one day things will fall into place (I hope )
My DN is a total waste of space I have had 1 phone call from her since I started the insulin.. she explained very little I asked her if I could have more strips her answer was she thought I was in a panic and testing to much
just test on a morning she said and see how you get on.. we may have to introduce another injection at meal times or use a mixed insulin... so no strips there..I asked her for some strips to test my urine
he answer was "Oh you don't need to do that"... I feel like I have been dropped in at the deep end she is no help at all. she said if I get time I will ring you next week... anyway enough of my moaning
my best wishes to you all. one thing I will say
I don't feel so lethargic as I was and I am trying to watch my carbs.
 
Hi Shirl, quite a lot of these type of nurses seem to be about. Not well informed & stuck in the old way of thinking. Keep at them & good luck 🙂
 
Hi Shirl, I'm really pleased to hear that you are experiencing some improvements 🙂 However, the attitude of your nurse towards the strips makes my blood boil!!! 😡 I wonder how she would feel if she was in your situation? In order for people to gain good control of their blood sugar levels they need to feel in control, and that can mean being allowed sufficient test strips to learn how their body reacts to different foods and other changes. Do you drive? If so, you HAVE to be given sufficient strips to be able to test before driving, and during if it is a long journey, so that you know you are safe to drive.

It is early days still, so hopefully her attitude might change, especially if you need to add either a mixed or mealtime insulin (indeed, it will HAVE to if this happens). If it is suggested that you start with another insulin, my advice (and that of most insulin users here!) would be to insist on having what is known as a 'basal/bolus' regime (also known as Multiple Daily Injections). This is far more flexible and controllable than a mixed insulin.

Please keep us updated so we can help you with any decisions you are having to make, I hope that you continue to improve, and that your nurse leaves and you get a better one! 🙂
 
Thanks Northener & Hobie
My DN goes to work looking like a tart with her makeup and short tight frocks that she keeps pulling down.. she loves herself...lol
just took my before bed reading 14.7 so its high de high again but a bit lower that last week
maybe I will be lucky and I will get a phone call from her this week.
once again gentlemen thanks for your support
 
Hi Shirl
Well she sounds like a proper treat as my dad would have said 😱. I continue to be shocked and appalled by the cavalier attitude amongst some medical professionals. Keep at it Shirl and keep chipping away at the nurse, in fact I'd book an appointment with the GP about test strips and see if they are more accommodating. Glad you're feeling a wee bit better though, that's definitely good news!
 
Hi Kooky
I agree with you, those who supposed to be looking after our health fall short of caring and leave you to get on with it.
unfortunately my GP is the diabetic doctor and it took my blood sugars to go over 25 before he decided to put me on insulin stating that he didn't want me to put on anymore weight, other than that he is a good GP but giving me more strips is another matter.
how do they expect you to keep a check on your levels without the equipment
to do it.. as always it all boils down to money.
I have no idea if I am on the right amount of insulin or if I should keep going up every 4th day until my levels come down they are still in the 9s and 10s
if I don't hear from her tomorrow I will see if I can get hold of her.
take care x
 
Any possibility of changing GPs? Have you been given any dietary advice Shirl? Carbohydrates are the main culprits, and there is a lot of research currently that is moving away from the notion that dietary fat is what makes us put on weight, and discovering it is carbohydrates instead. Many people have had success, both at improving their blood sugar control and losing weight by following what is called a Low Carb, High Fat diet (LCHF) - might be worth looking into. I know some of our members have had great success following the principles 🙂 It sounds counter-intuitive, but that is largely because we have been told for decades that fat is the main problem!
 
Hi Northerner
I mentioned seeing a dietician to my GP his reply was... A few years ago you lost a lot of weight so just do what you did then as she will only go over the same things with you... yes I did loose over 2 stone I stopped smoking was put on long term steroids and put that 2 stone back on. maybe there are areas in my diet that could be changed but I have never been a big eater I eat lots of veg and I have homemade soups every day, I hardly ever snack between meals but sometimes I feel so hungry especially at night and then I have a slice of toast.
I will look into what you said and thanks for the advice. I am at a loss as to what to do I feel like I am flying in the wind with nothing to grab hold of
take care x
forgot to ask what is the average carbs you can have each day I had about 51 yesterday
 
Last edited:
That's pretty low carb Shirl - I have probably around 100-150 a day. I suspect it's the steroids that are the main problem with your weight gain. I don't personally have any experience with steroids but I know others here have - it might be worth asking on the General Messageboard if others have any tips of how to avoid weight gain with them?

Your GP sounds lazy, from what you say :(
 
Carbs

Hi Northerner
maybe I should be eating more carbs, I am all of a tizzy with it all...lol
my problems are two fold with having MS my mobility is really bad I use a stick to potter around the house but need to use a wheelchair when I go out so I cannot get any exercise... on top of that are the steroids although I have been on them for 4 years now and on a low dose so I don't think they are the whole problem,
I will wake up one morning and everything will have fallen into place... blood sugars 5.5 and I will be as thin as a rake...
I will also realise I had been dreaming...hahaha
take care x
 
Aw Shirl, wish I could help more! I would push to see a dietician actually. Although they can be a bit hit and miss (like GPs and nurses!), you never know, you might get a good one 🙂 It strikes me that you have a number of problems that most people would not have to overcome when trying to get things under control, and I would there fore have thought that a specially-trained person would have knowledge of how best to tackle them, given that most of the 'standard' methods aren't open to you. If your GP is obstructive on the matter, then I would ask for a second opinion. the GP is there to help, not just tell you to 'do whatever you did before' - that is a ridiculous thing to say!
 
GPs

Thanks Northerner
Maybe its my fault in a way I have always managed my illnesses myself with the help of my husband so my GP just lets me get on with it. but
there are times when I need some help and its not there he is a good GP most of the time.
I was glucose impaired for about 6 years and he would not class me as diabetic until my sugar levels got past 11 which was in 2006. it runs in my family on my mothers side every branch.. all my cousins have it my uncles were insulin dependant from children luckily my mother did not develop it until just before she died when her sugars were all over the place.
Sorry for waffling on it seems I am giving you my health history apart from may as well toss this in the mix in 2003 I had a brain tumor removed and I still struggle with deficits from that
I know it sounds like OH WOW IS POOR ME....lol but I am not like that
you either sink or swim and I chose to swim ( not that I can )
I will have another go at both the GP and DN thats if she has time and rings me tomorrow
take care and thanks again
 
No apologies necessary Shirl, I'm sorry to hear you have had so much to deal with. I don't see how delaying your diagnosis could have helped you in any way :confused: the sooner you recognise and begin to treat the problem, the better.

I hope that you are able to speak to the nurse and make some progress. I'm pretty self-sufficient myself, but if I needed help and asked for it, I would hope that it would be forthcoming and not dismissed. Far from sounding 'woe is me', you sound like a strong person dealing with a lot with little complaint, don't let them get away with treating that as an assumption that you'll be fine without any real help from them! 🙂
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top