lazypancreas
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes around 3 months ago and have been attending Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral.
I am injecting insulin and also taking metformin.
I have had problems with the diabetes team, particularly the specialist nurses - they do not return urgent telephone calls, answer their pagers or contact when they say they will. I have been contacted only twice this year, and i feel that this is not good enough when i am injecting a strange drug for the first time, and only been diagnosed 3 months ago. All of the knowledge i have is from colleagues who have diabetes or from the balance magazine. I feel that this is quite dangerous - for instance, I found out by accident that insulin expires after 28 days. I also did not know until last week (when I read it on the internet) that carbohydrate affects blood sugar. I had to specifically ask for my first eye appointment although I mentioned that I was told previously I had cataracts (I am in my 20s!). I was told I urgently needed to see the Professor due to my high GADS test but had to leave nine messages (over a period of 3 weeks) before I could speak to a DSN to make an appointment and find out why it was urgent. I have asked for a B12 screening due to extreme tiredness and a tendancy towards deficiency in my family (also knowing that metformin can affect B12). The results are back but the DSN cannot understand them. She stated she would get back to me at the start of the week - still have not heard anything, even though I have left three messages.
To them I am not important, I feel like I am fighting all the time.
I feel that I am an intelligent person and am keen to learn more about diabetes - I am not getting this opportunity. My PCT do not run DAFNE courses anymore.
Although I fully appreciate that NHS cuts have hit every diabetes clinic and particularly the specialist nurses, I feel like I am totally alone at a scary time. I also feel as though they both make promises regarding the level of contact and support offered and then constantly let me down. As a result, my family are very anxious as it seems as though the DSNs are the main point of call. I would not mind so much if they were honest about this at the point of my diagnosis. They stated they would ring me twice a week initially - I have had two phonecalls in 12 weeks! The stress and anxiety around all this is making me feel worse about everything, when it is all hard enough to digest as it is!
The reason for my post is - does anyone have any good experiences of hospitals in the Merseyside area as I am looking to move but do not want to be in the same position.
Are my experiences typical? I feel really alone and when I have spoken to my GP about it, he tells me to speak to the professor at the hospital.
Hope you can help, look forward to hearing from you,
I am injecting insulin and also taking metformin.
I have had problems with the diabetes team, particularly the specialist nurses - they do not return urgent telephone calls, answer their pagers or contact when they say they will. I have been contacted only twice this year, and i feel that this is not good enough when i am injecting a strange drug for the first time, and only been diagnosed 3 months ago. All of the knowledge i have is from colleagues who have diabetes or from the balance magazine. I feel that this is quite dangerous - for instance, I found out by accident that insulin expires after 28 days. I also did not know until last week (when I read it on the internet) that carbohydrate affects blood sugar. I had to specifically ask for my first eye appointment although I mentioned that I was told previously I had cataracts (I am in my 20s!). I was told I urgently needed to see the Professor due to my high GADS test but had to leave nine messages (over a period of 3 weeks) before I could speak to a DSN to make an appointment and find out why it was urgent. I have asked for a B12 screening due to extreme tiredness and a tendancy towards deficiency in my family (also knowing that metformin can affect B12). The results are back but the DSN cannot understand them. She stated she would get back to me at the start of the week - still have not heard anything, even though I have left three messages.
To them I am not important, I feel like I am fighting all the time.
I feel that I am an intelligent person and am keen to learn more about diabetes - I am not getting this opportunity. My PCT do not run DAFNE courses anymore.
Although I fully appreciate that NHS cuts have hit every diabetes clinic and particularly the specialist nurses, I feel like I am totally alone at a scary time. I also feel as though they both make promises regarding the level of contact and support offered and then constantly let me down. As a result, my family are very anxious as it seems as though the DSNs are the main point of call. I would not mind so much if they were honest about this at the point of my diagnosis. They stated they would ring me twice a week initially - I have had two phonecalls in 12 weeks! The stress and anxiety around all this is making me feel worse about everything, when it is all hard enough to digest as it is!
The reason for my post is - does anyone have any good experiences of hospitals in the Merseyside area as I am looking to move but do not want to be in the same position.
Are my experiences typical? I feel really alone and when I have spoken to my GP about it, he tells me to speak to the professor at the hospital.
Hope you can help, look forward to hearing from you,
