• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

New Nurse Grumbling....

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.

Ron Brownlow

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi all

Been a while since I've been here but today sparked something that I'd like input on, you know you're all more qualified than most 'experts'!

Brief history -

T1 3 years
Last set of hba's 6.1 - 6.4
I've just done my 3rd Ironman (2.4mile swim, 112mile bike, 26.2mile run in 11h 6mins)
I train between 10 and 20 hours per week
I've cycled 3500miles this year and run 1000miles
I don't drink for 9 months of the year
Drink 5 pints per night 3 months of the year
Take 1 unit humalog per 15grms of carb and have 16 units of Levimir per night
I'm 38 years old, 6'1 and 13.5 stone

Sorry, I said brief, but that's all important in my opinion to what's next...

First question from nurse at my Doc's (they discharged me from hospital as they can't offer me anything that will make any difference as they are more than happy with what I'm doing) was - How many hypo's have you had. Answer - Quite a few maybe 1 a week at a push. Oh dear she says, they're not good for you as they starve your brain of sugar, that's not good at all. (hand me a leaflet that tells me how to spot a hypo and things that can cause one; not eating, sexual activity, exercise blah blah blah)

She asked me how I was in myself, all fine thanks for asking, she asked if I do any exercise, I said yes some, she says asks how long I've been diabetic, I say three years, she says, you were diagnosed late...does that mean I'd had it for a lot longer and it's a late diagnosis or it's just late in life?

Up until now I thought, given what I do, I was pretty good at keeping it under control but she's just made me wobble a bit, am I being too paranoid? Or is she just new?
 
Well, at William's annual review today his consultant congratulated him on reducing his hypos to 3 mild ones (high 3s) a week. He had been having them almost daily as he likes to run tight, so 3 a week is an improvement. One a week therefore sounds v.good to me ... perhaps it's all relative? Will be interested to hear what others think.
 
Ron, you are doing an excellent job! Blimey! That nurse would be having a twitching fit on the floor if she saw my record on hypos 😱 I've had 121 over the past year, but the vast majority have been easy to spot and easy to treat - a jelly baby or two and I'm fine. She also obviously doesn't realise that exercising on insulin and maintaining tight control is extremely difficult - there are bound to be times when you slip below the 4.0 threshold.

As for being diagnosed late in life - that's exactly it. I was diagnosed aged 49 the week before I was due to run a marathon. My consultant suspects I may have had a slow onset, indeed I had symptoms for about 2 years prior to diagnosis, but he thinks that the running would have helped me make the best use of the declining amount of insulin I was producing. So yes, you can be diagnosed at any age - in fact, when we did a quick survey here we found quite a high proportion of our members had been diagnosed as adults, even up into their 60s.

I would say you are doing an excellent job, and I wish I was as fit and active as you! Well done! 🙂
 
Hi Ron,

1 hypo a week? Is that all?🙂That is excellent considering all the sport you do - dont know why you are worried. Why is the Nurse worried? Diabetics have hypo's - especially when you live a normal life! Being sporty means you are more likely to have more - so whats the problem.:confused:

When you are well-controlled you are more likely to suffer a hypo - sometimes they cant be avoided - that is the nature of diabetes. I wouldnt worry at all - and as for the age of diagnosis I dont think that is anything to worry about either - like Northerner says there are more and more people being diagnosed with Type 1 later in life. Bev
 
You lot...as usual...are amazing!

Thanks for your comments, I feel bad for dipping in and out of the forum now, but it's great to see the familiar same names that I saw first three years ago when I was diagnosed
 
When answering questions about hypos, be very sure to state that you didn't need any help to deal with them (unless of course you did), as implying that you need (as opposed to had) help with more than one in a year could mean the end of your driving licence.
 
I've just done my 3rd Ironman (2.4mile swim, 112mile bike, 26.2mile run in 11h 6mins)
I train between 10 and 20 hours per week
I've cycled 3500miles this year and run 1000miles
I don't drink for 9 months of the year
Drink 5 pints per night 3 months of the year

I need to pour me another drink just reading this!

Sounds to me like you're doing just great!! Just out of interest which 3 months of the year do you drink? (I drink for 9 months of the year and then drink for 3 months of the year!)
 
You have just remined me why I avoid reviews like the plague 🙄

I say three years, she says, you were diagnosed late...does that mean I'd had it for a lot longer and it's a late diagnosis or it's just late in life?
To that comment I would have said are you implying I'm old or are your confusing my diagnoses, I'm type 1 not 2?

You are doing just fine good all round results I would say.🙂
 
You are doing very well and deserve a massive pat on the back for all your effort. Is the nurse at your doctors just an ordinary practice nurse? It makes a difference if she is not that familiar (as a DSN would be) with diabetes. Is there more than one nurse in the practice tht you can ask to see if you feel uncomfortable with this one.

By late I would imagine she means for a type 1, but it is not impossible.
 
Thanks again, I was worried, not now

I drink in the last 3 months, Christmas and all that

She was the 'Diabetic specialist' had to wait ages for the meeting.

On the hypos I've never needed any help, can feel them coming and have drink and a bar and I'm OK again...

Cheers
 
Ron those results are absolutely fantastic. You should be so proud of yourself
 
AMAZING! Fantastic results. I have more hypos than that and, despite my best efforts, I can only dream of HbA1c in the 6s.
Good job!
 
Thanks again, I was worried, not now

I drink in the last 3 months, Christmas and all that

She was the 'Diabetic specialist' had to wait ages for the meeting.

On the hypos I've never needed any help, can feel them coming and have drink and a bar and I'm OK again...

Cheers

Ron 'diabetic specialist' may simply mean that she has attended a short course on diabetes, but she may not be a fully-fledged DSN (Diabetes Specialist Nurse) who will be degree-qualified and spend all her time treating diabetics of all types. If this is the case, then you already know far more than she ever will because you have handled your diabetes extremely well 24/7 for the past 3 years, so just smile politely and ignore her comments 😉 If she is a DSN then it's possible that she's one of those who believes the text books rather than the patient 🙂
 
From one Brownlow to another: Sounds like you're doing great - keep up the good work.
 
You are inspirational. Well Done!!!

Wow, never been called that before, lots of other things, but never that...

The help/people/advice that you can find here is far more inspirational than anything I ever do/did...

Cheers
 
Ron 'diabetic specialist' may simply mean that she has attended a short course on diabetes, but she may not be a fully-fledged DSN (Diabetes Specialist Nurse) who will be degree-qualified and spend all her time treating diabetics of all types.

hi ron a short while back after my HbA1c seemed to be creeping slowly up i thought id book an appointment with the 'Diabetes specialist' GP in my surgery ...he immediately advised me he was not a specialist but had a 'special interest' in Diabetes ....he then went on to look at my results andhe INSISTED i immediately triple my medication ...i tried but..eek i was so ill ...so I saw my own GP who took one look at it and dropped me down to half and now i am back just on the basic dose and fingers crossed all is good ...
i say you are doing great and don't let it bother you ...all the best 🙂
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top