psychologist visit today

[AJLang]

I was thinking exactly the same about the CGM so I'm glad that Northener wrote this. I wear a CGM permanently - for me it shows that there actually aren't any patterns - it can go high in the middle of the night or go down, some nights I'm injecting at 2am, 3am, 4am (different times, different nights), other nights I can be dealing with hypos at the same times (but again this varies on a daily basis). But I know that if there had been patterns the CGM would highlight these. I think it would excellent if you could borrow one for a week to check what your patterns are.

 

[Northerner]

I know what you mean. Sometimes I think people look at my numbers and see how good they are and assume it must be easy for me, rather than appreciating how much hard work I put into it - thankfully, my consultant does recognise this. I'd say don't wait until your next planned visit, get an earlier appointment, just as you would with the doctor if you fell ill. You shouldn't feel you have to soldier on, and they should be aware that with diabetes things can change all the time. You may have been OK last time you were offered the CGMS, but that doesn't mean your situation hasn't changed and now it would be useful. Do it! Do it now! 😉

 

[Natalie123]

I only got the appointment yesterday, its the earliest she had apparently Maybe I should try my GP

 

[AJLang]

Yep, I was supposed to get one, then they changed their mind, and because my hba1c was 6.9 at the time (not anymore I bet!) then decided I didn't need one. It frustrates me that if you try really hard you don't get any help but if I had not tried and it was still above 7 I might have had more luck! I am now thinking about going private to get one although really expensive ggrr! I will plead with my DSN at the next visit although it is not until Sept 8th

Hi Natalie I must have been writing my last post at the same time as you so they overlapped! Before I bought mine privately I suggested it to the consultants and go nowhere - basically being told that to have it funded a charity would have to help and then how would they choose which to fund and which not to - so this was no help at all. I know that CGMs are expensive to fund privately but mine has been invaluable to me. It's so brilliant that I can go to sleep at night with the reassurance that it will wake me in the night when my BG reaches 10 so I know that I need more insulin - and also that it wakes me when I'm having a hypo - which I had twice last night.

 

[Northerner]

I only got the appointment yesterday, its the earliest she had apparently Maybe I should try my GP

It's worth a try, he/she might be able to get the ball rolling rather than the DSN finding out about it for the first time at your appointment.

 

[Robster65]

It's worth pointing out to them (they should know but always worth telling them anyway!) that your HbA1c reflects the average BG. It doesn't take account of the wild fluctuations which occurr at random times, which is precisely what a CGM would show.

An Hb of 6.5 is still dangerous if it's acheived through swings from 1.5 to 25.

As for making notes, we have an A5 notebook which we just note down BGs as you do them, meal carbs and maybe what it was plus units injected. Then start a new page for each day. Note anythign unusual as you go, such as exercise, poor sleep, stress, etc so you can maybe tie things in. You'll learn a lot about yourself as you go, but it also enables dieticians, DSNs, etc to work out your ratios, etc.

Rob

 

[AJLang]

My consultant - who has been a diabetic consultant for more years than I can remember - didn't care tuppence when I explained that my BGs were running between 2 and 25 - he just kept commenting that I had a good HBAC1 because I have gastroparesis (it was 7.8). This was at the same appointment when he wrongly told me that I had kidney damage. It's soooo frustrating when they appear to fob you off because they don't have easy solutions to the problems. He would probably have said it was the gastroparesis if my HBA1C was 10 and just left me with a continuing downward spiral of diabetes related ill health - it so frustrates that we have to fight so hard to get the medical help that we need. Sorry this has turned into a rant....rant over

 

[Natalie123]

Thanks Rob, will have to get a notebook. Will prob keep my normal diary too and see what works. AJ - don't worry about the rant, what you said strikes a cord for lots of us. As for the kidney damage diagnosis, I have heard that the dip stick urine tests are pretty much useless with almost as many false positives/negatives and real results. The only way to tell is to send it off to a lab. The sticks should really be phased out as I can't see how they can even be a useful indicator with those results!

 

[AJLang]

Thanks Rob, will have to get a notebook. Will prob keep my normal diary too and see what works. AJ - don't worry about the rant, what you said strikes a cord for lots of us. As for the kidney damage diagnosis, I have heard that the dip stick urine tests are pretty much useless with almost as many false positives/negatives and real results. The only way to tell is to send it off to a lab. The sticks should really be phased out as I can't see how they can even be a useful indicator with those results!

It was worse than that - he had read the blood test results incorrectly, fortunately my GP and another consultant said that he was wrong.....he then wrote to me to say that he had read the results incorrectly......the result that he should have read said that I had absolutely no indication of diabetic kidney damage.

 

[Natalie123]

That's crazy, talk about scaring someone needlessly 😱 I'm sure we all make mistakes, but test results should be read more carefully