So why do you test?

[JayBay]

Believe it or not this was the question asked by the nurse at my annual review, she said it was not practice policy for T2 not taking meds to test. I asked how I control my BG levels without testing and went into a bit of a rant about cutting out stuff that sent my levels high. Her response was “I don’t intent to argue about this, but there is no point to T2 testing”. My response was simply look at my HBa1c and tell me it is not worth doing. Anyway thanks to this forum I know what I am doing and feel confident to stand my ground with the nurse.

 

[Ljc]

Believe it or not this was the question asked by the nurse at my annual review, she said it was not practice policy for T2 not taking meds to test. I asked how I control my BG levels without testing and went into a bit of a rant about cutting out stuff that sent my levels high. Her response was “I don’t intent to argue about this, but there is no point to T2 testing”. My response was simply look at my HBa1c and tell me it is not worth doing. Anyway thanks to this forum I know what I am doing and feel confident to stand my ground with the nurse.

I love your response to her * there is no point in T2s testing*
I sincerely hope it make her stop and wonder if....

Well done.You did all the hard work to gain control of diabetes.

 

[Martin Canty]

Good for you.... Where I live (California) it's usual for all diabetics to be prescribed a meter. More often than not, when at appointments with any medical specialty, they ask about my A1c and FBG.

 

[Davein]

Believe it or not this was the question asked by the nurse at my annual review, she said it was not practice policy for T2 not taking meds to test. I asked how I control my BG levels without testing and went into a bit of a rant about cutting out stuff that sent my levels high. Her response was “I don’t intent to argue about this, but there is no point to T2 testing”. My response was simply look at my HBa1c and tell me it is not worth doing. Anyway thanks to this forum I know what I am doing and feel confident to stand my ground with the nurse.

Well done for standing up for what you (and many of us) believe to be the best way to control your bg levels on a daily basis. A 3 month Hb1Ac is only a snapshot. I just don't understand when a patient shows initiative and does what you have done why nurses don't appreciate and encourage you to continue.

 

[Lanny]

Over the last 17 years my GP practice only do a diabetic check up, with HbA1c, once a year for T2’s. In that time I’ve only been referred to the hospital team 3 times: at diagnosis, 2015 & 2017, still ongoing: the grief & emotional stress at the sudden loss of my mum to pancreatic cancer in June 2015, 6 weeks after diagnosis!

I have learnt more from these forums in the short time since joining than in 17 years under the care of GP practice!

 

[weecee]

I do find it awful to read on here that so many 'professionals' don't want us to test ourselves. You would think they would be all for us learning as much as possible about this disease and how our own body reacts to various foods, drinks etc to enable us to have better control and improve our glucose levels. This would help our own health long term and take a bit of pressure off the Health Services if we don't have compications later. I wish people could see where these things join up. Common sense I would have thought. Am I the only odd one out here?

 

[JayBay]

I find it frustrating that I want to manage this condition and would welcome a discussion with a professional that can offer guidance and advice, sadly I seem to know more than they do. I should have left my review feeling pleased with my numbers, with perhaps a well done from the nurse.
I also told her I was coming off statins and she said that would mean no cholesterol test at my annual review next year as they only test those on meds, well we will see about that.

 

[Wirrallass]

I find it frustrating that I want to manage this condition and would welcome a discussion with a professional that can offer guidance and advice, sadly I seem to know more than they do. I should have left my review feeling pleased with my numbers, with perhaps a well done from the nurse.
I also told her I was coming off statins and she said that would mean no cholesterol test at my annual review next year as they only test those on meds, well we will see about that.

What a load of bull JayBay ~ what sort of Practice are they running there? When I have blood tests for my HbA1c, my cholesterol: (I don't take Statins) kidneys: liver: thyroid function etc. are similarly tested at the same time. As for testing, then I believe ALL folk living with diabetes should automatically be supplied with a meter testing kit ~ how else can we control this condition without? During my last visit to see my Nursie for an unrelated diabetes appt, I mentioned to her that my last HbA1c result was 32 down from 53. The look on her face made me think I had a horn sticking out of my forehead! No comment, no praise and no well done ~ and considering I manage my diabetes with diet and exercise only, I would have welcomed some sort of recognition for my hard efforts and determination to achieve this. It appears to me that some DSN's need to attend regular Course's to keep them updated on the subject of all types of diabetes then perhaps in turn we might then receive the proper advice & encouragement we deserve. Well done for sticking up for yourself JayBay and good luck for the future.
WL

.................................................
Dx Type2 April 2016
Diet control and exercise only

 

[trophywench]

Good for you coming off the ruddy things JayBay - latest dagger in their back is that they increase the risk of Motor Neurone Disease by shedloads - I mean it's still comparatively rare - 2.5 people in 100,000 without statins but multiply that by at least 9 fold and up to 20-ish fold for those taking various brands of statins.

I've got sick of reading about side effects of them that they've discovered over the years - and I remain unconvinced that they actually absolutely really do reduce the risk of anything untoward happening to you.

No testing for T2s is based on some research done at no less than Oxford University about 10(?) years ago. You read the full research paper from which you discovered that all the T2 diabetics in the trial, should they be in the group who were asked to test, but when they saw what the meters said and it looked too high according to Guideline targets - were also absolutely banned from perhaps going for a walk or cutting out/reducing this or that food or anything elwe to help themselves. Amazingly, surprise surprise! they grew utterly sick of testing and stopped, furthermore for quite a lot of this group - they became really depressed. Hence the conclusion of this trial was that if you use the testing results as information and you educated the T2s what they might do to reduce their BG - you'd most likely have far better results in the finish. But if you didn't try and educate them then simply testing would most likely lead them all into depression.

So that's why they decided that T2s shouldn't test and started trotting out the Oooh no - it'll only make you depressed! excuses. Really - it was to save money and there's an end to it. There are a number of CCGs who don't apply it 'so zealously' - but it's very sad indeed if medical staff actually BELIEVE it's true.

 

[Mark Parrott]

Although my practice couldn't supply me a meter without being on meds, my DSN encouraged me to buy one & test regularly. She believed in Type 2's testing & being supplied with meters but has no power to do anything.

 

[mikeyB]

Although my practice couldn't supply me a meter without being on meds, my DSN encouraged me to buy one & test regularly. She believed in Type 2's testing & being supplied with meters but has no power to do anything.

So is that due to training, personal experience, or common sense? If it’s training, why is there no consistency?

I remember when I was initially mistakenly treated as T2 I was given a meter straight away, as though this were the norm. That was more than 20 years ago, mind. The current policy is driven by money saving, to the cost both physical and financial to T2s. It’s not driven by the concept of best practice, for sure.

 

[Bubbsie]

I find it frustrating that I want to manage this condition and would welcome a discussion with a professional that can offer guidance and advice, sadly I seem to know more than they do. I should have left my review feeling pleased with my numbers, with perhaps a well done from the nurse.
I also told her I was coming off statins and she said that would mean no cholesterol test at my annual review next year as they only test those on meds, well we will see about that.

Speak to your GP about this JayBay...I no longer have reviews with the DSN at our practice after she described my testing as obsessive...I see my GP for reviews now...don't let the DSN's obvious frustration with your excellent control detract from your achievements...your management on those figures is excellent...I have had the 'cholesterol' discussion with my GP...my overall cholesterol is slightly high...my ratios of HDL/LDL/TRIGS are all well within the 'Good' range...so for now he has agreed statins are not necessary...there does seem to be a general push towards all diabetics taking statins... again that is something you can discuss with your GP...anything you are unhappy with can be addressed with the surgery practice manager...well done for standing your ground.

 

[Mark Parrott]

The problem with the cholesterol issue is that if your overall number is high, the computer flags it up in red. My actual GP (the poison dwarf) who I refuse to see these days, wanted me on statins as my overall number was high. I told her to look at the breakdown & she said it was excellent, but the computer is flagging it up in red, therefore I should consider statins. Thankfully, my DSN said no.

 

[JayBay]

Speak to your GP about this JayBay...I no longer have reviews with the DSN at our practice after she described my testing as obsessive...I see my GP for reviews now...don't let the DSN's obvious frustration with your excellent control detract from your achievements...your management on those figures is excellent...I have had the 'cholesterol' discussion with my GP...my overall cholesterol is slightly high...my ratios of HDL/LDL/TRIGS are all well within the 'Good' range...so for now he has agreed statins are not necessary...there does seem to be a general push towards all diabetics taking statins... again that is something you can discuss with your GP...anything you are unhappy with can be addressed with the surgery practice manager...well done for standing your ground.

My Doctor has agreed that I come of the statins and do the bloods again in two to three months to see how I am getting on, she agreed that although pre statins my total was high the HDL and trigs were good, and apart from T2 I am very fit and healthy. So feel good about that.

 

[JayBay]

The problem with the cholesterol issue is that if your overall number is high, the computer flags it up in red. My actual GP (the poison dwarf) who I refuse to see these days, wanted me on statins as my overall number was high. I told her to look at the breakdown & she said it was excellent, but the computer is flagging it up in red, therefore I should consider statins. Thankfully, my DSN said no.

I feel happy that a Doctor I have never met, it was a telephone meds review, was happy to discuss my views and suggested coming off and reviewing again in a few months. She said even with high totals everything else looked good and I have no other risks, except T2.

 

[Mark Parrott]

That's exactly like me. High total but good breakdown.🙂

 

[Bubbsie]

[QUfibOTE="JayBay, post: 812605, member: 14156"]My Doctor has agreed that I come of the statins and do the bloods again in two to three months to see how I am getting on, she agreed that although pre statins my total was high the HDL and trigs were good, and apart from T2 I am very fit and healthy. So feel good about that.[/QUOTE]
Good to hear that Jay...so some real progress overall...I'm similar to you & @Mark Parrott the total cholesterol is higher than they'd like...but the ratios are fine...sounds like a positive discussion with your GP now you can start to reduce those BG levels...well done (again🙂).

 

[Maz2]

My GP surgery does not agree with testing either. Diabetics get hba1c every three months, pre-diabetics like me every year. I had got out of it but it has gone back up again so I am testing again. I think it is a good idea as I am hoping to find out which foods suit me best. I think my GP was saying it though because he is not allowed to give the equipment or strips and it means I have to self-fund. I am not sure that GPs are supposed to tell patients to do their own testing but to self-fund it so I think that may be why my surgery suggests not to.

 

[Bubbsie]

q

My GP surgery does not agree with testing either. Diabetics get hba1c every three months, pre-diabetics like me every year. I had got out of it but it has gone back up again so I am testing again. I think it is a good idea as I am hoping to find out which foods suit me best. I think my GP was saying it though because he is not allowed to give the equipment or strips and it means I have to self-fund. I am not sure that GPs are supposed to tell patients to do their own testing but to self-fund it so I think that may be why my surgery suggests not to.

GPs are not precluded from advising patients to test...they are prevented from prescribing strips by the local CCGs...the Clinical Commissioning groups who set their budgets...it's all about the money...nothing more...the CCGs interpret the NICE guidelines very narrowly...inaccurately ... it's convenient for us to be told there's no need...that it's too emotional or we'll get confused...it's an excuse.

 

[trophywench]

Exactly Bubbsie - convenient for THEM - not for their patients. Makes me MAD! I'd be hard pressed to believe anything else a GP who told me that garbage told me, said. I know they're easily brainwashed though - you only have to consider the 'statins' evidence, don't you?