Teething problems with doctors!

[MummyRose2009]

Hi all

Come on to vent a little so that i can keep calm.

This afternoon i have only had two lancing needles (think thats right name) for my blood testing. I went to the pharmacy who said without a pescription i would be charged ?13.00.
obviously at the moment i dont have that type of money so i went to the doctors and really stressed to the receptionist that i NEED the lancing needles to check my blood often with me being newly diagnosed. She didn't seem bothered even when i passed her my hospital discharge letter and said the doctor would ring me. i hung around the doctors waiting for the call and she phoned me asking what i needed asked if i would drop by the surgery to let her know what i need.
I stopped by the reception again and told her everything and again i was fobbed off with a "the doctor will get in touch with you" tried to explain to her that i NEED the needles to check my blood as i only had two left and she really wasn't bothered.

Got back phoned the hospital where i was discharged from yesterday and the ward nurse was furious with the doctors and the fact they hadn't sorted any out for me even though they had seen the discharge note and the equipment.Offered to give me some of the wards stock but its so difficult for me to get too and from the hospital i've had to make do.

I'm now just guessing i took my sugar level about half an hour ago and it was at 20.8 so following nurses orders i have took another 8 units of quick release and i am now waiting till 10 to take my 30 units slow release. Hopefully it'll keep it down and then i'll be checking it tomorrow before breakfast but that will be my last check until i get more needles.

It seems such a farce and a dangerous one at that, i would have thought they'd be watching their back seen as they diagnosed me wrong in the first place.Now i don't know whats happening or not happening with my sugar levels and just have to hope that the insulin is bringing the sugar down sufficiently.

Rant over

 

[MummyRose2009]

Also as a little extra note so im not starting loads of new threads, when my blood tester flashes KETONES? does that mean i have ketones in my urine again?

 

[Me_suz]

Gosh, I know how you feel at being so frustrated. My daughter doesn't always let me know in enough time and I'm always having a panic or other trying to get stuff. We stock up a bit now bit it still happens. Perhaps you could write to your doc and explain in a letter? or just deep breathe. Hope you feel better after the rant

 

[Northerner]

That is dreadful and completely unnecessary You should be able to reuse the lancets many times, but there seems no reason to deny you some on prescription. Are the doctors fully aware that you are Type 1 and therefore MUST test before administering your insulin? I think that if things cannot be resolved and with an apology, then you should consider contacting PALS who will advise you on how to make a complaint about the surgery. My surgery are normally very good, so there is no excuse as far as I can see for this situation you are being put in.

What kind of lancets do you use?

 

[Mel]

it usually means as you are high for you to test for ketones. Do you have ketostix to check your urine for ketones or a blood ketone monitor?

 

[Northerner]

Also as a little extra note so im not starting loads of new threads, when my blood tester flashes KETONES? does that mean i have ketones in my urine again?

I think some meters show this to suggest you check for ketones when your blood glucose is above a certain level, so worth checking if you have some strips.

 

[Robster65]

It does sound very unsatisfactory and perhaps the sister at the hospital could ring the surgery to put a firework up their backside. They clearly don't feel the need to rush things.🙄

As far as lancets go, you can reuse them many times, providing you feel comfortable doing so. Many of us don't change them for weeks or months, so your 2 remaining ones could last you quite a while. But don't tell your GP that or they'll just relax again.

As Mel said, the ketones message is advisory and if you have any ketostix or ketone strips for the meter, you would do well to check. 20 is very high but as long as you have insulin in your system, it should keep you safe I think.

Rob

 

[MummyRose2009]

Thank you so much for the replies my diabetes nurse told me not to use the same lancet over and over again in case of infection so i didn't think i could re use.
I wasn't given anything to check my ketones, but its the one thing i have been having a problem with along with my joints in my hands and feet feeling like they are siezing when my sugar goes too high. (again nurse said is normal)

THe doctors haven't recieved the letter from the hospital yet as i was only discharged yesterday and with it being weekend it has been delayed. But i took my copy of the discharge letter and my kit to show them and they still haven't done anything.
it is frustrating lol.

 

[Robster65]

I would have thought the hospital would have sent you home with enough supplies for at least a week.

You can also use a needle to prick your finger but you need to have a quick reaction or it can hurt.

It sounds like hospital and GP are relying on each other to sort new patients out and neither is actually doing the job.

Rob

 

[margie]

Do you have a regular pharmacist?

Some pharmacies will charge you for things like a box of lancets but will refund the money if you can get a prescription to cover the item. It may be worth considering. I would go and buy some ketostix, as you need to know if you are producing ketones.

Also if you do have to but test strips or lancets as for the VAT tobe knocked off - they should have a form for you to fill.

I would go back the the Drs in the morning and if you can't get any joy from the receptionist ask to speak to the prescription clerk (not all surgeries have them) or the practice manager. Write down the problem so that if you get stressed you can hand them the note. If they won't listen suggest they call the ward nurse.

It you are injecting extra insulin and you don't know the effect that it will have on your levels you need to test. Many people use the lancets more than once, it may not be recommended but you need to have an idea of what your sugar levels are doing. Hopefully tomorrow you can get your surgery to give you a prescription.

 

[MummyRose2009]

Well i have just took my 30 unit dosage of Isophane slow release and i'm going to see how i go over night then test it again in the morning before breakfast.

The diabetes nurse said they were short stocked so i had to try and make do with what i had but the following day i was back in so was told to check my sugar level more often as they were suggesting i take another 8 units of quick release after meals if my level was still high.

 

[trophywench]

Don't stress about re-using lancets, Rose! They are not like re-using actual injection needles, which is a No No NO - as the lancet only scratches the surface. You won't get an infection unless the finger you jab with it actually has an infection to begin with, in which case of course you'd spread the infection when you jabbed the next finger.

I used to use about 3 lancets a year and I've never had the slightest prob. In fact I have a box of lancets in my cupboard that were dispensed in 2005 ....... and it's about 75% full ......

 

[MummyRose2009]

I've just checked and even with the slow release and the other dosage of quick release i took its still at 20.7 i don't understand i'm being so careful with my food and everything why isn't it going down!!!

 

[mcdonagh47]

Hi all

Come on to vent a little so that i can keep calm.

This afternoon i have only had two lancing needles (think thats right name) for my blood testing. I went to the pharmacy who said without a pescription i would be charged ?13.00.

Hi there,

I'm a regular at my Pharmacy and on the odd occasion when I run out of stuff they simply "lend" me enough to tide me over and then deduct the loan from the prescription.
Having said that, lancets are no big deal, on one American Support group the users change lancets once a year on St. Swithun's Day.

Have the medics given you info on Carb Counting and how to calculate grams of carb per unit and Correction Doses ? If they have not mentioned it already I would ask to go on DAFNE course or equivalent.

Taking 9 units before each meal and 8 after if bgs are high looks like a really static, inflexible programme.

 

[Tina63]

Gosh, I know how you feel at being so frustrated. My daughter doesn't always let me know in enough time and I'm always having a panic or other trying to get stuff. We stock up a bit now bit it still happens. Perhaps you could write to your doc and explain in a letter? or just deep breathe. Hope you feel better after the rant

We were lucky enough to be discharged from hospital with loads of stuff, plus they faxed across a prescription list to our GP, so we were able to collect another complete set of everything we needed (and extras we have never needed - extra sized needles for example) but since then I have found it good practise to ALWAYS keep one surplus box of everything in. My son has all he needs to hand, but we have a box in a top cupboard with spares. As he takes a new box of something (lancets, needles, test strips etc) out of the box, I immediately order more. I generally check all the regularly used stuff and order more of everything. I always keep a spare full box of insulin in too. That all seems to have long expiry dates, so no problems there. At least then when it gets near bank holidays etc there is not a last minute panic. Not a bad habit to get into right from the start. We have never yet faced a panic that we have run out of anything.

Tina

 

[Caroline]

I hope things are sorted for you. It seems we have problems with unsympathetic doctors or horrible receptionists (I have loads fo rude words I mutter to myself about them)

It irks me that they get paid very good money to look after us and we don't get the care we need or have a right to.

 

[Northerner]

I've just checked and even with the slow release and the other dosage of quick release i took its still at 20.7 i don't understand i'm being so careful with my food and everything why isn't it going down!!!

Your slow-acting insulin is unlikely to play much of a part in bringing your levels down as the dose is intended to cover the glucose that is constantly being trickled out by your liver (which does this so your hear, lungs, brain etc. have some energy when you are not eating).

There is a possibility that, if your fast-acting insulin is not having an effect that the insulin itself has lost its potency, which is rare but might have happened due to it getting too warm, or another possibility is that the insulin isn't being delivered properly due to a faulty cartridge. It might be worth changing the cartridge to a fresh one out of the fridge.

I would call your DSN today to see what adjustments he/she suggests. Hope your levels improve! 🙂

 

[Robster65]

Have they explained the importance of carbs in your diet at all ?

In case they haven't, the insulin you're injecting enables your body to utilise the carbs in your diet. The stomach digests them and they are converted to glucose, then go into the bloodstream where the glucose is either used by body cells (muscles, nerves, etc) as fuel or returned to the liver to be converted to fat.

The more carb you eat, the more insulin you need to convert it. Your blood glucose should be between about 4 and 7ish for perfect control, but has some leeway. At 20, there's clearly too much glucose in your blood, which means there's either too much carb going in or too little insulin to allow the muscles, etc to utilise it.

The idea of carb counting is to eat enough carbs inyour diet to keep your weight steady (or up or down to suit) and then inject just enough insulin to allow the glucose in your blood to be burned up by the body.

Since they have put you on fixed doses, I would imagine you'll need to adjust your carb intake to get the BGs down along with injecting more quick acting insulin until you find your BGs stabilise at a lower level.

You clearly need more support than you're being offered and the only suggestion I can make is for you to complain bitterly to both the hospital and your GP that you've been left in the lurch with dangerously high BGs and not enough information or support to manage it.

Do what your nurse has advised for now (it would be dangerous to take advice directly from here) but please ask the nurse/doctor what they plan to do to get your BGs down to a sensible level. You are entitled to see a dietician also, which will obviously take soem time to arrange.

Meantime, push for what you need. 🙂

Rob

 

[MummyRose2009]

hi everyone well woke up it was 8.8 so think the insulin is working but still struggling to get it level it jumped up again after breakfast and a snack so i took another shot of insulin as my diabetes nurse told me.

I haven't had carbs explained to me but i think i get the idea for every carb there needs to be equal intake of insulin. I thinkthe nurse is going to do more in way of explanation when i have been on it a bit so i am not too overwhelmed as i have only been diagnosed for about a week.

I've been sent to a few sites that sell low carb and low sugar products that i can use in replace of normal snacks so my sugar levels dont shoot up as they are.

going to mention to the nurse when she phones me tomorrow about the ketone strips.

Thank you again for replies.

Tia

 

[Northerner]

Tia, just a word of caution regarding low-sugar etc. snacks - never buy anything that is labelled 'diabetic', and also check to see if the products are sweetened artificially. Some sweeteners have an unpleasant laxative side-effect. I tend to go for normal, everyday foods that would be healthy for anyone, not just people with diabetes.

It's fairly standard to have fixed doses which are adjusted by your DSN in response to the readings you report fr the first couple of weeks. Hopefully, you will get the necessary carb-counting education soon so that you can establish what ratios of insulin to carbs suit you at different times of the day.