Thank you for all the help so far

[Robin]

I've been lurking for ages, and thought it high time I joined. The only thing holding me back was not being able to think of a suitable moniker! I seem to follow the pattern of a lot of people on here, diagnosed with Type I at age 52, misdiagnosed as Type 2, though they got it right eventually, my GP was clued up enough to realise I didn't fit the pattern and referred me to the Hospital clinic. I was losing about 2lb a week by this time, HbA1c of 16, Liver Function tests all over the place. The DSN at the hospital expressed astonishment that I was still walking round! And I'd been putting the symptoms down to the menopause for ages!

Seven years on, with things under control, I've been referred back to my local surgery for all my checks, with the Diabetic nurse there, (who is of course also the Asthma nurse, the Travel Clinic nurse, you name it she does it. She admitted recently that I was her only type I, and has rung me up to ask my advice on carb counting!) All of which means I have been very grateful to this forum, for teaching me anything I needed to know and keeping me abreast of new developments.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Robin, glad you decided to join in! 🙂 I've been told that my diabetes reviews will now be handled by the surgery, which doesn't fill me with confidence The nurse assumes all the time that I am Type 2, and the GPSI (GP with Special Interest) is also only familiar with Type 2. I'm pretty sure I know a lot more than them thanks to the people on this forum and the thousands of 'case histories' I have read over the past 6 years 🙂

I look forward to hearing more from you 🙂

 

[HOBIE]

Welcome Robin 🙂

 

[Robin]

yes, despite all the letters from the consultant being headed 'Auto-immune Type 1, my GP surgery didn't change my notes from Type 2 to 1 for ages, leading my GP keep asking me why the hospital had taken me off Metformin. I was happy at the time to be referred back to the GP surgery for my reviews, as getting to the hospital, and parking is a nightmare, and I am the sort of person who will read up on the subject and find out everything there is to know by myself. I am lucky to have an intelligent and receptive nurse. But as I said to her last time, the thing that worries me is, 'What I don't know that I don't know!' - keeping abreast with all the latest developments. For example, I queried needle length with her, and changed to 4mm from 8mm(ouch) after I read about it on here, and I only discovered the existence of the Libre on this forum. ( I'm very tempted to get one when supplies are better).

 

[AlisonM]

Same here Robin and at the same age. Luckily my care is split between the clinic and the surgery with the surgery taking bloods and toe tickling, while the clinic handles the rest. It seems to work pretty well for the most part though it took a long time to get things sorted out and there are still occasional hiccups. If the GP gets rorty, I just refer her to my consultant and she shuts up. I'm glad the forum has been helpful, that's part of the reason we're here.

 

[stephknits]

Welcome Robin. It will be interesting to hear how you get on at the surgery. I, like you was wrongly diagnosed Type 2. Am glad at the minute to be seen by the team at the hospital, despite the very expensive parking 😱

 

[Flower]

Hell Robin and welcome 🙂

It's good to hear you eventually got a correct diagnosis and have managed to get things well controlled. I hope you manage to get some good care from the diabetes nurse at your surgery and she isn't ringing you too often for advice 😱, here's hoping.

 

[KookyCat]

Hi Robin, welcome aboard, sounds like the Diabetes nurse at my surgery who said she'd strongly prefer not to see me again because she couldn't help me, least she was honest 😱

 

[Mark T]

Welcome to the forum Robin 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Hi Robin

When I first joined a forum (this one hadn't been invented then LOL) I was struggling, they helped me no end, and I'm alive which I swear was down to them cos I'd kept asking the NHS to help and couldn't get any.

After a couple of months of being on Diabetes Insight - I wondered how the hell I'd managed to survive the previous 30-odd years.

Yet I'd been a member of The British Diabetes Association since diagnosis, when Balance was tabloid format! - and read every issue from cover to cover.

Plus it also brought home to me that doctors and nurses always go - well she's been diabetic for the last 30 years - and then assume 'she' already knows what they gleaned from medical school 5 years ago plus what they have picked up since from patients, the Lancet ect etc ever since.

Well - 'she' didn't.

I still reckon I learn something new every day - often about diabetes LOL

My current learning project is trying to find out who will wreck the NHS least in the next Government term, before May ..........

 

[Robin]

Thank you all for your very warm welcome.
Trophywench....Dont even get me started on the NHS!