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What to expect………

L

Lea123

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
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Had a cancellation today of my first diabetic nurse appointment which was booked for tomorrow and now can’t see them until April.
Was ‘diagnosed’ (by the receptionist) in Dec 24 and given metformin by A&E after feeling unwell at Christmas and haven’t seen or spoken to diabetic nurse since.
Is this pretty standard or should i be concerned that i haven’t seen anyone yet, no one has checked or reviewed my medication or bloods since ?
 
Unfortunately cancelled appointments and deferred reviews are more common than they should be, especially at this time of year.
If you haven't had a second HbA1c blood test since diagnosis in December it would be worth contacting your medical practice and request a blood test before April. It's usually done 3 months after the first one.

If you have the NHS app on your phone you should be able to view the results on line, although it may be several days after the test.

Meanwhile if it helps ask any questions or raise concerns on the forum. There are plenty of folk diagnosed with Type2 within the last 12 months who can offer (non medical) advice and reassurance.
 
Lea123 said:
t, no one has checked or reviewed my medication or bloods since
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If you were only diagnosed in December then there’s no point reviewing your bloods or medication until at least April
 
silver minion said:
If you haven't had a second HbA1c blood test since diagnosis in December it would be worth contacting your medical practice and request a blood test before April.
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A second test isn’t needed to confirm the diagnosis since OP went to hospital with symptoms. A hba1c covers a 3 month period so should typically wait until at least April to recheck it.
 
silver minion said:
Unfortunately cancelled appointments and deferred reviews are more common than they should be, especially at this time of year.
If you haven't had a second HbA1c blood test since diagnosis in December it would be worth contacting your medical practice and request a blood test before April. It's usually done 3 months after the first one.

If you have the NHS app on your phone you should be able to view the results on line, although it may be several days after the test.

Meanwhile if it helps ask any questions or raise concerns on the forum. There are plenty of folk diagnosed with Type2 within the last 12 months who can offer (non medical) advice and reassurance.
Click to expand...
Thank you, had a hba1c 75 and then a 73 a few days later so theyve taken those two……. I just feel abandoned by the system i guess. I would have expected to have been informed about diabetes management etc and have not had anything in terms of what i should or should be doing or expecting. Very frustrating
 
Lucyr said:
A second test isn’t needed to confirm the diagnosis since OP went to hospital with symptoms. A hba1c covers a 3 month period so should typically wait until at least April to recheck it.
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Only going by own experience and I wasn't aware original diagnosis was done at hospital. Blood test done end of March or early April should meet 3 month criteria
 
Lucyr said:
A second test isn’t needed to confirm the diagnosis since OP went to hospital with symptoms. A hba1c covers a 3 month period so should typically wait until at least April to recheck it.
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Thank you….. u would assume that you would be at least advised as to what you should do for that 3 months to help yourself? That’s the missing element for me
 
Sometimes the advice is often poor or non existent and seems to vary a lot across the country.
I didn't get much advice. Eat a healthy diet and look at the Diabetes UK website, keep taking the medication. We will check your feet at the next appointment and have referred you for a retinopathy check.

From reading other Newbies posts, it was more than most of them received. I have received more support and advice about living with diabetes from people on this forum than from the health care professionals.
 
It’s just very frustrating because i have lost a stone and also have checked my bloods regularly after eating and not had a reading above 7 (mostly 5-6) since Christmas so i really want to talk about the future plan and whether anything i have tried to do so far is worthwhile but i guess i will have to wait
 
Lea123 said:
Thank you….. u would assume that you would be at least advised as to what you should do for that 3 months to help yourself? That’s the missing element for me
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You should have been directed to the Diabetes UK website or the NHS page on diabetes, but you’re here now anyway so doesn’t really matter if that happened
 
Whatever action you have taken with changes to your diet and the medication has been successful in that you have lost weight assuming you need to and that usually helps to reduce blood glucose.
It is brilliant you have the benefit of a monitor and the results you have posted look very promising. The aim is for 4-7mmol/l fasting and before meals and no more than 8-8.5mmol/l 2 hours after eating.
I don't know what you have been doing but this link may give you some more ideas for a sustainable new way of eating. There are some menu plans and recipes based on the suggested no more than 130g carbohydrates not just sugar per day it is not NO carbs.
lowcarbfreshwell.com

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.com lowcarbfreshwell.com
 
@Lea123 welcome to the forum. My first reading was 69 and se and four weeks later 64 at end of July. HCP I saw emailed me and said I appeared shocked. I was. I felt I was grieving. I spoke to an advisor on Diabetes UK and they sent me leaflets. I didn't join the forum until after I had seen the diabetes nurse. I think I was still in turmoil and it wasn't helpful. She didn't know what medication to give me and checked with hcp and phoned me at home to say I would be on metformin. I increased one tablet a week til I was on 4 then changed to 2 a day plus an SGLT2. My reading in September was 51 and now it is 44.
You will probably have fat around your middle even if you are not overweight. Read items on the diabetes UK site and consider starting the learning course. I was and still am fat and cut out obvious sweet things though now have occasionalbiscuit or chocolate. I gave up sugar in drinks and on cereal as a teenager. I then reduced carbs eg bread potato rice pasta. Decide what to cut out what to reduce and what to replace - Ive bought edamame noodles and have given up pasta but still eat potatoes and bread but very sparingly. Some people reduce calories but I found reducing carbs to 130 caused me to lose weight. Keep a diary of what you are eating and how you feel including toilet trips. You may decide at some stage you want to buy a blood glucose monitor.
The carbs on packaged goods are often on the back under nutrition. If you eat meat or fish with extra veg you will be fine.
Try and reduce or stop tropical fruit.
I have previously posted a link to a New Forest GP site who has links to some good websites. Take it steadily and don't panic. I often have full fat greek yoghurt plus berries and nuts or seeds for breakfast or a mushroom omlette.
 
Thankyou, appreciate that information. Ive just been very focused on eating very differently to how i was, a much healthier version. 1500mg of metformin a day but until i get to talk to someone i don’t know if thats right or wrong or needs reducing/increasing etc
 
Lea123 said:
Thankyou, appreciate that information. Ive just been very focused on eating very differently to how i was, a much healthier version. 1500mg of metformin a day but until i get to talk to someone i don’t know if thats right or wrong or needs reducing/increasing etc
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Metformin is usually started at 500mg and then increased over a few weeks to allow the body to adjust and for any stomach issues to settle before increasing the dose. The max if needed is 2000mg.
You would not normally have the dose changed unless you don't tolerate it until your blood glucose (HbA1C) is below 48mmol/mol.
 
I got given the metformin in a and e and immediately put on 3x500mg per day. No gradual introduction. Thankfully have tolerated but really hoped to see diabetes nurse tomorrow to discuss this dose and everything else but oh well
 
HI @Lea123 and sorry to hear you've had a cancellation with a DSN - unfortunately Heathcare Teams are over-stretched across the country but it is a poscode lottery I'm afraid - glad you are getting on ok with the Metformin (I had it for a few weeks, and it was, ahem, interesting) - it sounds like you are doing all the right things though with amazing weight loss - well done - keep going 🙂
 
Lea123 said:
Had a cancellation today of my first diabetic nurse appointment which was booked for tomorrow and now can’t see them until April.
Was ‘diagnosed’ (by the receptionist) in Dec 24 and given metformin by A&E after feeling unwell at Christmas and haven’t seen or spoken to diabetic nurse since.
Is this pretty standard or should i be concerned that i haven’t seen anyone yet, no one has checked or reviewed my medication or bloods since ?
Click to expand...
Go in and kick your Doc's door down. One school of thought says a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes should be treated as an urgent medical emergency.
 
Burylancs said:
Go in and kick your Doc's door down. One school of thought says a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes should be treated as an urgent medical emergency.
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What do you actually want to result from this? They’re already on medication for it
 
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