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Richh67

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi All,
I think have done a good/bad thing. Following on from having some common symptoms (thirst etc), I went to a pharmacy rather than the GP for a diabetes check. Blood pressure all ok but finger prick test came up as 23.08 mol/l which i know is a big, not good number. I know my diet has been rubbish and since that test yesterday I have been reading through the forum pages about watching carbs etc. which is something i will do regardless.
I will be off to the GP this week all being well and somehow feel this could be the start of my diabetes journey. I’m usually great with needles, but have a real panic when getting bloods taken. Does anyone have any advice on how to help overcome this and what to expect at the start of this.
You all seem great and the community feel in here is brilliant.
thanks in advance...
 
Hi @Richh67 and welcome to the forum. A spot blood glucose of over 20 certainly merits further investigation and that can only be organised by your GP so off to your GP as soon as you can is a very good idea. What happens will depend on the result of the blood test and to some extent your GP. So take it step wise, get tested, see what your GP suggests and then review where you stand.

If NICE guide lines are followed than your GP will ask for a HbA1c test. This is done on a sample taken from your arm and sent to the lab. Always ask for the actual result - it will be number between 30 and 150 - it will tell you where you are on the diabetes scale and help you to work out what (if anything) you need to do. As for the blood test, I am tempted to say you just got to man up. Me I disguise my horror at the process by chatting cheerfully to whomsoever is drawing the blood!
 
Hi @Richh67 Did you wash your hands and retest after your high number? 23.08 isn’t a possible result so I’m presuming that’s a typo and it was 23.8? Even a invisible speck of something can affect meter results hugely (speaking from experience there). Also, testing again will provide further information for your GP and you.

I have problems with blood tests too. The trick is to not think about what they’re going to do (think about the jobs you have when you get home, etc), not to look, and to occupy your mind thoroughly from the moment you turn away in order not to look. So, do a Maths sum, count the number of letters in each colour of the rainbow, etc etc.
 
Inka said:
Hi @Richh67 Did you wash your hands and retest after your high number? 23.08 isn’t a possible result so I’m presuming that’s a typo and it was 23.8? Even a invisible speck of something can affect meter results hugely (speaking from experience there). Also, testing again will provide further information for your GP and you.

I have problems with blood tests too. The trick is to not think about what they’re going to do (think about the jobs you have when you get home, etc), not to look, and to occupy your mind thoroughly from the moment you turn away in order not to look. So, do a Maths sum, count the number of letters in each colour of the rainbow, etc etc.
Click to expand...
Apologies, was a typo, it was 23.80
 
Richh67 said:
Apologies, was a typo, it was 23.80
Click to expand...

Blood glucose meters generally only use one decimal point so I’m still slightly confused. Are you adding the final zero?

It’s definitely sensible to see your GP though.
 
Last edited:
Inka said:
Blood glucose meters generally only use one decimal point so I’m still slightly confused. Are you adding the final zero?

It’s definitely sensible to see your GP though.
Click to expand...
It was on the print out the pharmacy gave me. As you say if the meter only has one decimal point, they were adding that themselves. Contacting GP tomorrow..
 
Get you 🙂 Good luck with the GP. If there’s a problem. It’s far better to know about it and then you can take action.
 
Richh67 said:
Hi All,
I think have done a good/bad thing. Following on from having some common symptoms (thirst etc), I went to a pharmacy rather than the GP for a diabetes check. Blood pressure all ok but finger prick test came up as 23.08 mol/l which i know is a big, not good number. I know my diet has been rubbish and since that test yesterday I have been reading through the forum pages about watching carbs etc. which is something i will do regardless.
I will be off to the GP this week all being well and somehow feel this could be the start of my diabetes journey. I’m usually great with needles, but have a real panic when getting bloods taken. Does anyone have any advice on how to help overcome this and what to expect at the start of this.
You all seem great and the community feel in here is brilliant.
thanks in advance...
Click to expand...
I think you've done the right thing, get things moving before they become an immediate problem. In the meantime, drink plenty of fresh water, it can help a lot.

Let us know how you get on. Loads of help on here should you be needing it.
 
Ah! - take a deep breath as the needle tip gets near and breathe OUT steadily as they stick it in! Works for all things invasive - and ladies get more such things than blokes cos most of your 'naughty' bits are outside and the ones that are not, they have to anaesthetise you to gain a view!
 
Welcome to the forum @Richh67

Glad you have found reading the forum helpful so far, and thanks for kind words about the community.

Let us know how things go, and hopefully breathing through the blood tests (plus not looking) is a tried and trusted technique.

Keep us posted when you get your results. Fingers crossed for you.
 
Richh67 said:
Hi All,
I think have done a good/bad thing. Following on from having some common symptoms (thirst etc), I went to a pharmacy rather than the GP for a diabetes check. Blood pressure all ok but finger prick test came up as 23.08 mol/l which i know is a big, not good number. I know my diet has been rubbish and since that test yesterday I have been reading through the forum pages about watching carbs etc. which is something i will do regardless.
I will be off to the GP this week all being well and somehow feel this could be the start of my diabetes journey. I’m usually great with needles, but have a real panic when getting bloods taken. Does anyone have any advice on how to help overcome this and what to expect at the start of this.
You all seem great and the community feel in here is brilliant.
thanks in advance...
Click to expand...
Hello,
I have total sympathy with you as I’m severely needle phobic and have been since I was a child (caused by the GP). I had Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which has provided me with enough strategies to enable me to get to the surgery for 6 monthly blood tests without having a panic attack. Then someone told me about EMLA cream which is a numbing cream you put on about an hour before the procedure. It’s available without prescription from a pharmacy and helps a lot with the pain but not the horror! It was all going swimmingly until the coronavirus vaccinator hit a nerve in my arm and no one believed the pain I felt!
I hope some of this helps a bit.
 
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