Comments on: Are you TRYING to wind me up?!!

By: Aimee

Aimee — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 02:54:15 +0000

It’s great to hear comments from other T1’s as it’s always good to know your not the only one who struggles with these frustrations! Great to have this site to go to and read up on others comments and experiences…just heard about it from my father in law last night and have found it a refreshing read.

By: Alison

Alison — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:40:57 +0000

As a mother of an adult T1 – and a registered nurse – I believe that most nurses do not have enough experience and knowledge to offer detailed advice in this specialist field. Perhaps you should all take up Aaron’s recommendation and register with his GP !! Or someone of similar abilities. I read this blog and admire you all.

By: Penny

Penny — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:40:05 +0000

absolutely agree.
I am writing as a vent too having gone through this countless times having moved around ate least every 2 years in the last ten years (and usually every 6 months)
The top two were the GP who insisted I did only a fasting blood glucose at the lab (like that is going to help tell them what my control is)
And the nurse sitting there telling me how good my Hba1c is when it wsa in the mid 7’s ignoring my “it is not good enouth” – her reply it was the best she had among her patients (maybe but they are mostly T2)
Screem quietly

By: Aaron

Aaron — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:56:12 +0000

Ali – Nail on the head!

By: Ali

Ali — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:44:57 +0000

I guess this all serves as a reminder that, although the professionals out there can be a valuable asset to us ultimately we all need to take personal responsibility for understanding and managing our health and diabetes.

By: Nic

Nic — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:07:43 +0000

Donna that reminds me of a mild version of what happened to the snowboarder Sean Busby who was speaking at the Diabetes Youth conference last year: http://www.beingdiabetic.co.nz/2009-09-15/diabetes-youth-conference-report-7-sean-busby/.

You make a good point actually – I hardly ever go to the GP either but have taken to somehow weaving it into the initial consultation that I’m a T1…I’ve got most of the way through consultations before thinking they’d have read I’m a T1 in my notes but I don’t know if it’s very obvious where that info is stored in the system!!

By: Donna

Donna — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:52:19 +0000

one thing that also happened to me not so long ago, also at the christchurch diabetes clinic, i asked the nurse if i should perhaps have the necessary gear at home to test for ketones? she said your Type 2 you dont need to test for ketones, i was horriifed as we were just ending our half hour session and all that time she couldnt see on my notes that i was in fact Type 1!! She apologised when i corrected her and she sent me home with a new blood glucose tester that also tests for ketones!!

By: Nic

Nic — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:12:22 +0000

Yay for great GPs! I mean there are a million conditions out there so as I say I don’t expect them to know more than us, but I just wish they would recognize that and give credit to us where it’s due. A good example of this was when I was on the general maternity ward after having my baby. The midwives and staff there assessed pretty quickly that I was a switched-on diabetic and respected that by saying things like “you are the expert at diabetes, I’m not going to tell you what to do as you probably know better yourself”.

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:08:08 +0000

What really got me angry the last time I went to the diabetes clinic in Christchurch, was a a very large nurse telling me that I was overweight and needed to lose weight. At that time I was going to the gym and struggling with lows and having to eat all the time after exercise. I only needed to lose about 5kg, it just really bugged me being lectured by her. If she can’t do it without diabetes, can’t she think about how much harder it is for those of us with it! Grrrr

I had to go back to the diabetes clinic recentlly after being ‘lost’ in their system, and not having an appointment since 2006, and I was really reluctant to go. This time I had the best nurse, she had diabetes herself, and it was just so nice to be talking to someone who can relate! My HBA1C had gone down from 9 to 8 in just over a month and she actually said ‘well done, you’re on the right track’. I never thought that I’d hear those words from someone at the diabetes clinic!

Its so good to know that everyone has these horrible experiences with their doctors.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:59:59 +0000

I completely agree with everyone’s comments but I’m going to buck the trend and tell you all that I’ve found the best GP that I have EVER had! She is so fantastic and went to massive lengths to get 100% up to speed on insulin pumps when I told her I was thinking about it. She reads all my reports, will give me advice when I ask for it and support when I need it with a healthy dose of realism about how hard it can all be at times.

If anyone wants her details then I can HIGHLY recommend her. I even did a post a while ago to say thank you to her for being so amazing which is here:

http://www.beingdiabetic.co.nz/2009-09-19/guest-blog-gp-vs-endo/

I’d be happy to talk to anyone that wanted her contact details and give some more detailed info etc.