Personal experience of NHS cutbacks

I am a type 2 diabetic, although I am not on medication, I manage to control it through diet and exercise. Diabetes is a problem where your blood sugar levels go way to high and this causes damage to your organs (eyes, kidneys, nerve endings). So the challange for a diabetic is to keep your blood sugar levels to as near a normal as possible.

In the past the Doctor has always prescibed test strips. Basically you prick your finger and test your blood and it gives you your blood sugar levels. If I get a high reading, I can do something about it

He is now unable to do this because of budgetary cut backs, so I have now no way of knowing what my blood sugar levels are, and will have to rely on a annual test to see how things are going.

The rationalal behind this is that because I don't take any medication that lowers blood sugar I wont get a hypo (when your blood sugar falls to low and you pass out), I dont need to know. My argument is that I am monitoring my blood sugars to prevent complications that are expensive to treat.

All seems a bit short sighted to me ? Test strips are expensive though about £25 for 50, I use 3 a day, or am I expecting too much ?

Hello Betty, nice to see you back.


I have type 2 also. I control it with METFORMIN - 2 with meals. I check every second day. If I have been bad - eating the wrong things (here grandad try this! well you know the picture) I will check in the evening.

Poor neighbour is type 1 and because of a kidney infection, his readings were over 30 for 2 months, he is fine now back to 8.3

Try the accu chek site. I know that batteries for readers are free, the readers themselves are free, every time a new reader comes off the post, I get an email asking if I would like one.


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lancets are also available here.

EDIT

I know this is a frightening thing to happen - so silent and painless for now, and if we do not control it, loosing a leg will certainly NOT be painless. Do not let it run your life, keep an eye on things. I do not trust the yearly blood test so much either.

all the best.

Thanks Astra

I have pretty good control, my last HB1AC was 5%, so near non diabetic levels, but it was only through testing that I figured out what and how much I can eat. For example 1 slice of brown bread is ok , 2 slices too much.

I supose I have got it all figured out now, but I was concerned for newly diagnosed people, how can they work it out ? I suppose they could buy the test strips but not everyone can afford them. Seems very short sighted because complications are expensive to treat

My son has been waiting 16 months to see the orthodontist as he needs a brace. The waiting list was just under 12 months before this shower of sh*ts got in.

I know what you mean, when I was first diagnosed, I was crawling out of bed at 0300hrs, to see "what was happening"

I don't know if you are registered with accu-check, but you can say your present machine is on the blink and just ask 'nicely' (When would a LADY do otherwise?) asking if you can have a new machine, all the accoutrements should be in the box!

May be a plan?

Adele Carlyon wrote:My son has been waiting 16 months to see the orthodontist as he needs a brace. The waiting list was just under 12 months before this shower of sh*ts got in.

Not good at all. I find the proposed NHS reforms totally incomprehensible. I prefer my GP to be a doctor not an accountant

betty.noire,
I truly sympathise with you and your diabetic problems.
My young daughter became type 1 at age 4yrs and is now 18 and is studying A levels. Very difficult and dangerous complaint as you are well aware.
She does not pay for her medication including ACCU-CHEK. If you are on low income, or claming benefits you should be exempt from paying for prescriptions. Otherwise I agree these things are expensive.

Again we have this shower of an uncaring government who are causing much hardship to vulnerable and incapacitated people.
Am I right in thinking you still supportive of them?

I had a very bad experince yesterday at my local DGH. My wife was taken ill and I rushed her to the A&E for some urgent treatment. We arrived and she lay on the waiting room floor in absolute abdominal agony. We were told there were no rooms available and that we would have wait for one to become free. Two hours later my wife having thrown up everwhere and the other end, she was at last placed into an isolation room. There she stayed for a further hour before a doctor told her she would have to have blood tests and then put on a drip.
The blood tests were not carried out nor a drip made available. 5 times she was assured "in a few mins, we are busy". Ultimately she discharged herself and I took her home and called out the GP who treated her problem that had fortunately eased by that time.
Not blaming the staff at the hospital because staff have been cut by 25% we were informed.

Many thanks for destroying our front line services, preparing for privatisation, you so called government.

2010, NO CHANGE TO NHS FRONTLINE SERVICES - - "I REPEAT"


Your wife it seems, did not get an appology, or kissmebum for the embarrasment she was FORCED to endure?


EDIT

In THIS area, North East, the (accepted) protocol is (next time she is in agony) phone 999 - emergency ambulance, for uplift to hospital. Straight in and hopefully seen to.

When my wife phoned for me in 2010, I was hanging off the ceiling, the pain was something else! GP said "You have Gastric Collic, nothing to worry about" and gave me a presctiption. That was the day before. It took the A&E Doctor 2 mins. then got hold of a Consultant General Surgeon, and 12 hours later I was having Bowel and Cancer removed!

Do not hang about MEL, I beg of you

Dr Shifty's Casebook

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" Madam, for only £275 + VAT to pay on your way out, I am glad to be able to reassure you that we have no plans whatsoever to privatise the NHS...."

Scratchcards are being printed for a new National Lottery game which will have prizes such as, Hip replacement/knee surgery/heart by-pass/gastric band etc. etc., with Euthanasia as an optional Euro-millions jackpot.

The NHS has always needed cash, we ALL know this.

If Cameron was serious (Aye AND the Labour administration before him) were serious, why oh why is the NHS NOT included as a recipient of lottery funds?

If a scratch card was introduced, by the Lottelly, I wager it will have many participants, I may even be persuaded myself, having only ever bought two lottely tickets since it's inception.

The lottery card works fine for the Elf Service of Eire, why not try it here in UK??


ER Edit!!

Would it be that the UK Tax trough is far faar larger than anything the lottery could provide, thus ensuring the Vultures stay fat?

So called NHS reforms are one policy I wish the coalition WOULD do a u turn on

oftenwrong wrote:Scratchcards are being printed for a new National Lottery game which will have prizes such as, Hip replacement/knee surgery/heart by-pass/gastric band etc. etc., with Euthanasia as an optional Euro-millions jackpot.

It would be an especially cruel development if a such 'scratchcards' offered a prize to treat dermatological conditions, would it not...?

Particularly for people in Hitchin...

blueturando said: "So called NHS reforms are one policy I wish the coalition WOULD do a u turn on"

Hello Blue my friend,
Unfortunately, despite how ever many U Turns this unelected Government has already made, a U turn on health reforms wont be one of them, they are now doing exactly what they have wanted to do since the NHS’s conception back in the year of my Birth 1948. Gideon has just made another bullshit announcement regarding a new initiative for growth, why now, why not two years ago before much of the damage was done and lives put on the scrapheap. The answer is of course easy, he has been told by almost everyone, including Obama, his policies are a bollox up from the start, and apparently we are now in such a good state that everyone will want to come and invest here, so what is the only main difference between now and when he inherited a growing economy, of course we are now in yet another Tory 10 Downing Street made recession, other than a few of the more unscrupulous amongst us, who will be happily picking over the carcasses of the many dead companies, why should anyone put any faith in this useless coalition. I have to come back on the 26^th for a few days to interview some prospective staff members, I sincerely hope Herr Cameron doesn’t try to take the credit for my increase in my workforce.

By the way blue I fully agree with your views on our moderation, in fact that’s why I made my exit from the forum, but I was asked via personal message to rethink, I did and like you am back.

The thing is blue, because I stayed out longer than you, does that mean I have more staying power than you or more leaving power, bloody hell I’m all confused now.

bobby and blue, I must say how so very delighted I am to see both of you back gentlemen. Your contributions to this forum would be very much missed.

Many thanks for hanging on in there friends.

And yes I agree with every word you have said in your last two posts.

astra,

Many thanks for your concern my friend.

Quote-- "It took the A&E Doctor 2 mins. then got hold of a Consultant General Surgeon, and 12 hours later I was having Bowel and Cancer removed!"
Bloody hell astra, what an ordeal and shock for both you and your wife at the time. I wish you well for a full recovery and hope you are no longer in much pain.

It was a bit out of the ordinary, but the gist of the story, is "IF YER BELLY IS SORE OFR MORE THAN 2 WEEKS - GET IT SEEN TO!" all this ponsing around by the GP was untennable, but now he is absolutely untouchable.

Yes, it was a shock, and the MRS. took a stroke5 months later! Thank yu God!

All this is puting pressure on you sir, be VERY careful!

A