Type 1s - Are you the only one in the clinic waiting room?

I am desperate for a pump, but my clinic is being unhelpful. I mused that actually I am generally the youngest person in the waiting room, and also the only type 1. Although at one appointment I did actually meet a young woman who was Type 1. It used to be one of the best diabetes clinics in the country, but since that particular consultant has retired, I don't really know how good it is.

Do some clinics actually deal with more Type 1s? And if so where are they? Are they a bit more open to discussing pumps?

I'd be very interested to know

Thanks
Helene.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sue on January 28, 2011 at 10:00am

Which clinic are you going to. You might need to get pushy and ask for a referral to a hospital clinic in the region that does pumps. You'd probably need to fit the criteria. Also, try calling the pump suppliers for advice as to how to go about getting a pump. You might need to be pushy with your healthcare people (but polite, of course!). Sue

Permalink Reply by stevie on February 1, 2011 at 8:50am

in the uk they tend to be reluctant to give any body the pump, i think its due to cost but also they reckon that the pump takes time to get used to and you really have to be careful becuase you can for example get the quanties of insulin wrong if you dont lean how to deal with the equipment properly. i brought this up at my clinic and was told all the reasons i shouldnt have the pump and none of the reasons why i should.

Permalink Reply by Alison Finney on February 7, 2011 at 6:38am

Helene, attitudes to pumping sadly do seem to vary hugely, but the good news is the the medical guidelines are pretty clear so it's easy for you to determine whether you meet them. Then the next step is to identify a hospital that has a better diabetic clinic than your current one. You could try your GP, or do you know any other diabetic's locally who you could ask about other hospitals nearby?

I've written about my experience of getting pump funding here - http://www.shootuporputup.co.uk/2009/07/show-me-the-money/

Permalink Reply by Redshaw on February 7, 2011 at 9:00am

Thanks for the reply. I've just come back from the GP with the flu. Absolutely no help whatsoever. I had to get her to look up ketostix, so I could have a pot at home in case I get ketones (which I think I had this morning).

When I'm feeling better I'll read your blog.

Permalink Reply by latvianchick on February 7, 2011 at 12:43pm

I do understand. It sounds almost as if you have the same GP as mine. She will not even discuss diabetes with me. Full stop.

I am sorry about the flu. Go to bed, drink plenty of fluids and keep taking the insulin! Eat when you can and keep away from others. Do not be a martyr and go to work before you are better. It will do no-one any favours. And if you infect others, you will end up having to stand in for them when they drop like flies.

Permalink Reply by latvianchick on February 7, 2011 at 12:37pm

I believe, from my consultant, that in some places only 3 or 4 pumps a year are funded by the NHS which is really cruel, but a sad fact of life. If I could afford one, I would also like one.

You do not have to say exactly where this clinic is, but could you tell me where it is roughly? I am curious as where I live the clinic is really crappy and unhelpful. So much so, that I have to travel 45 miles each way to another one in another county each time I need to be seen or treated. It is much better, but I just wondered.

Permalink Reply by Lila on February 8, 2011 at 1:53pm

Hi Helene - just curious, how can you tell that you are the only Type 1 in the clinic waiting room?

Permalink Reply by Redshaw on February 9, 2011 at 1:32am

Good question. Merely from talking to the people sitting around me. Granted I may have missed one or two. And I have spotted one before. Plus the last time there was a quiz laid out on the table "Which of these foods have sugar/carbohydrate in them?". So me being me I got the whole waiting room involved. And they didn't have a clue that sausages have bread in them or fish fingers are coated in carb. Which screamed Type 2 to me.

Permalink Reply by Lila on February 9, 2011 at 3:29am

Well it screams more to me 'non-carb-counting', or 'not diligent about carb counting' or 'not sufficiently motivated to learn more about everyday foods that affect blood sugar', rather than simply 'Type 2'. At my DAFNE course, there were people who'd had Type 1 for 20 years who wouldn't have known that (bad) sausages have carb in them!

I do like the image of you getting the whole waiting room involved in the quiz.

Permalink Reply by Redshaw on February 9, 2011 at 3:41am

It screams of dieticians saying fruit juice is natural etc.

We were taught to carb count back in the day - but to be honest it's guess work nowadays. We were told to follow a strict diet as set out by a dietician. So many carbs per meal so much insulin per day. Not to be deviated from. Very restricting.

Permalink Reply by Lila on February 9, 2011 at 4:12am

Fruit juice isn't natural? I make my own and it's just fruit...

Permalink Reply by Redshaw on February 9, 2011 at 4:21am

I should have qualified it. Fruit juice is natural therefore you can have as much as you want.

The only use I have for fruit juice is as a hypo treatment.