[Diabetes] General Chat and Support Thread

banjobongo wrote: »

hi
I use BD 4mm needles from my local chemist, on the LTI, your local chemist should have them in stock, have you asked them?
(I wouldnt want to go back to using 5mm needles!)

Taeholic wrote: »

I get 4mm BD micro fine ultra on my LTI book in several of my local chemists. I was told once before they're not on the list and I asked them to double check because I had gotten them in that same chemist previously. She was mistaken and gave me the 4mm, no issues since. I'd ask them to double check too and say you know people who have LTI books and get 4mm.

Thank you both, I emailed my prescription to the doctor today and put Neon verifine 4mm down as I could not find the BD MF 4mm on the list. I've changed doctor so this was my chance to pick my own prescription so to speak. I'm regretting not putting down the BD MF 4mm now.

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

Does your prescription need to be so prescriptive, if you pardon the expression? I only use test strips and lancets myself but my prescription just says "Test strips and lancets" and the pharmacist dispenses the ones I ask for.

The same here, test strips and lancets and that gives me leeway to change meters and needles.

The Big Easy wrote: »

Thanks everyone, I shouldn't have wrote it out so clearly then, just needles 4mm would have done

It's just I'm changing doctor and pharmacy, having moved and the pharmacy are actually being a real pain about everything. I would go somewhere else but they're the only one in a small village, probably why they have the attitude they do!

I think that because we the patient dont directly pay for the stuff we get from the Chemist, that maybe we sometimes forget that we are the customer, the chemist gets paid for everything from the state so we are doing the chemist a favour by giving them our business...

Sorry to share some unpleasant reading about diabetic Covid patients in India, but I always think it is better to be aware of these things. Case numbers reported in the article seem very low considering the population though.

BBC News - Mucormycosis: The 'black fungus' maiming Covid patients in India
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-57027829

I'm getting my first dose of Pfizer on Saturday after so much pointless confusion since early April.

I was initially called for an appointment in another county when inter-county travel wasn't allowed, and I wouldn't have been able to get there and back in a day on the train anyway. I tried a few more times to get a vaccine in Dublin, was told by HSE Live that they were just an information line and could do nothing for me, etc.

Eventually I was called for bloods by my GP practice and asked them about the vaccine. They had no clue when they'd be getting vaccines or be able to arrange appointments. Just over a week later, I went in for the blood tests and the nurse was able to get me an appointment! I got the confirmation text this morning! (Now I'm just waiting for it all to go wrong again.)

banjobongo wrote: »

I have a child living abroad, in Germany and unfortunately it looks like she may have a form of diabetes, she is being checked up at present but she said they told her her blood sugar levels were at 325...I am not familar with this system of counting blood sugar levels, is 325 the same as 32.5 mmol?

No, they must be using the mg/Dl scale. Not one I'm used to but 325 on that scale is about 13 on the percentage scale so 18.1 in mmol/L.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-sugar-converter.html

many thanks to ohnonotgmail and banie01 this is very helpful feedback!

Hi all,

I called my GP regarding vaccine scheduling etc. and apparently I missed the "booking" deadline for cohort 7. I know they haven't completed giving the vaccine to all of cohort 7 yet but they seem to be saying I'll need to wait for the HSE age based cohort now. I feel like the receptionist was just fobbing me off with a "computer says no" type response.

Did anyone else need to book their vaccine appointment or were they just automatically put on a list (which I assumed seeing as the GP knows I am a diabetic!)
I called the Diabetes day centre and they said I was on a list but it doesn't seem like anything is joined up...

I'm confused about prioritisation , are all diabetics prioritised or just type 1? I don't know which type people are talking about on thread, it might be helpful if people differentiated type 1, 2, insipidus or gestational.

calfmuscle wrote: »

I'm confused about prioritisation , are all diabetics prioritised or just type 1? I don't know which type people are talking about on thread, it might be helpful if people differentiated type 1, 2, insipidus or gestational.

To my knowledge, the priority for diabetics receiving the vaccine is based on your last HBA1C result regardless of what type of diabetes you have. Your diabetes clinic puts your name forward based on your most recent blood tests. Open to corrections on that but that's my understanding.

The Hba1c criteria was anything greater than 59 iirc.
That said, I had my 1st AZ dose in late March and my Hba1c was 45.

I think that every one of the consultant led clinics forwarded all their patients to the HSE, at least in Limerick.
I was also offered a Vax by my GP as part of their cohort 4 rollout in mid April.

Meauldsegosha wrote: »

I had my clinic appointment yesterday and the consultant told me they put everyone on the list regardless of type or Hba1c. I told him I was surprised to get called because my Hba1c is good and he saidcit said it was an administrative decision not a clinical one to put the number at 58 and it made no sense.

A family member asked about the lists in Tallaght and was told it was based on the HbA1c and hers was under the 58 so not in cohort 4 .Now this was a few weeks ago so possibly changed now .She has heard nothing at all yet? Could it be possible they are sorting by age too ? She is 30+?

iamwhoiam wrote: »

A family member asked about the lists in Tallaght and was told it was based on the HbA1c and hers was under the 58 so not in cohort 4 .Now this was a few weeks ago so possibly changed now .She has heard nothing at all yet? Could it be possible they are sorting by age too ? She is 30+?

I'm with Beaumont so different hospitals may differ in their approach. The lack of consistency is causing confusion and frustration for people. When I got my jab it was a mixture of all ages attending.

I got my text from the Mater last night asking me if I wanted to be put forward.

Already had my first Pfizer jab via my GP, but looks like they may be starting to move through the list there. My hba1c is below the "threshold", so yeah, who know how its been worked out.

iamwhoiam wrote: »

Daughter just got a date next Thursday for the vaccine . Cohort 7 via her consultant in Tallaght .

Curious, weren't there other people in cohort 7 in Tallaght who were done along with cohort 4? Saw quite a few reports of that here and elsewhere.