[davef]

Looks like you have it covered, perhaps if all else fails ask for her solicitor's name and who handles her malpractice insurance!

[xMenace]

Do you have a national diabetes association? They may be able to provide some help or guidance. There is also a national doctors union, or whatever it's called. Inquiries there will be full of red tape, but it's an avenue.

[Metermaid]

I don't understand, what's it to her?? Is she paying for them? My insurance limits me...not my doctor? I don't get it...get a new endo!!

[Subby]

Originally Posted by shiftzor

Printout err on second thoughts its bit long (100 slides), USB pen with those nice Slides (thx xMenace) I doubt she will read them (pessimist that I am)

I havn't downloaded them to see but xMenace suggested a few slides. Print the best couple. Sweet and short is best. If she wants a further look have the usb pen on standby.

I too echo the "get a new endo" cry. There may be a funding shortage but then again another endo may likely shrug their shoulders and give you the appropriate amount. A good endo will ensure you are supported for this life threatening illness and be ****ed with funding issues and politics.

I also respect you giving this a go if you decide to. It's your life and the best thing is you make your own decisions. Good luck.

[morrisma]

Excellent plan. You seem to have everything covered!
Mike

[shiftzor]

Thanks for the support and encouragement guys, when I came out of that place after seeing that GP i didn’t know if I should laugh or cry. Well I’m a bloke so I didn’t cry but couldn’t bring myself to laugh. Really not happy with them, the pharmacy was really supportative about this. Tomorrow I shall return to the battlefield fully prepared this time and I hope to put a stop to this "problem".

[Subby]

Confronting doctors can be traumatic. I have been in tears before courtesy of idiot doctors, and yes I am a bloke. The biggest thing to remember is you are not wrong or foolish or crazy for wanting to test more than 3 or 4 times a day. She is the one not giving you adequate care if she thinks 3 tests are enough and won't modify her views. Remember though that firm and diplomatic is the best way to get to your aims. For all the talk of suing etc, you are better off keeping it civil.

No matter what happens, just be solid in the fact that you are perfectly justified in wanting and expecting a decent handful of strips a day. If she doesn't supply I am sure someone else will.

[Stuboy]

whoa, i'd go ape if they told me i could only test a certain amount a day.

If you need 200 strips to control your diabetes well, then you should get 200 strips.

I currently get 204 (drums of 17strips for the accuchek compact plus) and im not sure that'll be a months worth i just got then to up it from 51strips to 204 on my repeat prescription.

I'd print the NICE guidelines out, or just quote them with confidence to their face and see what they say... she probably takes you as just another patient who doesn't know his rights.

The only person being unreasonable is the doctor!

[Funnygrl]

Nope, not unreasonable at all. I'd be ticked. I'd go ape too!

[SueM]

Originally Posted by shiftzor

Thanks for the support and encouragement guys, when I came out of that place after seeing that GP i didn’t know if I should laugh or cry. Well I’m a bloke so I didn’t cry but couldn’t bring myself to laugh. Really not happy with them, the pharmacy was really supportative about this. Tomorrow I shall return to the battlefield fully prepared this time and I hope to put a stop to this "problem".

Take in the NICE guidelines also type a letter for her to sign saying that she has refused you the test strips which are needed to control your diabetes. Thus she will be held responsable for any future complications you get due to poor control. Also point out to her that as you drive (if it applies) you need to test before you get behind the wheel of a car. (This is a legal requirement). I would also point out to her that as she has restricted your strips to 100 at a time this means loss of income as you have to take double the time off work to collect the prescription.

[silverfrost]

I also test a lot more than my doctor suggests, and the nurse at my endo is always SHOCKED that I test a lot. Um, how the heck else can we get good control? What an odd thing to be so put off about...

[viranth]

Here in Norway they want us to test a lot. When I go to get more strips, the people behind the counter always go "how many do you want?" I say "not sure" and they just give me everything they have!

I usually test about 7-8 times a day, on average. Some days I test more, but I never test below 7 times.

If I only got 50 strips a week or something, I'd go nuts.

[UpNorth]

I'd definitely go for option A

[shiftzor]

Originally Posted by SueM

Take in the NICE guidelines also type a letter for her to sign saying that she has refused you the test strips which are needed to control your diabetes. Thus she will be held responsable for any future complications you get due to poor control. Also point out to her that as you drive (if it applies) you need to test before you get behind the wheel of a car. (This is a legal requirement). I would also point out to her that as she has restricted your strips to 100 at a time this means loss of income as you have to take double the time off work to collect the prescription.

That’s a good point about driving, problem with writing a letter for her to sign is that I am not a lawyer and therefore it’s hard to make it legally binding, instead GP can write a letter to me in which I will spread about to her disadvantage. Unfortunately as a student I am not working otherwise I would definitely use that. Thanks all again for the help.

Option A it is. with a diplomatic stage in between.

[DanG]

Originally Posted by silverfrost

Um, how the heck else can we get good control?

I cannot argue against testing often.
But, the notion that testing gets control is not reasonable.

Testing only provides information which must be acted upon.
High bs says your action must be to take a bit of humalog.
Low bs says your action must be to drink a cup of OJ.

So, I don't really test very often. I only test when I have an action that can do something about the test results. i.e. prior to eating a meal, I take humalog in an amount to cover my bs reading and the meal I am eating. Otherwise, the information is not useful. I rarely test prior to bed, as I do lantus in the AM and by night, any lingering lantus effect isn't going to sink me during my sleep, as it often did when I did lantus in the evening. Doing lantus at night time is stoopid to my way of thinking.