Your
care may be at your family doctor or at the hospital diabetic clinic if
you have multiple diabetic complications, and may be with a doctor or
nurse. At you consultation, your blood pressure should be checked,
ideally using automatic equipment. Ask what the value is exactly, do
not accept “it’s O.K.” or “it’s a bit high”. Know what it should be and
ask heath care worker how it with be normalized if it is not at
target. Ask what your HbA1c and cholesterol values are. Are they at
target? If not, why not? Try to avoid vague rationalization and
procrastination. Every day that you are away from target is damaging
you body.
Be proactive with you healthcare
worker is getting your values to target. If there are specific problems
with glucose control or hypos, this should prompt diabetic nurse
involvement + dietetic review and an alteration of therapy. It is
essential in patients with Type 1 that care is taken to discuss
hypoglycaemia awareness and hypos needing help sections and take
appropriate.
The health care worker will assess
whether you have any diabetic complication. They will need to look in
your eyes, look sat your feet to test the circulation and sensation and
for risk factors for foot ulcer. If there is risk of foot ulceration,
you will need to have prompt foot care education and chiropody
referral. You will also need a general examination of you chest,
heart, major arteries and abdomen. It is not necessary to have either a
chest x-ray or ECG unless there are specific symptoms.