Crazy part of my endo appt

Community Share Your Stories
1

Remember in my Altace and Apidra thread, I was going to tell you about the rest of my endo appointment? Totally forgot until now. So I always go for early morning appointments because they are less likely to be backed up. This time the waiting room was nearly empty, but it still took them forever to call my name. Not really a problem except for the fact that we are supposed to use that time to jot down some logging information on a form. Well, I bring my log binder with me, and I refuse to rewrite it! Besides, my endo and I don't spend too much time looking at my numbers anyway since I do most (if not all) of my dosage adjustments anyway. In addition to the log sheet this time, though, was a quiz! EXCUSE ME, I do not go to my endo to be quizzed! That immediately put me in a BAD MOOD! Then I started reading the questions. I regret not asking them to copy it for me so I could have posted them all here!! I still remember some though.

How often should I test my blood sugar? 1. 3 times a day 2. before every meal 3. before every meal and 2 hours after some meals 4. when I suspect that my blood sugar is too high or low 5. I don't need to test my blood sugar

There is only one correct answer to the question above. I would like you to tell me which one. There was a question about what to do if you suspect that your blood sugar is consistently out of range - and none of the choices were to TEST! The part that ANGERED me the most, was that the questions used the phrase "a person suffering from diabetes" . I, for one, have diabetes (or am a person with diabetes), but I certainly do not suffer from it! That language does the opposite of empowering the patients in that practice. **** So I am all 'fired up' at the endo, and she has not even come in the room. The minute she walks in, I say "We have a problem" and hold up the survey. She says that she knows and that she hates it to. It was the head guy in the practice's idea. She wrote down all my complaints on the back to turn in to him. Hopefully that will help. If nothing else, the survey was designed for patients with Type 2 (I know this from other questions I have not listed) and should be handed out as such.

**** Let me clarify. I am by no means saying that a person with Type 2 is suffering either. There were other questions on the quiz (that I cannot remember accurately enough two weeks later) which clearly were worded for Type 2 diabetics. Questions about diet, exercise, and oral medications. *****

__________

The other part is that we talked again about me getting a new pump. I am financially in a better place right now since I will not be paying rent for at least the next academic year. I am going to call MiniMed and she is going to talk to the local rep. She thinks we can work on the price a little since sales have been down this summer. I'll keep ya posted!

2

Go you! Your health care providers should respect you. And it wouldn’t be any different if you had type 2 either, respect is a prerequisite for humane treatment.

3

i have type 2 and i reckon that is a horrible statement to make. having type 2 diabetes certainly does not mean i am suffering! in fact, nobody with any type of diabetes suffers with proper control anyway. what an unfair statement to make with regards to anyone!

4

The only people SUFFERING from diabetes are those who have imbecile doctors who give them rotten advice. Like the Type 2s on Lantus who get told to test only once a week, fasting. And to eat a low fat diet.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of them out there.

I ate dinner with one such lady who packed away a good 150 grams of carb at the meal–pasta, bread, starchy veg, (no bolus!) and then told the waitress to bring her Sweet and Low because she doesn’t eat sugar.

She told me her fasting number was always under140 so her doctor told her she was doing great.

THAT is “suffering” in my book!

5

I’m inclined to give the practice a break. They might have been more forthcoming about the reasons for the survey and smarter about who they asked to complete it but have you considered that the head guy might have been looking for a way to improve the training the practice gives to is patients by finding out what their level of knowledge is?

As for the ‘suffering’ - it takes time to get over archaic terminology. There was a time when diabetes caused suffering - it still does in many places in the world. So the term doesn’t get me angry or fired up. It’s a moment to teach and educate people. Let’s do that instead of lecturing them.

Just a thought.