Most people who live with a chronic illness end up with a lot of experience when it comes to dealing with healthcare. How would you improve or change your healthcare experience? What would you like to see happening during medical visits with your healthcare team? How about when dealing with your health insurance companies? What’s your Healthcare Wish List or Biggest Frustration?
Since I was born in 1930, misdiagnosis, or a lack of diagnosis, was more prevalent in my early life than now. 1930–I’ve heard those years called the Middle Ages of Medicine. I was 63 years old when my late onset of Type 1 Diabetes was first diagnosed as Type 2 by my Primary Care doctor. To his credit, as soon it was apparent that oral medicine had no effect on me other than making me feel sick, he prescribed insulin. (Of course, Regular and NPH in vials were the only insulins available at that time.) Within a year he retired, and the doctor I began to see is still my Primary Care doctor. During the ten or so years that I wore Minimed pumps I had a series of three endocrinologists, but when I stopped the pump, the endos stopped as well. I’m now on Apidra and Levemir pens, and I’m happy with the outcome, both my treatment and my doctor. (Well, here’s a tip: I extract insulin from my pens with 1/2 unit BD syringes, since taking half units is important to me.)
ABOUT MY DIABETES TEAM AND THERAPY
I wrote about my Primary Care doctor above. He knows me well after 20+ years. When I arrive upset or nervous about something, he immediately puts me at ease by talking Dogs. My husband and I have two Golden Retrievers, the half-sisters Betsy and Cici. My doctor has a rescue Greyhound. He says that when his Greyhound wants to please him, he runs! And runs, because that’s what humans want from dogs isn’t it?!! My doctor has seen a few scratches and bruises on me and my husband over the years. And after talking Dogs, we talk Diabetes.
My team members: my husband is a retired Neurophysiologist. He helps me with my Diabetes by saving my life now and again. My son is an Internist–doctors don’t treat their family members, of course, but his advice when I need it–at that very moment!–is invaluable. He has a companion cat, now 14 1/2. My daughter lives across the country, but she’s always available by phone, always. Instant support. She just lost her companion cat to cancer, so difficult. I spoke to a close friend yesterday (friends are team members, obviously). She astonished me by discussing the fact that growing up with their Great Dane had made her son a better person.
Once I had a Mini Wirehaired Dachshund who alerted me when I was high or low… Our Goldens are not Therapy Dogs in the sense that they don’t visit hospitals or libraries, nor are they D Alert Dogs, but they are My Therapy Dogs. They are the constant companions of myself and my husband, bringing joy into our lives every single day. I also benefit from my friends and relatives and their companion animals. I am grateful that I have so many team members who help to make my world a wonderful place to live despite Diabetes.