Today, went with DH for his first appointment with the diabetes dept, transferred from neurology. First he got chewed out for his bad diabetes, then later the doc said his diabetes numbers were quite good - A1c 6.6 - but that he’s five years away from kidney dialysis. His previous doctor said his diabetes meds may need to be reduced because of the load on other organs. Well, my earlier question here about diabetic and kidney diets being contradictory may be irrelevant now. Looks like I need a kidney cookbook. But sheesh, I wish he could get a doctor we could trust. Bad diabetes results? Good diabetes results? Well, hello, make up your mind! DH will probably change hospital within the next few months to one which has a better reputation for treatment of diabetes.
I don’t know if there is a kidney cookbook but things he should stay away from are foods high in potasium. Look on the net and find which foods are high in potasium (not sure about spelling). I have kidney damage from years of Diabetes (not bad because if we don’t know what is bad how can we be bad). Better education is the key to living with Diabetes. The medical profession has been default in educating ppl with D.
I have been treated by a Nephrologist for years and have slowed the progression of kidney disease. So I suggest you do as you’ve thought and change your healthcare team. There is nothing wrong with changing healthcare teams especially when previous team has fallen down on the job.
Thank you Betty. I’ve been looking on the net and realized, as you said, that there’s no cookbook. It was the doctor who said “Your diabetes is really bad” but he seems to have decided to chew out DH before he’d even looked at his notes properly. We live in Japan, and I don’t know it if’s the same everywhere, but there’s a kind of punitive way of talking to diabetes 2 patients. It’s really setting my teeth on edge. DH is hoping to find someone who won’t do that.
I hope you find the doctor you need. I know here in the states that T2s aren’t told clearly what needs to be done. I have T2 friends who don’t know what an a1c is and that knowing that is important among other numbers that are also important. As I mentioned before look for website that lists foods that are high in potasium…such foods are potatoes, bananas (bananas are very high), oranges and so on. Those foods are prohibited but in moderation they can be eaten. Also limiting sale intake is also important.