Ok, another frustrated moment! I went to my eye doc yesterday and he asked me if I'm STILL on insulin. I automatically thought that he is thinking I'm a type II. I replied, YES, I'm still on insulin, I am a Type I !!!!
I wonder if Doctors read our charts before coming into the room to exam. I also wonder if they know the difference between type I and type II. Because EVERY time I see him he asks that same question and it really frustrates me. What, don't type I's get older?
I think they do this routine for all meds, and all health conditions… regardless. It’s like a protocol they follow… For some things, it’s kind of “DUH!,” but to reinforce the habit, I guess… they don’t make much exceptions.
I have no complaints about my opthomologist’s skills. His first question is usually, “How is your a1c?” I’ve been seeing him practically since I was dxd 25 years ago and I’ve witnessed his practice grow from a small office accross the street from a strip mall to an entire “institute” occupying half a floor in a medical building.
I know he reads my charts because he’s always been very personable, occasionally chatting with me about my former endo who is a good friend of his. The one time his assistant misplaced my chart, he looked right at me and said, “Have I seen you before?”. I said, “Yeah, about once a year for the last 24 years.” When the assistant brought my chart, he just kinda nodded and asked me how my a1c was.
I"m with you on this one, Lizmari…I think it is standard practice and am glad that it is. I’m sure they know the difference between 1 and 2s…asking the question is routine, I believe. Best to you…—Anthony
Oh, come on Don…he’s asking for your safety and to ensure he is current with his information. I bet the practice of doing that is more routine than anything else. There are lots of examples of individuals on this site that are prescribed insulin and they have stopped taking it for one reason or another. It’s a reasonable question, I believe, and not reflective of any lack of understanding on his part. —Anthony
Anthony, it is a wrong question to ask a T1 because T1 go on insulin immediately after dx and should never go off it unlike T2’s who might get off insulin if diet and exercise are effective. It does not inspire confidence that this doc keeps asking a T1 this same question. Keep in mind, this doc has seen Sportster before so her T1 status should be noted in her file.
All my medical team goes over the same meds everytime I come in. Even my primary asks about meds and if the dosages are the same as they gave me a week ago, for example. It’s annoying, but I’d rather they got it right that messed up on something. Since I only see my Opthamologist once a year, I’d rather have him ask than assume that I am still on the same meds, if it were insulin or another med. It could be that’s his/her way of asking if the dosage has changed…who knows. Yea we get annoyed, but it’s their job. The question that bothers me more is, am I depressed? or the best one, How is my sex life? To that one, I always answer how is yours, or you tell me about yours and I’ll tell you about mine. It’s all pretty annoying.
I agree it is part of their routine. Yes we all know that T1 should be on and take insulin. But I had a friend that was a T1 and one day stop taking his insulin. When he went to his doc and they asked him he said that he was not taking insulin anymore and they were like oh you need to. Found out that he was depressed and that was why he had stoped taking his insulin. So if they had not aked him they would not have found out that he was not taking his insulin and that he needed some help.
There may be a problem with medical professionals about the seriousness of absolute insulin dependency. The question about taking insulin may have been routine; however, the assumption that all older persons are type 2 could lead to inadequate treatment for type 1 who have survived into the post 60 age group. My ophthalmologist does ask about my A1C etc. However, I do think that my age has fooled him into believing I am type 2, in fact, on some of his recent charts he has listed me as a type 2 with no retinopathy. I asked him why he lists me as type 2, and he tells me the type does not make a difference in terms of how the exam is done. He is probably correct about this fact, but I am concerned that having both type 1 and type 2 on these medical reports might cause trouble with insurance at some point. Such trouble could lead to trying to treat someone like me with an inappropriate diabetes med or even having a doctor prescribe to much insulin assuming insulin resistance. For the record, I was diagnosed almost 52 years ago at the age of 10 almost 11. I have always taken insulin and have no detectable C-peptide. I have little or no insulin resistance so I have not yet added type 2 on top of type 1.
My dentist asks the same question. I just say yes. I guess it doesn’t really bother me because I figure that it is something that he is required to ask.
I encourage you to tell your doc it frustrates you.
Doc-patient communication is a two-way street and those of us who spend lots of time with doctors have an opportunity to improve and enhance that communication.
If he would even preface the question with “OK, you know I ask you this every time, but it’s protocol …”
When my endo once complained about having to enter all my basal rates in her computerized intake form I said, all innocently, “Oh, would you like me to change the basals so they fit on your form??” She quickly got the message and now we join in laughing about my numerous basal rates with the underlying assumption that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.
I just saw my allergist today and he asked me this questions. But I see him less than once a year and I don’t think he looked at my chart, though I did have my insulin pump clipped to my pocket, fully visible.
I know that it’s a sensitive area for people who don’t realize that Type 1’s are dependent on insulin… But, I will disagree with you on it being an inappropriate question. You see, though the doctor may very well be familiar with Sportster, and his medical history, he doesn’t know him as a person. There are lots of people in this big world of us who start and stop medications all the time; some of them go self diagnosing themselves on the internet, and yes, some of them fall pray to ‘miracle cures’ for Type 1 Diabetes. Not long ago, we had a gal on here claiming she totally weaned herself from insulin (as a Type 1) with a raw diet… and advocating other people do the same. Sure, she was probably on some honeymoon, and only God knows how she’s doing now… the point is… Doctors are liable for whatever they prescribe us, or do to us, and how that interacts with everything else… And since they see so many people, all the time… The safest thing to do… is simply to ask every time what someone is taking… It’s nothing personal.
Thank you for all of the replys!!! I really appreciate it!!!
I would also like to add that the Opthomologist doesn’t ask about ALL of the meds I’m on. He ONLY wants to know if I’m still taking insulin. I suppose it would’t bother me so much if he asked if I was still taking the other meds too.
I don’t have a problem at all with my other doctors asking about my meds. In fact I’m happy that they do. They are just updating my records.
I’m with Sportser and Don: it’s a dumb question to ask. Asking how much insulin you take, and how often, etc. makes sense, but “Do you still take insulin?” suggests maybe he needs a trip back to med school. (And it makes me wonder: what ELSE doesn’t he know?)
I had a similar experience with an ophthalmologist last year. It was my first time seeing him. He read the first line of my doctor’s referral letter, and said, “It says here you are a diabetic. Were you ever fat?” I said, “I have type 1 diabetes. It’s not associated with obesity.” I am slim and it’s obvious by looking at me that I didn’t used to be overweight.
He also neglected to dilate my pupils during my exam and his assistant didn’t have soap available for me to wash my hands when taking out my contact lenses. He said, “Oh, no, we don’t have soap. It gets into things!”
I told my doctor about this, and she sent me to a new (and much better) ophthalmologist for my next appointment.
You should ask him why, next time.