Noncompliant

Hi everyone,
I work at a hospital and see alot of noncompliant diabetics. I hear staff get upset and say comments like " They are killing themselves" “How can they not take care of themselves”. This makes me very upset b/c most of this people can’t afford the supplies. Health insurance doesn’t have the greates coverage.Sometime they don’t cover or what they do cover is a joke. They are low income or just getting by. What our your thoughts on this topic. Noncompliant diabtics due to low income, no health insurance and costly supplies?

Yes, I think it is very sad how many people pass judgment on people with diabetes. It is easy to say when you don’t have the daily struggles of living with diabetes (physical, financial, emotional), like these nurses.

But also I think that sometimes when people are ignorant about diabetes, they see people as non-compliant, even when they may not be. For example, when I was in the hospital after a surgery, the nurses also labeled me as non-compliant because I would not let them inject me with 6u of regular insulin. I was extremely insulin sensitive and still have Lantus (long acting) insulin in my system. I knew that 6u would give me a extreme low blood sugar. But they told me that I have type 1 diabetes and that I need insulin to live and started coming at me with the needle.

I was labeled as non-compliant… until the endo came and told the nurses that I was to manage my own insulin while in the hospital.

Diabetes is an incredibly complicated diseases and it’s hard to understand all the different types, but I also find that people are quick to judge because they do NOT understand the types of diabetes and the reality of living with diabetes.

I’m glad that you are in the hospital and so understanding of these struggles!

And sometimes it is their doctors…I know someone whose doc says 200 is good control (not that she keeps it there by any means)…and no amount of talk will change this persons mind…has gone blind because of the D…sad thing is her doc told her this (and other things) was inevitable…

not always the patients fault…this is an older person in a small town who is not a computer/internet friendly person…and has pretty decent insurance…sad…

I heard of a doctor that told her patient not to worry unless her blood sugar went above 350. In this case, the person has a hard time controlling her blood sugar cause of steroids and other meds related to kidney problems, but I was shocked to hear this. I can’t imagine how she must feel with high blood sugar all the time.

For me it’s a little of all along with long ago the denial thing…Bith my oldest and I are Tye 1’s and a few years back I was alone with both girls and couldn’t afford the gro so had to go to a place here to get our food supplies for that month and they gave me sugar instead of artifical sweetner at that time all of us had been used to a subsitute stwwtner and I told the man there that my daughter and I both were diabetics and he told me if I wanted a subsitute i would have to go buy it this wouldn’t hurt me and her. Needless to say I told him to keep the 5 pound bag of sugar and we drank out tea unsweetened for awhile. I really don’t blame the other ppl here b/c they think everyone can afford the meds and things that “take care of us” but even right now I cannot afford the things that I need and I as a patent have heard the nurses say the samething and I’m known for my big mouth and will come back and say if I had more money or could afford to payfor my insurance well I’d be better under control. I have Medicare and Medicade to help me out and really it’s not much of a help. I really don’t need to say anymore just I really feel for ppl who have these 2 things and are trying to care for themselves with diabetes.

Not to make this a political journal but I am ashamed of the health care system in this country. We pound our chests as being the greatest nation in the world (and we may very well be) but we have millions that cannot afford health insurance. I do have insurance and am self employed so I pay over 500.00 a month just for myself with not the greatest coverage. I don’t have the answers. Have heard horror stories about the Canadian and Ireland’s system where everyone is covered. Are we not electing the brightest and the best to go to Washington to provide answers for issues such as this? Health care is my number one issue in selecting candidates. Something has to be done!

Thank you Rob, I second that motion and totally agree.

Here is another issue with having Universal Health Care. There are bad and good sides. In universal health care it is the government who decides who is better off getting the correct health care. In the United States how often do you hear people dieing from not getting a life saving surgery even without insurance, but in other countries where there is universal health care the government says ok, you can have the surgery, you aren’t worthy of having it or you have to wait 2 years for it and you die in the process. Is universal health care truely the answer? There are ups and down to both sides of it.

It is simply the nature of the human beast. People reason through comparison, and sometimes ignorance. A wealthy person is unsympathetic with the poor. A slim person rejects an obese person. a successful person adds to the struggleing. Educated vs uneducated…etc ad nauseaum. For the record, a type 2 diabetic DID NOT eat their way to diabetes. Before my diagnosis i have been guilty of harshly judging the obese diabetic, but karma and God turned the tables on me. I am only 10 lbs above my ideal weight, but everyone is different. Now, I can hug a 300 lb t2 as quickly as a 100 lb T1 woman.
some one with out resources to provide medicine to maintain their health needs to be helped instead of criticized. Until people understand this we will always have the disfunctional medical system that exists in this country. For myself, I am so glad to have the VA! I do not have insurance, but the Va has given me outstanding care according to my needs.

Now the other side of the health care coin…
The rush limgaugh’s of the world would argue that supporting the sickly and infirm dimishes society’s, and the arguements have a bit of truth to it. It is called survival of the fitest and clevest. If you are fit and/or clever then you have earned the right to live and hence the right to pass on your genes. Money is the number 1 indicator of both.

For myself, I believe in God and that the bible teached the truth. It says God made us in his image and uses the plural. I suspect we have intelligence for a reason. This gives us the power to heal/help the infirm and it is necessary because the infirm contribute to the whole and the individual in powerful and often times, unexpected ways. With out them our society is diminished and the individuals loses too.
I guess the one word that summarizes all of this is Karma…what you bestow upon others you will also reap.
I pray everyone who reads this will receive inspiration. The ones among us who are down and out will encounter an angel to lift them up.

Peace and Love to All
danny

Actually, that’s not quite true. The government (where I live) does not decide when you’re having surgery. Some types of surgeries happen quite quickly. Other surgeries might have a wait time. It depends on what is needed most, as in triage. In other words, if I might have to wait for a couple of months to get a hip replacement surgery, where my neighbour who has a car accident would get surgery right away.

I think there are a lot of health professionals who don’t have a very good understanding of diabetes. I’ve been given the ‘look’ and lecture when getting blood tests.

Despite the fact that my A1C1 hovers in the low 6’s, it’s not unusual for me to have a fasting blg around 6.5 to 8 mmol in the a.m. when I go for a blood test. I aim for a higher fasting bgl if I have to get up early and safely drive 20 minutes to the hospital for the test. Otherwise I risk driving with low blood sugar or have to cancel the test so I can eat.

I agree that people judge. What gets me so upset is the fact thata they judge with out knowing. I have health insurance but my diabetic supplies are not coverd so whats that point. I pay them for what? That is my frustration. They have made millions on our misfourtune. Yet they still feel they can pass judgment on us!

There is a great (and really long) discussion on the topic of Who should pay for our health care? If are interested, click here and feel free to add your thoughts!

Maureen, you are so right. I think we’ve all gotten the ‘look’ at some point.