Yeah my dr.wouldn’t tell me which type I am he said it didn’t matter so I told my cde today and she’s totally on my side and she’s gonna have a chat with him and get me a referral for an endo
Sportser, unless you are VERY lucky, a PCP (and an Endo) are useless, except for scrips. Unless they have diabetes, T1, they have no idea. YOU need to learn to be your own doc. When you go in, if you have a problem, do the research and tell them your needs. I know this seems hard, but my experience has really shown me that knowledge is power (and with the day I have had...)
I recently had to change endos. My first appointment, he said, "You just need me for scrips?" The answer was a resounding YES.
My PCP is a godsend,and knows that I am a lot of his education about T1 (have seen him for over 20 years.) He writes scrips for what I need, but won't write pump and CGMs.
Never expect a doctor, PCP or Endo to know what you know.
Sportster, I had a very similar experience with my GP.... I was up in the 600's and he was telling me I was Type 2, obviously the oral meds weren't doing anything. I was very fortunate to find an endo who was very highly regarded and it's been smooth sailing ever since but I no longer get any Diabetes "help" from my GP.
I can see how it can be very frustrating though, I know I have spent a rediculous amount of time trying to educate myself about my condition and when you don't feel like a professional is meeting you at the level which is available on the internet it is uncomfortable. My only advice would be to find the doctors who make you feel confident in their abilities, I might suggest you try to find another GP that you mesh better with.
No one in the medical field understands the T1 technology. I asked what to do if I had a low overnight before minor surgery and the pre-surgical nurse was dumbfounded. "Just don't eat or drink anything..." ARE YOU KIDDING?
I was hospitalized overnight once and the doctor said no food or drink. My glucose went to 45 and they would not let me have juice (2am) I grabbed my purse and my IV stand and marched to the soda machine. I freaked them out, but I was 45... Two sips of coke and I was OK. Sorry, but that was the most STUPID , UNEDUCATEd, medical thing I ever saw. 45!!!!
Again, we are our best defense.
I haven't seen a doctor yet at Kaiser (and I've seen 8 for different things) that knows anything about T1 OR T2. If you have a question, they refer you to a dietician. Dieticians are young, skinny women who tell you to eat 140 grams of carb a day, and to substitute white bread with whole wheat. Luckily I did run into a nurse practitioner along the way whose father was T2 who clued me in to Bernstein. Also I worked with a woman whose husband was T2 and had retired from Kaiser (he'd been a surgeon). He mostly said, "don't do a thing they tell you, don't take pills for cholesterol or blood pressure, just read Bernstein and test a lot until you know what works for you and what doesn't." The major thing that has frustrated me about diabetes is the doctors and their misinformation.
I've had pretty good expreance with my GP he tells me I know my body better than he does so I can go from there. Same with my Endo
I’m glad I’m not alone.
Five years ago I moved to a new town. I needed to find an endo but started with a PCP. In all fairness, I had no intentions of developing a lasting relationship with this PCP; it was just a means to an ends.
When the doctor walked in the door, she was carrying a book. The spine read “Type 1 Diabetes”. I was a brick wall immediately. At the end of the exam she offered prescriptions (which I will never refuse). I told her I was taking Novolog and Levemir. She went into her computer, which had a drop down selection of drugs, and wrote me a prescription for Levitra. Needless to say, I did not have it filled.
The positive ending to this story is that I now have found a very knowledgeable PCP who I love. There are some very bright and wonderful doctors out there. I just don’t trust anyone until they’ve proven they understand the disease.
I'm with Doris. All I need my doctor for is to accurately spell the drug on the prescription when I dictate it to him. And the hardest part seems to be to keep them from getting hung up on dosage. As in, Doctor: "What dose of Apidra do you take?" (As in, take 40 mg of this drug three times a day.). Me, "Well my I:C for breakfast is ....and my I:C for lunch is....and I take between this much and that much for my hourly basal doses, and I correct on a ISF of..." "Never mind, just write it for 5 vials for three months". That works.
I've seen people get very vocal when they get a bad haircut. If only we held our doctors to the same standards. But no. When they don't listen, or give us wrong treatment, we often shrug our shoulders and try to find someone else. So the next patient who comes along, and who may not have as much knowledge as we do, gets poor treatment. Isn't there some way to fix this problem?
Sportster - I can see why you can't go back to that endo...and if it were me, I wouldn't want to, as I'd really questions the judgement of any doctor who had someone who was unlicensed working for him.
As for surgery, talk to the surgeon beforehand, and make sure they understand what's needed to take care of your diabetes. If necessary, ask to meet with the anesthesiologist and OR nurse ahead of time to discuss D.
Another thing that happened to me was two years ago when I had a stroke. The stupid Hospitalist in my local hospital didn't understand pumps and wanted me to lower my rate (which was perfect for me), but I couldn't figure out how to do it and I messed up the basals something awful (see "Stroke" above)...she made me shut it off completely, and when my doc came in the next morning, he was furious at her. Since then I carry instructions (as do all my friends and relatives) that say how to temporarily shut the pump off if I go too low, and ALL my friends and relatives (especially those who'd be called in an emergency) have instructions to tell hospital staff that under NO condition are they to shut off my pump or they will be sued! Oh, I also put in the instructions how much glucose to get into me if I'm unconscious and go low.
I've never really been scared of having D, as I got it later in life (38)and I don't produce ketones, so I've never had DKA. But I am truly scared of having D while being hospitalized in a place where my regular doctor isn't in control! That incident where the nurse tried to force me to take insulin? Well, she called him to complain, and he not only took her off my case, he told the hospital to not let her back on the floors until she was retrained in diabetes!
That's why I'd rather have any surgery, if possible, at my local hospital so my PCP can be in charge of my care.
Ruth
LOL! That's the way I do too! LOL!