I had a checkup with my doc, and he is good at the labs, and he said my AIC is good, and my fasting glucose isn’t too bad (120).
I told him I went for an opthalmic eye check and it was fine.
Then he said, and I cringed, “You know, don’t worry…the complications take YEARS to happen.”
I looked at him, and said, “Really…well, I have had this several years.”
On other things like my heart and kidneys, he is more aggressive, so I will stay with him for awhile, unless I find someone better. The last doc I went to was just useless.
I agree. Then, they will do the double side step and tell you all about the complications you need to avoid from Diabetes!
I truly understand why you guys come here.
I am walking my proverbial butt off every day and exercising. I am eating low on the food chain. One lousy pound of fat.
But…with tight control, as it looks like you have now…they say we may be able to avoid complications.
What a horrible thing to say!! It’s like giving you a death sentence but putting it off for 20 years. At least he is treating your diabetes ok it sounds like. Ignore his shameful comment.
I had been seeing my endo for almost eight years and he says, rick I wonder has anyone ever thought about putting you on insulin? I about dropped over. I had been on insulin for 25 years and he had been prescribing it for eight years. I really thought he was joking (he sometimes jokes, and I love it) so I said well no, do you think i might need it? He said yes let me schedule an appointment with the nurse practitioner so we can explore that option. I finally broke down and told him and he said oh good I am glad i recognized that you needed insulin and took care of it.
Anyway, the doc is obviously overworked so I let him off the hook.
I think he is just one of those docs who is very “Mr. Spock”.
I don’t take crap off him though.
When he said my fasting glucose wasn’t bad, I said, Good, but my every morning NPO reading is over 140.
I won’t let anyone dumb it down.
I think a lot of them are. I know as a tech, they over book patients, and they do not allow for the elderly ones, etc., that need more time, etc.
I am sure the bean counters have the doctors running ragged now too. Because now, despite all the big advertising of how good all the hospitals and clinics are…it is about money.
I would have done that too…played dumb and waited to see what he said!
Overworked and dangerous. Same here (not saying where not to offend our Canadian nationalists) they never seem to read your file. Could be he was pulling your leg.
Funny they are into insulin now. when I asked about it 10 years ago when infinite diet and exercise did not bring my BG into the normal range. An Endo told me literally:" You do not want to touch the stuff with a ten foot pole". Really bad advice that cost me my health and happiness.
Great annecdote Rick, would be really funny if it wasnt true.
This is not a rant or a complaint, but after I was diagnosed my doctor explained to me that our bodies may react differently to diabetes, medications, foods, etc. He told me that even though he had a patient that had maintained good control for several years after his type 2 diagnosis, that patient was in the hosipital to have one of his feet removed due to poor circulation. My doctor was not being callous or insensitive. He told me this so that I would remain on guard for changes in my body, skin, feet, etc. Frightening? Yes, but so is hearing and reading about people with diabetes who don’t make the effort to control it.
Well, I always tell my patients and their parents that studies proved that good care from day one is the way to prevent complications.I have few parents who spoil their kids,offer them sweets,so they do not feel left out,A1c is 12-13,these are the parents whom I tell them about amputation within few years.
For overbooked clinic,it is not very useful,so I started to see the patients on Monday in my office,2-3 and that improved the care a lot.
This community is first class for excellent diabetes care.
sohair, your response was interesting to me to the point that I have a suggestion to all doctors who order blood tests for their patients. We now have a problem in our country with diabetes being in epidemic proportions. What should be done? A regular hemoglobin test (for free) everytime blood tests are ordered. That way new cases of diabetes could be caught before it becomes a problem for the patient. Of course the test must be accurate so as to not cause wrong prescribing of medications or even worry to the patient.
I think these tests should be given, as you suggest, but that they not wait till people cross the “magic line” into full-blown diabetes to do something about it. My husband is now “pre-diabetic,” and I think he should be put on metformin NOW to treat his insulin resistance, which I believe is the primary disease, and which he obviously already has.
When I was diagnosed as “Pre-diabetic” by another doctor in another state, he did nothing for me. I did not realize a lot of my symptoms were related. My blood pressure had shot up too. They call it Syndrome X or Metabolic Syndrome, I am sure Sohair is very familiar with this!
