Guest guest Posted May 12, 2004 Report Share Posted May 12, 2004 Great experience ! I know how the doc feels. I can't tell you how many diabetics I have couseled to no avail. they just don't believe they will have the awful complications they have heard about. denialis a treacherous thing! right Hary!? my latest a1c All. Got my blood work results back today and my a1c was 5.4 and I'll take it. Last one was 5.3 so up by .1. This appointment was with my kidney doctor and I had a long talk with him about health care, doctors educating patients, carb counting, and a wealth of other issues. One thing interesting he brought out, from a doctor's perspective, is that doctors say an a1c of 7 and an average blood sugar of 150 is good because that is better than 9 or 13 which most run. I told him that was sick and he agreed. However, he said they have to work with what folks are willing to do. He explained incident after incident of patients he had that would not follow logical treatment and exercise self management and that died over time. For example, he explained that patients would come in saying the medication was not working and their blood pressure was high and he would ask did you quit using salt? And they would say no. He asked me how hard is it to not shake salt on food to save your life? He gave me another example today. He stated he had a diabetic gal who was my age, 32, and he had been seeing her for 10 years. Her average a1c level is 8 where as mine is 5.3. He said she just will not commit to doing what I am doing and her kidneys, in his estimation, will last about another couple of years if she doesn't change. I explained to him that that must be so difficult to basically Band-Aid a patient to the grave. He said it was extremely difficult since he has to watch a person decline over time knowing the whole time he could have stopped it if the patient would have exercised more self control and managed their health more agressively. I am a breath of fresh air to him. I am one of the few patients he has that literally exercises self control and manages my health agressively. That makes me feel good to be the one to help my doc feel like he is saving someones life and not just prolonging it. I looked him in the eye today, or at least hoped to smile, and said " I plant to be seeing you for a long time " . He smiled and said I think you will be if you continue doing what you are doing. It was a great appointment and I am so glad my kidney doc is a team player. He has the mind set of how can we work together on your health and that is the type of doc all of us need. We reviewed modern medications that are out and talked about them and if they might help me tighten any complications from diabetes. He is a great doc. Just thought I'd share my experience with everyone since I really had a good heart to heart talk with my doc today and loved it! Regards, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2004 Report Share Posted May 12, 2004 Hi . I, for the first time ever, could understand why doctors say an a1c of 7 is good. They say this because that is the best number they can get from patients and it will prolong their life for a while longer with no real guarantees. I guess that is what was so enlightening to me... to actually understand why doctors say this. I know that some really believe that an a1c of 7 is good and are fine with that while others, as my doc explained yesterday, say this is ok just because it is the best they can get from their patients when all along knowing that their patients are killing themselves. I told my doc I could never do what he says. I am the type of person that has to see results in myself and other people. I thrive on that. To see patient after patient faille, and just band aid them with medication to the grave, I couldn't do it. Regards, my latest a1c All. Got my blood work results back today and my a1c was 5.4 and I'll take it. Last one was 5.3 so up by .1. This appointment was with my kidney doctor and I had a long talk with him about health care, doctors educating patients, carb counting, and a wealth of other issues. One thing interesting he brought out, from a doctor's perspective, is that doctors say an a1c of 7 and an average blood sugar of 150 is good because that is better than 9 or 13 which most run. I told him that was sick and he agreed. However, he said they have to work with what folks are willing to do. He explained incident after incident of patients he had that would not follow logical treatment and exercise self management and that died over time. For example, he explained that patients would come in saying the medication was not working and their blood pressure was high and he would ask did you quit using salt? And they would say no. He asked me how hard is it to not shake salt on food to save your life? He gave me another example today. He stated he had a diabetic gal who was my age, 32, and he had been seeing her for 10 years. Her average a1c level is 8 where as mine is 5.3. He said she just will not commit to doing what I am doing and her kidneys, in his estimation, will last about another couple of years if she doesn't change. I explained to him that that must be so difficult to basically Band-Aid a patient to the grave. He said it was extremely difficult since he has to watch a person decline over time knowing the whole time he could have stopped it if the patient would have exercised more self control and managed their health more agressively. I am a breath of fresh air to him. I am one of the few patients he has that literally exercises self control and manages my health agressively. That makes me feel good to be the one to help my doc feel like he is saving someones life and not just prolonging it. I looked him in the eye today, or at least hoped to smile, and said " I plant to be seeing you for a long time " . He smiled and said I think you will be if you continue doing what you are doing. It was a great appointment and I am so glad my kidney doc is a team player. He has the mind set of how can we work together on your health and that is the type of doc all of us need. We reviewed modern medications that are out and talked about them and if they might help me tighten any complications from diabetes. He is a great doc. Just thought I'd share my experience with everyone since I really had a good heart to heart talk with my doc today and loved it! Regards, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2004 Report Share Posted May 12, 2004 I have that attitude also, , but too many people do not.Docs can insist to patients that their A1C be lower, but once the patient leaves the office-wel, you know what happens. Re: my latest a1c Hi . I, for the first time ever, could understand why doctors say an a1c of 7 is good. They say this because that is the best number they can get from patients and it will prolong their life for a while longer with no real guarantees. I guess that is what was so enlightening to me... to actually understand why doctors say this. I know that some really believe that an a1c of 7 is good and are fine with that while others, as my doc explained yesterday, say this is ok just because it is the best they can get from their patients when all along knowing that their patients are killing themselves. I told my doc I could never do what he says. I am the type of person that has to see results in myself and other people. I thrive on that. To see patient after patient faille, and just band aid them with medication to the grave, I couldn't do it. Regards, my latest a1c All. Got my blood work results back today and my a1c was 5.4 and I'll take it. Last one was 5.3 so up by .1. This appointment was with my kidney doctor and I had a long talk with him about health care, doctors educating patients, carb counting, and a wealth of other issues. One thing interesting he brought out, from a doctor's perspective, is that doctors say an a1c of 7 and an average blood sugar of 150 is good because that is better than 9 or 13 which most run. I told him that was sick and he agreed. However, he said they have to work with what folks are willing to do. He explained incident after incident of patients he had that would not follow logical treatment and exercise self management and that died over time. For example, he explained that patients would come in saying the medication was not working and their blood pressure was high and he would ask did you quit using salt? And they would say no. He asked me how hard is it to not shake salt on food to save your life? He gave me another example today. He stated he had a diabetic gal who was my age, 32, and he had been seeing her for 10 years. Her average a1c level is 8 where as mine is 5.3. He said she just will not commit to doing what I am doing and her kidneys, in his estimation, will last about another couple of years if she doesn't change. I explained to him that that must be so difficult to basically Band-Aid a patient to the grave. He said it was extremely difficult since he has to watch a person decline over time knowing the whole time he could have stopped it if the patient would have exercised more self control and managed their health more agressively. I am a breath of fresh air to him. I am one of the few patients he has that literally exercises self control and manages my health agressively. That makes me feel good to be the one to help my doc feel like he is saving someones life and not just prolonging it. I looked him in the eye today, or at least hoped to smile, and said " I plant to be seeing you for a long time " . He smiled and said I think you will be if you continue doing what you are doing. It was a great appointment and I am so glad my kidney doc is a team player. He has the mind set of how can we work together on your health and that is the type of doc all of us need. We reviewed modern medications that are out and talked about them and if they might help me tighten any complications from diabetes. He is a great doc. Just thought I'd share my experience with everyone since I really had a good heart to heart talk with my doc today and loved it! Regards, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2004 Report Share Posted May 12, 2004 good news though Harry! no more strokes for ya from diabetes, that is for certain *big smile* Regards, my latest a1c > > > All. > > Got my blood work results back today and my a1c was 5.4 and I'll take it. > Last one was 5.3 so up by .1. > > > This appointment was with my kidney doctor and I had a long talk with him > about health care, doctors educating patients, carb counting, and a wealth > of other issues. One thing interesting he brought out, from a doctor's > perspective, is that doctors say an a1c of 7 and an average blood sugar of > 150 is good because that is better than 9 or 13 which most run. I told him > that was sick and he agreed. However, he said they have to work with what > folks are willing to do. He explained incident after incident of patients he > had that would not follow logical treatment and exercise self management and > that died over time. For example, he explained that patients would come in > saying the medication was not working and their blood pressure was high and > he would ask did you quit using salt? And they would say no. He asked me how > hard is it to not shake salt on food to save your life? > > He gave me another example today. He stated he had a diabetic gal who was my > age, 32, and he had been seeing her for 10 years. Her average a1c level is 8 > where as mine is 5.3. He said she just will not commit to doing what I am > doing and her kidneys, in his estimation, will last about another couple of > years if she doesn't change. > > I explained to him that that must be so difficult to basically Band-Aid a > patient to the grave. He said it was extremely difficult since he has to > watch a person decline over time knowing the whole time he could have > stopped it if the patient would have exercised more self control and managed > their health more agressively. I am a breath of fresh air to him. I am one > of the few patients he has that literally exercises self control and > manages my health agressively. That makes me feel good to be the one to help > my doc feel like he is saving someones life and not just prolonging it. I > looked him in the eye today, or at least hoped to smile, and said " I plant > to be seeing you for a long time " . He smiled and said I think you will be if > you continue doing what you are doing. > > It was a great appointment and I am so glad my kidney doc is a team player. > He has the mind set of how can we work together on your health and that is > the type of doc all of us need. We reviewed modern medications that are out > and talked about them and if they might help me tighten any complications > from diabetes. He is a great doc. > > Just thought I'd share my experience with everyone since I really had a good > heart to heart talk with my doc today and loved it! > > Regards, > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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