Disappointed in Doc visit

[Guest guest]

Well - I didn't have the appointment I was hoping for. I was tired and maybe

didn't explain myself well enough. I have been fairly good and been around

80-115 for most of my tests- but sometimes I do spike up above 160 and even

above 200. he didn't want to address the spikes other than for me to eat

every 2.5-3 hours of " high nutritional content " and said that would be

explained when I go to the diabetic clinic later this week - and to come

back and see him again in a week or two.

I was trying to explain that I wanted to test 1 hour and 2 hours after

eating - he wants me to cut back on the testing and test only 1 hour before

eating. max of 4 times a day. He said that testing more than that was not

needed and that and would be " stressful " as my life has enough stress of

it's own as it is.

He was happy to hear that I have been swimming and wants me to continue

doing that or walking 10,000 steps a day (about 35 min planned walk) to get

up that high. and I did get something to try to help me sleep again at night

as I have been really off the past 2 weeks again.

I felt like a person on a conveyor belt today having seen him. :-(

So what was my over-tired reaction? Comfort food of course. not too bad -

but not what I should have had - didn't get to the grocery store yet so it

was easier to allow.

At least my BG is still good.

Shauna

[Guest guest]

This is a perfect example of a doctor's non-understanding of the purpose

of frequent testing.

What is stressful is high BGs.

What is stressful is not knowing what foods cause high BGs so they can

be avoided.

What is stressful is having a doctor who puts a diabetic patient down

who wants to gain control of her diabetes.

Any chance you can change doctors, Shauna?

Vicki

Disappointed in Doc visit

> Well - I didn't have the appointment I was hoping for. I was tired and

> maybe

> didn't explain myself well enough. I have been fairly good and been

> around

> 80-115 for most of my tests- but sometimes I do spike up above 160 and

> even

> above 200. he didn't want to address the spikes other than for me to

> eat

> every 2.5-3 hours of " high nutritional content " and said that would be

> explained when I go to the diabetic clinic later this week - and to

> come

> back and see him again in a week or two.

>

>

>

> I was trying to explain that I wanted to test 1 hour and 2 hours after

> eating - he wants me to cut back on the testing and test only 1 hour

> before

> eating. max of 4 times a day. He said that testing more than that was

> not

> needed and that and would be " stressful " as my life has enough stress

> of

> it's own as it is.

>

>

>

> He was happy to hear that I have been swimming and wants me to

> continue

> doing that or walking 10,000 steps a day (about 35 min planned walk)

> to get

> up that high. and I did get something to try to help me sleep again at

> night

> as I have been really off the past 2 weeks again.

>

>

>

> I felt like a person on a conveyor belt today having seen him. :-(

>

>

>

> So what was my over-tired reaction? Comfort food of course. not too

> bad -

> but not what I should have had - didn't get to the grocery store yet

> so it

> was easier to allow.

>

>

>

> At least my BG is still good.

>

>

>

> Shauna

[Guest guest]

Too bad, but not surprising. I hope you don't have high hopes for the

diabetic clinic, where they will tell you to eat lots of carbs, no

doubt.

Re testing, to me, the most important time to test is 2 hours after a

meal (and maybe 1 hour too) until you learn what you can eat and what

you can't. Before the meal may be necessary if you need to know what

you started with. But you probably don't need to test before and two

times after every meal every day. Recently we've been testing more

again because for reasons we don't understand my husband's BG has been

a bit higher than " normal. " But usually I know pretty much what he

will be and only test if we go out to eat or we try something new.

Could it be because we were out of ALA for a week? It's back in his

mountain of pills now and he seems to be stabilizing again. But you

never can tell what other variable there might have been.

Today we tested AGAIN before and after an oatmeal/flaxseed/bran combo

hot breakfast, only 1/4 cup uncooked, no milk just water. He can't

eat it. I have a cereal mix he can eat, with yoghurt and a bit of

milk. But the oatmeal, nope. Back to eggs...

[Guest guest]

At 06:55 PM 1/9/06, Shauna Ryall wrote:

>I was trying to explain that I wanted to test 1 hour and 2 hours after

>eating - he wants me to cut back on the testing and test only 1 hour before

>eating. max of 4 times a day. He said that testing more than that was not

>needed and that and would be " stressful " as my life has enough stress of

>it's own as it is.

Too bad you didn't ask him what testing *before* a meal told you when you

couldn't compare the after-meal numbers. The thing is, these doctors just

can't manage to crawl out of the box they're in. In fact, even explaining

things to them often doesn't work. They just can't seem to change their

thinking. They're the DOCTOR (parent) and we're the " child " and we're

supposed to mind what they tell us. This is the sort of thing that has

inspired many here to take control of their own diabetes management. It's

like the " fixed " amount of insulin thing. Someone else said they " weren't

allowed " to change their insulin dosage. I say, why the $%$#@ not as long

as someone can explain how. Folks on this list can explain how.

sky

[Guest guest]

I can't eat that combination either anymore. I did find a dry cereal at the

store called Hi-Lo with Strawberries (the strawberries are more like

strawberry dust) made by Organic Milling Corporation (organicmilling.com).

It has 5g net carbs per 1/2 cup serving. Nine servings to a box; paid about

$4.45 for the 10 oz. box... pricey! I eat it occasionally when I want

something crunchy for breakfast and don't want eggs or leftovers yet again.

I use a slosh of whipping cream (no carbs) diluted with water in it. Tastes

better than milk. ;o)

Nora

At 01:49 AM 1/10/06 +0000, Judy wrote:

>Today we tested AGAIN before and after an oatmeal/flaxseed/bran combo

>hot breakfast, only 1/4 cup uncooked, no milk just water. He can't

>eat it. I have a cereal mix he can eat, with yoghurt and a bit of

>milk. But the oatmeal, nope. Back to eggs...

[Guest guest]

I gotta admit - I am tempted - but finding a doc here is SOOO hard - we have

a real shortage around here. I came across one in a clinic that I liked -

but she isn't taking new patients :-(

I will hopefully have more sleep next time I see him and I can hopefully put

it across better what I want to do - testing after 1 hour to see how my BG

change - and then again at 2 hours. he is a low-carb doc - likes South Beach

diet for his patience. he just doesn't want me " overdoing " the testing I

guess.

I went shopping with hubby tonight and bought LOTS of good foods - I was

literally starving at times the last 2 days and would end up caving a bit

and having some carb foods - not horrible - but still more than I wanted.

Well - now that I have food - I am in a better mood again - and I am going

to talk to the clinic and get them to just sign the form - then I should be

able to hopefully just buy my strips in the quantity I want to test with.

Thanks for the support.

Shauna :-)

_____

This is a perfect example of a doctor's non-understanding of the purpose

of frequent testing.

What is stressful is high BGs.

What is stressful is not knowing what foods cause high BGs so they can

be avoided.

What is stressful is having a doctor who puts a diabetic patient down

who wants to gain control of her diabetes.

Any chance you can change doctors, Shauna?

Vicki

[Guest guest]

> I eat it occasionally when I want

> something crunchy for breakfast and don't want eggs

I sometimes use textured vegetable protein with added nuts. It has to be dry

to be crunchy, though.

Gretchen

[Guest guest]

Thanks for all the support regarding the doc - I mostly needed to vent - and

hopefully next time I see him I can get him more on my side.

Shauna :-)

[Guest guest]

Shauna, next time you see the doctor, come prepared with a list of

questions and subjects you want addressed. Don't leave till you get

answers.

Vicki

RE: Disappointed in Doc visit

>I gotta admit - I am tempted - but finding a doc here is SOOO hard - we

>have

> a real shortage around here. I came across one in a clinic that I

> liked -

> but she isn't taking new patients :-(

>

> I will hopefully have more sleep next time I see him and I can

> hopefully put

> it across better what I want to do - testing after 1 hour to see how

> my BG

> change - and then again at 2 hours. he is a low-carb doc - likes South

> Beach

> diet for his patience. he just doesn't want me " overdoing " the testing

> I

> guess.

>

> I went shopping with hubby tonight and bought LOTS of good foods - I

> was

> literally starving at times the last 2 days and would end up caving a

> bit

> and having some carb foods - not horrible - but still more than I

> wanted.

>

> Well - now that I have food - I am in a better mood again - and I am

> going

> to talk to the clinic and get them to just sign the form - then I

> should be

> able to hopefully just buy my strips in the quantity I want to test

> with.

>

> Thanks for the support.

>

> Shauna :-)

> _____

>

> This is a perfect example of a doctor's non-understanding of the

> purpose

> of frequent testing.

>

> What is stressful is high BGs.

> What is stressful is not knowing what foods cause high BGs so they can

> be avoided.

> What is stressful is having a doctor who puts a diabetic patient down

> who wants to gain control of her diabetes.

>

> Any chance you can change doctors, Shauna?

> Vicki

>

[Guest guest]

Yes - I will go in with a list (again). just sometimes he is SOO busy he

doesn't have the time. he will address one issue at a time - and sleeping

was it I guess. I will be able to go in more armed about T2 next time as I

will have been to the clinic - and I will need to approach him differently -

I think partly it was my fault as I didn't start off right with my dialogue.

and set up the problem - I know now, thinking over it - what I need to do

different next time.

Shauna :-)

_____

Shauna, next time you see the doctor, come prepared with a list of

questions and subjects you want addressed. Don't leave till you get

answers.

Vicki

[Guest guest]

At 09:50 AM 1/10/06, Shauna Ryall wrote:

>Yes - I will go in with a list (again). just sometimes he is SOO busy he

>doesn't have the time. he will address one issue at a time - and sleeping

>was it I guess. I will be able to go in more armed about T2 next time as I

>will have been to the clinic - and I will need to approach him differently -

>I think partly it was my fault as I didn't start off right with my dialogue.

>and set up the problem - I know now, thinking over it - what I need to do

>different next time.

Shauna, here's my feeling on busy doctors. I'm paying them, they aren't

paying me. I expect to get the answers I need on my visit. Until he starts

paying ME to be there, I don't expect him to rush off with some excuse of

being " too busy " . As for whatever approach you used that you think should

be different, or how much you think he understood your dialogue, I think

the best approach is to just say what it is you're wanting to do and what

you need in order to do it rather than pussy-footing around so you don't

hurt his feelings or something. Again, doctors aren't gods. In fact, they

seem to have a rather high percentage of clay-foot syndrome.

- sky -

Brilliance is like a four-wheel drive.

It enables a person to get stuck in

even more remote places

http://www.skydancers.com

http://www.skydor.com

[Guest guest]

> At 09:50 AM 1/10/06, Shauna Ryall wrote:

>

>>Yes - I will go in with a list (again). just sometimes he is SOO busy he

>>doesn't have the time. he will address one issue at a time - and sleeping

>>was it I guess. I will be able to go in more armed about T2 next time as I

>>will have been to the clinic - and I will need to approach him

>>differently -

>>I think partly it was my fault as I didn't start off right with my

>>dialogue.

>>and set up the problem - I know now, thinking over it - what I need to do

>>different next time.

You might want to remember that a short while back, Sky's Doc spent money on

a

registered letter telling her not to come back ever. For me, I think

sometimes a little diplomacy

goes a long way and since its something you are comfortable with, it would

probably work

just fine for you.

Jo in MN

feeling on busy doctors. I'm paying them, they aren't

> paying me. I expect to get the answers I need on my visit. Until he starts

> paying ME to be there, I don't expect him to rush off with some excuse of

> being " too busy " . As for whatever approach you used that you think should

> be different, or how much you think he understood your dialogue, I think

> the best approach is to just say what it is you're wanting to do and what

> you need in order to do it rather than pussy-footing around so you don't

> hurt his feelings or something. Again, doctors aren't gods. In fact, they

> seem to have a rather high percentage of clay-foot syndrome.

>

> - sky -

>

> Brilliance is like a four-wheel drive.

> It enables a person to get stuck in

> even more remote places

> http://www.skydancers.com

> http://www.skydor.com

[Guest guest]

Diplomacy doesn't always work. I tried it for two years, until my A1c

got high enough for the tingling in my legs and feet to return, and my

eyes started going bonkers again, and that's at 7.0. Then I stopped

being nice and told the doctor I was going on insulin and he could

either come along with me or not. He chose not and now I have a doctor

who pays attention. Comes a time when my medical treatment is MY

choice, and if that means getting assertive or aggressive about it, so

be it. I'm the one who can't walk into a store, or doctor's office,

that has flourescent light, not the doctor.

CarolR

Jo wrote:

> You might want to remember that a short while back, Sky's Doc spent money on

> a

> registered letter telling her not to come back ever. For me, I think

> sometimes a little diplomacy

> goes a long way and since its something you are comfortable with, it would

> probably work

> just fine for you.

>

[Guest guest]

At 06:31 PM 1/10/06, Jo wrote:

>You might want to remember that a short while back, Sky's Doc spent money on

>a registered letter telling her not to come back ever. For me, I think

>sometimes a little diplomacy goes a long way and since its something you

>are comfortable with, it would

>probably work just fine for you.

The discussion I had with my doc wasn't some screaming argument, either.

Just me pointing out why there's a need to test more than three times per

day and him refusing to even discuss it other than to suggest that I was

being obsessive. At that point I felt like telling him that he'd probably

see more clearly if he got his head out of his rear, but I didn't. I DO

find myself more unwilling to deal with doctors who don't, won't, or can't

think, however.

sky

[Guest guest]

At 06:41 PM 1/10/06, Carol wrote:

>Diplomacy doesn't always work. I tried it for two years, until my A1c

>got high enough for the tingling in my legs and feet to return, and my

>eyes started going bonkers again, and that's at 7.0. Then I stopped

>being nice and told the doctor I was going on insulin and he could

>either come along with me or not. He chose not and now I have a doctor

>who pays attention. Comes a time when my medical treatment is MY

>choice, and if that means getting assertive or aggressive about it, so

>be it. I'm the one who can't walk into a store, or doctor's office,

>that has flourescent light, not the doctor.

YAYYY, Carol!!! I agree completely.

sky