The Internist...

So, I had a follow-up visit with my Internist today and I've changed my mind...he's an okay guy. :)

When the the big "D" hammer fell in May, this doc and I were basically the equivalent of oil and vinegar...we just didn't mix. He saw it one way and I saw it the other--it seemed he wanted to quickly prescribe every 15-letter medication out of Stedman's Medical Dictionary that my body could handle and I was quick to tell him that long, drug-induced bouts of nausea, severe migraines and stomach cramps (amongst other unmentionable things) was NOT my idea of "getting better." I suggested supplementing natural remedies--green tea, cinnamon, and dark chocolate--to keep things like "risk of liver and kidney failure" at bay and he would shake his head and comment about "strange and risky" alternative medicine. Oh, the irony...

So maybe he's a little too conventional for my taste (me being a little too alternative for his) and therefore he doesn't need to know the specifics on the 3 tiny bars of DARK chocolate I eat after dinner some evenings, the dash of cinnamon I have on wheat toast in the mornings, or even the green tea with echinacea I like to sip on in the evenings while watching episodes of "The Office." BUT...I do like the fact that he's very proactive (not reactive) in his methods, is beginning to ask me for my opinions in how I should increase/decrease my medications in response to my highs and lows, and has become generally more receptive to any suggestions I might have.

Here's the common problems I think physicians face and hence why I think we initially butted heads: a) They have patients who do little to educate themselves on any condition or chronic illness they may have and develop the "Uh-huh...okay...I will(but I really won't)" response system; or b) they have patients who come in to regurgitate the long list of reasons why they can't possibly begin to fulfill any of the recommendations the doctor has made to improve their health and save them from any lasting ill effects of their condition. Luckily, I don't fall into either of those categories. :) Therefore, when someone like me walks in--well-read, proactive in treating my condition, receptive to alternative suggestions--I imagine I might be quite the handful to deal with...at least initially. :) I know it bothers the heck out of some doctors that I make a practice of reading up on research in medical journals before I go in to chat with them...but I firmly believe in the idea that "an uneducated patient is a dead patient." And I plan on living a L-O-N-G time--like Rose from Titanic, dying an old lady, warm in my bed.

I digress. :)

So, me and the doc jive now. That's my news. There was no fist-bumping or back-slapping or anything, but I was rather touched today when he asked me to come into the clinic some time to educate his other patients, me now being an "expert" on treating and living with diabetes. How cool was that? I think he was only half-serious, of course, but it's still a compliment nonetheless. And just in case you're wondering, my blood sugars are still way off at times and I still get sick from severe highs and lows, but considering that they were originally in the 580s and now regularly fall in the 120-180 range, I've come a long way. Before May, I had no idea just how sick I was...God was truly looking out for me.

So, here's to achieving "normal"...and no longer wanting to smack your doctor. ;)

Amanda