2014 looks to be a year of change, I have been trying to change my insulin pump and CGM. Now I'm looking to change my endocrinologist, Leanne has already said that I'm fickle and I have to say that she is right. I know that it is old hat but after not taking care of myself for so long I feel that if I'm not getting the best care possible that I need to find the care that suits me best.
The thing is that what suits me best is the care I had before I had made the change almost a year ago. When I changed endocrinologist last year I did so because I felt that I wasn't being challenged. I liked the family side of care but I didn't like that I was being told how great I was doing each time I went to see the endocrinologist or my nurse practitioner. It was almost like a father and son relationship, I was told I was doing great and only small tweaks were being made to my basal rates, the only time I was scolded was when I showed up and didn't go to the eye doctor.
For the past year my endocrinologist has been great, he made changes to my basal rates and was available via email whenever I needed him. What was not so great was the appointments themselves, it felt like I was just another patient, I would enter a room and the nurse would come in and have to look over all of my information before he or she could give any advice. This was a larger hospital and they see a lot of patients but I was emailing my endocrinologist my blood sugars every Sunday, in my mind they should know the problems that I have been having. I truly missed that small family feeling that I got with my old endocrinologist. The final straw was that my A1C went above 7 for the first time in over five years. I prided myself on having an A1C under 7, that made me feel that I may have made up for all the bad that I did for ten years. The endocrinologist I was seeing wanted to cut down the lows I was having, in doing so he increased the number of high (above 200) blood sugars I was having. I have a fear of high blood sugars, they make me feel like garbage and I've had way to many in my lifetime already. I may think I'm invincible but I like being lower, I don't like being 50 but I like to see 100 rather than 160. Again I know I'm not invincible, but I have not needed medical attention for a low in almost 20 years, I know when I'm low and I'm always prepared. I'm walking a tight rope and so far I have yet to fall, I know what I have to live for and I'm very careful to not go to low.
Going back to my old endocrinologist I will make sure that I inform them on what I want by choosing them to care for me. I loved that I could email my old endocrinologist whenever I needed to, I will make it a point to make sure that I can do that. I will also inform them that I love the family feeling when I go to see them but I need to be challenged and told that I need to improve in certain areas. The best part is that I can run to the endocrinologist office now (less than three miles away), they will probably get sick of me stopping in but I love my old nurse practitioner and endocrinologist, they are my diabetes siblings. It will be great to be reunited with my family!!
The thing is that what suits me best is the care I had before I had made the change almost a year ago. When I changed endocrinologist last year I did so because I felt that I wasn't being challenged. I liked the family side of care but I didn't like that I was being told how great I was doing each time I went to see the endocrinologist or my nurse practitioner. It was almost like a father and son relationship, I was told I was doing great and only small tweaks were being made to my basal rates, the only time I was scolded was when I showed up and didn't go to the eye doctor.
For the past year my endocrinologist has been great, he made changes to my basal rates and was available via email whenever I needed him. What was not so great was the appointments themselves, it felt like I was just another patient, I would enter a room and the nurse would come in and have to look over all of my information before he or she could give any advice. This was a larger hospital and they see a lot of patients but I was emailing my endocrinologist my blood sugars every Sunday, in my mind they should know the problems that I have been having. I truly missed that small family feeling that I got with my old endocrinologist. The final straw was that my A1C went above 7 for the first time in over five years. I prided myself on having an A1C under 7, that made me feel that I may have made up for all the bad that I did for ten years. The endocrinologist I was seeing wanted to cut down the lows I was having, in doing so he increased the number of high (above 200) blood sugars I was having. I have a fear of high blood sugars, they make me feel like garbage and I've had way to many in my lifetime already. I may think I'm invincible but I like being lower, I don't like being 50 but I like to see 100 rather than 160. Again I know I'm not invincible, but I have not needed medical attention for a low in almost 20 years, I know when I'm low and I'm always prepared. I'm walking a tight rope and so far I have yet to fall, I know what I have to live for and I'm very careful to not go to low.
Going back to my old endocrinologist I will make sure that I inform them on what I want by choosing them to care for me. I loved that I could email my old endocrinologist whenever I needed to, I will make it a point to make sure that I can do that. I will also inform them that I love the family feeling when I go to see them but I need to be challenged and told that I need to improve in certain areas. The best part is that I can run to the endocrinologist office now (less than three miles away), they will probably get sick of me stopping in but I love my old nurse practitioner and endocrinologist, they are my diabetes siblings. It will be great to be reunited with my family!!
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