Today let’s talk about changes, in one of two ways. Either tell us what you’d most like to see change about diabetes, in any way. This can be management tools, devices, medications, people’s perceptions, your own feelings – anything at all that you feel could use changing. OR reflect back on some changes you or your loved one has seen or been through since being diagnosed with diabetes. Were they expected or did they surprise you?
I wish that I could change some doctors’ attitudes toward their newly diagnosed patients. My GP has practically dumped the T2D diagnosis on me while loudly voicing her displeasure with the way I seemed not to get it. Meanwhile, I was in shock and in denial, while the dreadful complications and questions like, why me, were racing through my head.
Later on when I attended diabetes education classes, I was told that denial is normal. When people are first diagnosed, they tend to go through the stages; it’s like stages of dying. I was in shock, denial, bargaining, and now am at an acceptance. I wish that my GP asked me how I felt about it. I wish that she told me something to the effect that with a little bit of work you can manage it. Anything that’s supportive. No such luck and I am NOT coming back.
I wish that she’d given me more information about my condition. I have learned most of the diabetes management either online or in the diabetes education classes. Now I think that I might actually have pre-diabetes which would have been much easier for me to accept emotionally. I might even have LADA, but as of now I have no idea. Not sure whether this would have made any difference as I would’ve been managing my condition all the same. My BG numbers are in the normal range.
I wish that at the time I was more assertive and told the doctor straight out about the emotions I was going through. Not that this would change anything, just to let her know that she was acting inappropriately.
I wish that I could change some attitudes or perceptions if you will, of certain people who tend to equalize Social Security with welfare. They keep on preaching that they work their tails off to support me while I’m receiving my disability checks. Support me? I bet they can’t support themselves.
Haven’t they ever heard what Social Security is? One of the reasons I am receiving it is because I have worked all these years and paid taxes. I have put in countless doubles and 12-hour shifts, at times a few in a week time. I have earned enough credits to even go on Social Security; the reason that I went on it earlier than my retirement age because I am disabled.
I’ve written this post as a participant in Diabetes Blog Week 2015. Follow #DBlogWeek on
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I was misdiagnosed as a Type 2 for six years. I am type 1 (or LADA). A few months after diagnosis while attending the Diabetes education classes at the local hospital, the diabetes educator (a nurse) told me to ask for the GAD 65 (test for antibodies found in most type 1’s) and the C-peptide (measures amout of insulin your body is producing). I still have the sticky note she wrote it on. At my next PCM visit I requested these tests. The nurse practitioner I saw informed me that dispite high GAD 65 I was still with normal (the lowest number of the range) for insulin production and, therefore, I was probably just getting over a virial infection. Nope. She was wrong. I was in my “honeymoon” phase.
Just thought I’d share my experience because you were wondering if your diagnosis is correct. Sometimes the medical professionals do get it wrong. Sometimes they do play blame-the-patient game. I agree that perceptions need to change. Kudos to you for taking charge, changing your GP, and educating yourself.
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Even though I am not a diabetic I can relatee to your problems. They are the same for Celiac. You have difficulty finding a doctor that knows what you are talking about. It took over 5 for my doctor to decided I am a celiac. I was even at a hospital the dietitian staff did not know the difference between glucose and gluten. They knew by the time I left. They wouldn’t bring me any sugar and put biscuits on my eggs.
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Thanks for writing about this. Ten years after my T2 diagnosis I still have anger over my diagnosis. My doctor told me that he had been watching my high blood sugars for a couple of years and wanted to make really, really sure I had diabetes before doing anything. Then he gave me a pill (metformin) told me that I was all fixed up then sent me out the door, no meter and no education. I eventually got my meter and my education, but sadly little of my education came from the healthcare system, most came on my own with the help of the online community.
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I can definitely relate to some of those bad experiences with doctors and the feelings afterwards. But you are definitely on the right track – being proactive, researching your condition and doing your best to manage it – well done!
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