[Diabetes-talk] Your Dr...

[Mike Freeman]

Bern:

I think your reaction below is a bit extreme.  In fact, my response to Debby's question charts a course midway between your answer and those of Cheryl and Bridgit and that of Shirley.

In an ideal world, you, Cheryl and Bridgit are absolutely correct:  a diabetic stands the best chance of receiving optimal treatment of his/her diabetes if s/he visits an endocrinologist and gets a lab workup every three months.  However, this is the real, not the ideal, world.  So Shirley's statement has merit *if* a number of things are simultaneously true:  (1) the diabetic checks his/her feet for symptoms of diabetic neuropathy daily; (2) does not have symptoms of diabetic neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy and/or diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease); (3) has monitors his/her blood glucose religiously and keeps a log of those readings; (4) the readings thus obtained are within the bg targets worked out with tha diabetic's doctors and CDE and (5) even if the diabetic does not visit an endo or other diabetic specialist or, for that matter, a general physician, lab work is done so that the diabetic gets an A1C and hematocrit test *with* interpretation every three months.

As you can seei, this is quite a list.  But if all this is done and the diabetes remains more-or-less stable, I think it's relatively safe to skip a quarterly endo visit or two.  Note, however, that this puts even more responsibility on the diabetic himself/herself than s/he already carries and often finds difficult to cope with.  Thus, the quarterly endo or other diabetic specialist visits have the additional benefit beyond better diabetes care of keeping the diabetic honest and free from backsliding.  I think only the diabetic himself/herself can judge whether the benefits of better diabetes care and prevention of backsliding is worth the additional cost.

Bottom line:  while I don't think we should poo-poo what Debby's doctor said completely, all other things being equal, it's probably better to keep up those quarterly visits, *especially* if A1C tests and the like are done each time.

Mike Freeman


Mike Freeman
sent from my iPhone


On Mar 14, 2011, at 12:33, "William and Bernadette Jacobs" <bandbjacobs at verizon.net> wrote:

> Hey Debbie:
> 
> I'm with Cheryl on this one.  If the guy tells you that he doesn't need to see you anymore unless you need something, he really doesn't know anything about diabetes, and, of course you should immediately be in search of someone who knows what they're doing and what they're talking about!  A quack is a quack is a quack Debbie!  Simple as that Honey!
> 
> Bern
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
> To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 3:12 PM
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] question?
> 
> 
>> no! You should be seen by someone taking care of your diabetes every 3 months.
>> 
>> The biggest compliment you can pay me is to recommend my services!
>> 
>> Cheryl Echevarria
>> CD-10646
>> http://www.Echevarriatravel.com<http://www.echevarriatravel.com/>
>> 1-866-580-5574 or 631-456-5394
>> reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com>
>> 
>> Member of NACTA.com
>> Member of ASTA.org
>> 
>> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10
>> 
>> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise and Travel, Inc.
>> ----- Original Message -----  From: Debbie Fredericks<mailto:catdancing at sbcglobal.net>
>> To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org<mailto:diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 11:09 AM
>> Subject: [Diabetes-talk] question?
>> 
>> 
>> Last Friday I went to see my diabetic doc in St. Louis MO at Barnes hosp. He told me I didn't need to come back anymore unless I needed something. Has anyone ever heard of this?
>> Debbie
>> _______________________________________________
>> Diabetes-talk mailing list
>> Diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org<mailto:Diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org>
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Diabetes-talk:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Diabetes-talk mailing list
>> Diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Diabetes-talk:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/bandbjacobs%40verizon.net
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Diabetes-talk mailing list
> Diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Diabetes-talk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/k7uij%40panix.com