Changing Doctors

Tomorrow I go to the Dr for my 3 month A1c. Nothing out of the ordinary about that, the un-ordinary part is that I am going to see a new Dr.

This whole process of changing Dr’s started at my last A1c check. I had been going to my last Dr for quite a few years and he had always done a fine job as far as I was concerned. My issues with him didn’t begin until after I was diagnosed with diabetes. After my diagnosis I started to notice that when I asked him questions about diabetes he would give me what I felt was a “brush off” type answer. I have real concerns about complications from diabetes, namely I don’t want any, or at least want to limit any that I may get. When I asked him about my legs going numb from the knees down his answer was, you know you are getting older and things won’t always be like they were when you were younger. When I asked him about getting light headed after I bend over his answer was that he has the same problem and a comment about it being another one of those age things. Those “age” answers might set a little better with me if I were maybe 60+ years old but I’m only 40. Yea I know only 40 is already about half a lifetime but to me it’s just not that old, any how back to the subject at hand. The straws, yes straws as in multiple, that broke the camels back with me and my last doctor were the last two times I went to see him and have my lab work done he forgot to tell them to do the A1c test. For me that was the deal breaker, wait a week to get the results and call in only to be told that the doctor didn't order that test. Then I get the opportunity to take a little more time off of work to go have another blood test to get the A1c done. Long story short I decided it was time for a new doctor.

I have a lot of faith in one of the nurses that works at my doctors’ office so I asked her if she could recommend a doctor in this same complex that would give my diabetes the attention that I feel it deserves. She gave me a handful of doctors to look at. I called all of these doctors and asked if I could get an appointment to “interview” them to be my doctor. Two of them said I could make an appointment and talk to them, all but one of the rest of them couldn't understand why I would want to talk to them before I put my health in their hands, the last one said that they don’t do this type of appointment. I went in and talked to the two of them that were willing to meet with me, the first one treated me very similar to my original doctor, kick that one out of the running. The last one I talked to was willing to have me come in when he was done with appointments for the day and spent a good deal of time answering my questions about his style of treatment of diabetes.

So tomorrow morning I get to see my new Dr, list of questions in hand and a hopeful attitude that my diabetes will get the attention that I feel it deserves.