Bad endos

this is the club that my endo should be in :wink:

I cannot even imagine any endo saying this. Really too bad it is hard for you to switch.

You made my week!

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That’s horrifying. Imagine the lows that you would have been dealing with if you were to have followed the doctor’s instructions!

One of my doctors was rather aggressive in his insulin dosage too. I declined and said that I can always increase the dosage.

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I just read an interesting thread on tuD started by Seydlitz, who is a long time diabetic.

Seydlitz is a doctor (since he went to med school). I need to quote a paragraph of his in whole:

I’m not an endocrinologist, but I went through medical school and I find endocrinologists who don’t have type 1 themselves to be utter idiots with regard to the disease, so I just manage my own case. Endocrinologists who know me are always trying to convince me that ‘two heads are better than one’ for managing my case, but the things they say are so demonstrably foolish, I don’t know where to start with them. And endocrinologist who does not have type 1 diabetes himself is like a guy out playing golf for the first time after having learned to play from a book. He just looks silly.

I don’t mean in any way to discount the value of many endos’ opinions – in particular given the fact one saved my son when he was diagnosed in DKA. It does not take away from the disconnect so many of us have with our endos when trying to optimize our management of this disease.

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Yet he seems to try to convince everyone that his sliding scale treatment is the best treatment ever.

I think people who have had diabetes for a while and are able to self manage, need a diabetes coach and not necessarily an endo or a doctor. Yes - you need a doctor to deal with the Doctor things - like prescribing new medications and dealing with complications etc. but not the day-to-day stuff.

This imaginary diabetes coach would understand what level of diabetes skill you have (beginner, intermediate, expert, double black diamond) and work with YOU to help YOU improve YOUR diabetes skills. Diabetes coaches would not be able to teach the expert or double back-diamond courses until they have the appropriate skill. It is kind of like how we get high school kids to coach young kids in swimming, but they would not coach Olympic athletes.

Like a good coach, the diabetes coach would not blame, shame, etc, but would work with the PWD to improve skills and focus on the goals.

Where have I seen good examples of this? - Well the @daisymae swimming thread. She has specific goals - she wants to keep a flat line for swimming - and needs coaching every time she swims so she can improve. Seeing an endo every three months will not help, but having a diabetes coach work through each day and celebrate the successes and stratigize how to improve failures - that is what we need from the health care profession :slight_smile: Tall Order? Maybe.

I could go on…

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I have a recommendation for anyone that needs such coaching.

Here is the link:
:wink:
https://forum.fudiabetes.org/

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I tend to think that a lot of dentists are idiots and would not let them touch me with a ten foot pole. That does not mean that I would do my own root canal if I needed one.

Part of being that savvy PWD is finding a good endo who you can trust. Qualifying them on whether or not they have T1 is really pretty arrogant.

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I would pay to see that, Doc!
:smiley:

Maybe aforementioned diabetes coach could help you get to pure ecstasy and wade through the most difficult parts? Proper directional signage on these things is always helpful.

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just checking in. i saw my imbecile endo today. he downloaded my pump (usually downloads my meter, too, but his computer wires for my particular meter (Contour Next One ) was on the blink. he thought i had excellent BGs and felt he didn’t needed to make any changes, basal rates or otherwise.

my A1c was a little higher than i would have liked, considering all the work i have been doing; it was 6.2% not bad, ay?

i also had the opportunity to see the NP and the CDE/nutritionist. they are used to me by now and know all the particulars when it comes to my willingness to experiment and lean outside the box. unlike my endo, who has his own playbook (which has no room for diversity or experimentations).

i will be seeing that new endo up at Mt Sinai on October 4th, so i am hoping that he is much easier and more willing to work with me. i need someone who is flexible as well as informed and knowledgable. you know what i mean?

anyway, got a load of samples of insulin, and that made the whole visit worthwhile :wink:

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Aaron and everyone else, i have been posting about my idiot endo for months now. well i have the best news in the world:

yesterday i finally got to meet with the new endo at Mt Sinai Hospital. this guy was the best endo i have seen ever. young, a great listener, thinks outside the box. involved in D research from all over the world. (very up-to-date ) interested in all of the things i do to help myself live a happy and healthy D (and non-D ) life Unlimited) fascinated about our FUD site and delighted how much all of you have helped me through, particularly my swimming :smile: . ( let him know about my swimming journey, and he thought it was a remarkable success.)

very flexible and filled with ideas. accessible, works with a cde, a nutritionist and a NP all as a team. i could go on and on about his guy; but suffice it to say that i am over the moon about the experience and this endo. i couldn’t stop jumping up and down and hugging my husband. (and my husband felt the same way about the endo and our experience as i did). OMG!!! what a success. yay for me :sunny:

DM

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That is so great!

I wish we could connect to the same kind of a person as well.

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Awesome DM! I am glad that you are getting this new endo. I have seen how much you have moved in the past 6 months and I know you have definitely outgrown your old one. This is perfect for where you are now!

Cheers!

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@daisymae That is awesome news!

I see a lot of evidence in this statement that you have found another diabetes coach (besides @eric :slight_smile: ). I am so happy for you!

In case I have not said it before, I was without an endo for about 7 years. About 2 years ago, I was trying to up my diabetes game and improve control and found TuD and did a pretty good job improving things myself with the help from that site. @Jen recommended an awesome endo and I am so happy to have him.

Generally he looks at my 14-day CGM average and says “looks great - I can’t do anything to help make that better”. And then he asks me what I think I need help with and we discuss techniques for better control, the state of diabetes tech, where the research is going. I look forward to my 6 month visits.

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Thanks @daisymae for bumping this topic by giving an update. I haven’t been around log enough to see this discussion from the beginning

I am pleased that you love your new endo he does sound like a keeper.

Myself, I am pleased with my new Endo, well actually a nurse practitioner at my Endo’s clinic, I really like NP’s they seem to have more time to be with their patients.

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I feel the same way. We get along really well with our NP. But our endo visits are always a really bad moment.

I wish we could find an endo like @daisymae’s new one. But there are very few accredited endos at the local Children’s Hospital.

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I had an initial visit with my new endo at Texas Diabetes Institute. He spent literally an hour with me, answered all questions I had, and he even brought up Afrezza! He ordered a PFE for me saying that occasional asthma episodes are not an absolute contra indication.

By all indications this doc is a keeper!

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Apparently…

It’s Endo Week!

Glad for you, Doc!
:+1:

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