Every diabetic has had their fair share of doctor appointments. You go to an appointment and the next one just creeps up so fast. Being type one diabetic I have had my share of many thoughts while going to your [insert month number here] check up. Here are some thoughts those with diabetes may have before, during, or after their doctors appointment.
1." Shit, these past couple months have been really bad. I know my A1C will be awful."
An A1C (for those of you who don't know) is an indicator of how well you are controlling your diabetes. Six and below is good and the lower the number the better, they take an average of all your blood sugars for three months and get a number. (I always try to shoot for six) and from that number it tells the doctors how well your control is. So those extra carbs you had for the one meal you had every day for the past couple months that you didn't give yourself insulin for will definitely show up on that A1C test. No need to lie, the doctors know, they know all.
2. "I had to pee this morning and I seriously couldn't hold it. So maybe I can get out of peeing in a cup?"
Peeing in a cup is not new to those who have to go to their endocrinologist. It can also be a pain to try to aim in all the right directions so that they can test who knows what from your urine. I know the purpose of it is probably super important, but sometimes you can't hold it in that long to wait for your doctor's appointment.
3. "Maybe if I wear a sweatshirt and wear shoes that "are too tricky to take off," I can feel a little better about stepping on this scale."
The scale. No matter what doctor you go to inevitably there will be a scale, just waiting there with your name on it. Listen sometimes you have to eat ice cream, but when that scale is kind of near where everyone else is, you don't want them seeing the number that reflects how many times you eat ice cream a day.
4. "I really don't want to take off my socks and shoes. My feet either smell bad, or my toenails look gross."
Since circulation is a huge issue for people with diabetes, you are required to take off your shoes and socks to get them examined. It's really not a huge deal, just some empathy for the people that are examining them.
5. Doctor: "Have you noticed your blood sugar's high in the morning / afternoon / night?"
Me: "Um (in my head thinking, that's why I have an insulin pump)..."
Granted, yes, I should be making more notes of my blood sugars every time something happens. But, life happens and trying to think of how your blood sugars have been because you live everyday with this disease is just a normal reaction to just go with the flow. Either to give yourself insulin or not or eat X amount of carbs or don't just like any human being. But when you really have to think of the times when your low and high or if your numbers are normal is like thinking of a super complicated math formula in your brain.
