Comment by jrtpup on April 18, 2011 at 12:42pm

Doesn't seem at all weird to me, in fact it sounds totally sensible! Get all the input you can from the new endo without 'coloring' it with what you've been doing. Take his/her advice home, and decide what you want to keep doing and what you want to change.

Good luck!

Comment by Les on April 18, 2011 at 1:23pm

Seems like a great idea. The new doctor may appreciate that approach.

Comment by Sarah on April 18, 2011 at 1:32pm

I don't think it sounds weird... I'd ask if you can be treated as if you are new, and start over with the education and extra help you get.. it might just be exactly what you need :)

Comment by Marie B on April 18, 2011 at 1:43pm

I "started over" three years ago, soon after I joined TuDiabetes. I went to a new endo, and I went to a CDE and a RD with a type 2 friend of mine. The CDE was especially fantastic, I'd never been to one before and she really figured out what was going on.

Comment by SuFu, Ph.D. on April 18, 2011 at 2:24pm

I think any time you switch doctors it is a "new start." You have to develop the relationship with the doctor and their office. You have to learn their quirks and their way of thinking, just as they have to learn yours. If you go into it with an open mind and discuss your feeling with the doc, laying everything out in the open, it will help everyone. I always bring a list of things that I have done, changed and want to discuss with the doctor. If you sit down and type out what you would like from the meeting it will give you a way to provide them with the best information about what you want. Some doctors would thing this is overbearing, but I think that a lot would appreciated that your desire to change your habits and accept their advice.

Comment by latvianchick on April 19, 2011 at 12:07am

I think that you need to say to him, that you want to treat this as a new start, as if just diagnosed and for him to explain to you about it again. What treatment schedules he recommends, about testing, sick day rules etc etc. You are right, you do tend to get stuck in a rut, find things do not work or do work and wonder why things go wrong .... even if he tells you something you know, just politely nod, and make a mental note of it and ask questions if you need to.

Don't, whatever you do bring your dissatisfaction with your previous doctors. That would get his back up. If he does ask you why you have changed just say to him that you had been with the same doctors for the duration and that you feel you would like a fresh aspect on it, saying that he might have some ideas that you had not thought of.

You are not weird. I have also not had much doctor input for several years - lots of problems with doctors cancelling, one general doctor does not want to discuss diabetes etc. But now I have found a hospital some 45 miles bus ride away who will support my decision and choice to use pork insulins and my refusal to entertain the idea of going back on human insulins, and they are also willing to tackle my hypo unawareness!

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