MAL-Information
I’ve recently realized that bad information falls into two categories, misinformation which I deem as inaccurate but generally harmless and what I’ve taken to calling MAL-information which is not only inaccurate but could lead to harm. The mostly well-meaning but ignorant comments that regular people make fall into the first category, mainly because I don’t expect them to know better, so I just disregard their comments. But, some of the information I’ve been given by medical professionals falls into the second category. Between my Primary Care doctor (who I started seeing AFTER my diagnosis-didn’t have a primary before) and the doc who treated me in the ICU during my DKA episode, I’ve been treated to some real gems. I thought I’d share the “best” ones:
• You only need to test before you take insulin
• You don’t need a glucagen kit, use the “poor man’s method” of treating lows and carry glucose tablets with you (Uh, OK dude, what I’m unconscious?)
• You don’t need to test before you exercise (I was dumb enough to do this once and was rewarded with a 47 bg)
• The sliding scale gives better control than carb counting
• We don’t need to determine if you’re type 1 or type 2
• The sliding scale gives better control than carb counting
• You’re 5.9% A1C is great, don’t change anything (it’s the result of too many lows, butthead! That’s not good either!).
• And, my personal favorite, uttered by the ICU doc who obviously saw me as his own personal cash machine: You don’t need an endocrinologist, diabetics are an internist’s bread and butter.
My dad is a diabetic, resulting from a lifetime of cystic fibrosis and a double lung transplant last year, so he has been a valuable resource during these first months (he debunked that sliding scale myth before I even set foot out of the hospital). I’ve also learned so much from the ADA’s website/message boards, dlife.com, and various other sites. We’re normally told not to believe everything we read online but in the case of diabetes communities, they can be more reliable than even medical professionals!
I will say that my primary is good at referrals and sent me to an endo that I LOVE. She got me on carb counting right away, tested me for antibodies to confirm my type 1 diagnosis, helped me adjust my insulin to carb ratio to combat the lows, and is working with me on my decision of to pump or not to pump.
Speaking of lows, I’ve had a series of them today and am left to wonder why I always seem to wind up in a bakery when I’m battling one! A few weeks ago, I cratered while my husband and I were on a visit to our alma mater and he sent me to Dunkin Donuts to get him coffee while he went to LaBamba to pick up burritos for us to take home. I’m sure you guys can imagine what was going through my hypoglycemic brain as I stood in line to order the coffee! It was sort of Homer Simpson-like. Then, today I found myself in the bakery section of our local grocery store staring at bread and cakes and doughnuts (I was supposed to be in the meat section buying steaks for dinner) after I just treated a low. I am happy to report that I resisted buying anything both times. :) Do I get a gold star for that?
• You only need to test before you take insulin
• You don’t need a glucagen kit, use the “poor man’s method” of treating lows and carry glucose tablets with you (Uh, OK dude, what I’m unconscious?)
• You don’t need to test before you exercise (I was dumb enough to do this once and was rewarded with a 47 bg)
• The sliding scale gives better control than carb counting
• We don’t need to determine if you’re type 1 or type 2
• The sliding scale gives better control than carb counting
• You’re 5.9% A1C is great, don’t change anything (it’s the result of too many lows, butthead! That’s not good either!).
• And, my personal favorite, uttered by the ICU doc who obviously saw me as his own personal cash machine: You don’t need an endocrinologist, diabetics are an internist’s bread and butter.
My dad is a diabetic, resulting from a lifetime of cystic fibrosis and a double lung transplant last year, so he has been a valuable resource during these first months (he debunked that sliding scale myth before I even set foot out of the hospital). I’ve also learned so much from the ADA’s website/message boards, dlife.com, and various other sites. We’re normally told not to believe everything we read online but in the case of diabetes communities, they can be more reliable than even medical professionals!
I will say that my primary is good at referrals and sent me to an endo that I LOVE. She got me on carb counting right away, tested me for antibodies to confirm my type 1 diagnosis, helped me adjust my insulin to carb ratio to combat the lows, and is working with me on my decision of to pump or not to pump.
Speaking of lows, I’ve had a series of them today and am left to wonder why I always seem to wind up in a bakery when I’m battling one! A few weeks ago, I cratered while my husband and I were on a visit to our alma mater and he sent me to Dunkin Donuts to get him coffee while he went to LaBamba to pick up burritos for us to take home. I’m sure you guys can imagine what was going through my hypoglycemic brain as I stood in line to order the coffee! It was sort of Homer Simpson-like. Then, today I found myself in the bakery section of our local grocery store staring at bread and cakes and doughnuts (I was supposed to be in the meat section buying steaks for dinner) after I just treated a low. I am happy to report that I resisted buying anything both times. :) Do I get a gold star for that?
-
Comment by Laura on May 30, 2009 at 6:16pm -
Yay For us with Cystic Fibrosis shout out to your dad for me. If he is older then me (42) it gives a bit more hope ::) Its gets a tad scary being on the outside of the living curve hehe
Diabetes and CF are a bit of a different animal then straight up type 1 it can be near impossible to find medical peeps who understand this. I get offended for other diabetics in the hospital or ER and go speak up for them being raised in a hospital makes me very comfortable doing what I know is right. Some of the things I have read about what some in the medical profession say would have had me or my family escorting them out of my room/area whatever. Last time I let it pass the nurse did not understand I had zero insulin resistance as your dad might also and gave me a huge 7u dose for a 400 sugar (infection) half hour later they were fighting to bring me back and almost did not. Of course the nurse claimed I did not inform her it was to much...um sure whatever. She does not work there anymore. I understand there is treatment protocols and they work for many but when the patient knows better I find it amazing they consider us stupid then send us home and say control it :P
You get a gold star !!! don't rub it in I would have got some doughnuts!!!
Be loved
-
Comment by Heather Leavitt on May 30, 2009 at 6:45pm -
Laura, my dad will be 54 in August, so hold out hope my friend! He had a double lung transplant in January of 2008 and is doing wonderfully. We've had some scary hospital excursions with him and it's a running joke that my Mom's picture is hanging in the administration office at BJC here in St. Louis because although he's more than capable of taking care of himself when he's conscious, she's his advocate when he's not and has been known to raise cain when necessary. I had both of them and my husband watching over me when I had my DKA episode and let's just say that I was well taken care of! :)
-
Comment by Laura on May 30, 2009 at 8:07pm
-
Heather that is awesome my lungs are good so far. I have some really jacked up digestive and organ issue's but I am doing good compared. I finally have a GI doc who is willing to help me with supportive treatment in and out of the pokey (hospital) I am beyond excited. Has your dad had problems with doc's and things not understanding that while he is insulin dependent his insulin dosages may widely change from day to day? at least for me and some others like us that seems to be the case. I know I have legal paperwork no one is to do anything about my BG unless I am DKA or hypo period.
If I am not conscience then my hubby or daughters handle it. They are with me or can be reached on the phone and if I was not aware one of them would be with me anyway. They know how to check my site's and dose me so they don't kill me :)
Make sure you tell him hi for me.
be loved you are
Comment
Advertisement
REsources
Groups
From the Diabetes Hands Foundation blog...
Together, We Can Get Diabetes Co-Stars to 10,000 Views!
Above is a photo of Diabetes Hands Foundation’s own Manny Hernandez with the stars of the Diabetes Co-Stars Video, “Strength in Numbers.” In case you haven’t heard the news yet, there is a new video making it’s way through the …Continue Reading
Congratulations Diabetes Advocates Scholarship Recipients!
The Diabetes Hands Foundation and Diabetes Advocates Program is proud to announce and congratulate the members of DA who were granted scholarships to attend diabetes conferences in 2013! Thanks to a generous grant from Novo Nordisk, in 2013 we were …Continue Reading
TuDiabetes Team
DHF STAFF
 Manny Hernandez(Co-Founder, Editor, has LADA)
|
DHF VOLUNTEERS
Lead Administrator
 Bradford (has type 1) |
Administrators
 Lorraine (mother of type 1) |
 Marie B (has type 1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIKE us on Facebook
Spread the word
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
© 2013 A community of people touched by diabetes, run by the Diabetes Hands Foundation.
You need to be a member of Diabetes community by Diabetes Hands Foundation: TuDiabetes to add comments!
Join Diabetes community by Diabetes Hands Foundation: TuDiabetes