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| Tips For Diabetes Care |
We had been married almost 33 years when she died in ICU. I had a tortuous decision to pull the plug or not. I put it off for a week while her family and others came to say good-bye. I also had to think of our daughter who was going to lose her mother soon. She was a great Christian who never complained during all this tortuous period of life, but now I had to make a decision. Finally, I decided to do it but it was the hardest decision I ever made. My whole being was wracked with uncontrollable grief. I couldn't stop crying. Now I would like to share some helpful tips for diabetes and other diseases I learned during this time of taking care of her. I hope you can benefit from them.
Get yourself a fax machine or computer and ask your doctor for their fax number or email address. I used a fax machine. Nowadays you can find them at thrift stores etc., and may not have to buy one new. If your diabetes is out of control or even if it is under control, make notes of how you feel each day, your blood sugar levels at different times of the day etc. You can use a piece of paper to write briefly what is going on with you, like blood pressure too. Another tip to use when your diabetes is hard to control is to ask your doctor for more test strip per day so you can monitor your blood better. Sometimes they only give you two or three per day and that is not enough if you are out of control. Five or six a day should help you monitor you sugar levels better. Take your blood sugar at different times during the day so the doctor can see what is happening. Also write down everything you eat and show it to your doctor or dietitian so they can help you make corrections. There is a lot to learn and sometimes not much time to absorb all the information.
Make yourself a template of how you will set it up each time like this:
Date Time BP Sugar Count How You Feel Briefly Observations of your body
You can put your own titles in as you need them, Use your sugar meter to get the reading each time and record it on the sheet. Put down briefly how you feel and any abnormal things that you are feeling at the time or during the day out of the ordinary. Put down any observations you see of your body like rashes, etc. Don't go into detail because the sheet is not big enough. If it is serious then call your doctor, but otherwise just write down these observations and what you feel so the doctor will know what you are going through between appointments. He only sees, otherwise, that day how you are unless you give him a record of what is going on otherwise. If you are not too critical you can wait until each appointment to give it to him but otherwise fax it in once a week or so.
If you are taking care of a relative or someone else, ask the doctor to tell you when it is appropriate to call an ambulance so you don't waste money for nothing. I did this a few times during my wife's care because of equipment malfunction and sometimes because of panic like on weekends when no help was available.
Perhaps look for an insurance that has a nurse on call or a service like that in your community. Find out if your doctor responds to calls at off-hours in a timely manner.
Talk to the hospital dietitian about alternate ways to prepare food for yourself or your patient to lessen the salt or sugar. Remember things with white flour in them will turn to sugar in your system, so this includes breads, pastries, and a lot of other things. Make a habit of reading labels and learn as much as you can about what is in the foods you buy. Also learn as much about the illness you are helping with so you can make wise choices. If your doctor doesn't respond well to your requests, look for a different one who does. You sometimes have to be forceful when dealing with the medical community, but not in a violent way of course. You may be the only one who cares about yourself or your patient, so keep asking questions until you get the answers you need and understand. Treat people you deal with in a kind manner to begin with unless they are giving you trouble, then get more assertive if you need to.
Remember they are under a lot of pressure too, and you are not their only patient. They probably have hundreds to deal with, so be compassionate for them too.
One doctor my wife had made her wait over 90 minutes most of the time we went there. This was not good for her condition of fluid retention, so we changed doctors and got a lot better one. Stand up for yourself or your patient, but don't be overbearing. If things continue to be bad for you or your patient when you need help then change doctors or whatever. Anger is not going to help your condition. Talk to your doctor if the staff isn't responding to you. Talk to him also if you don't feel you are getting the care you need, or the caring from him.
Keep a notebook of the things you learn so you don't have to try to remember everything. Check out what you have questions about with your doctor. He will appreciate your wanting to learn and you will be able to communicate better by knowing more. Keep learning. Keep asking questions. Write down the questions and answers in your notebook so you don't keep asking the same questions. Be patient and kind as much as you can while you are on your learning journey. I wish you a healthy journey as well.
You don't have to be an activist to get good medical care, but you do need to be assertive to get the right answers. Have a kindly manner as much as you can and you will get further, but make it clear you want answers in a timely manner. Find a resource to check out how doctors respond to their patients or keep listening when you are out and about to what people are saying. Some doctors are great and their staff is horrible and vice-versa. But by being proactive you can get the best care and receive the answers you need. Keep a teachable heart and learn as much as you can, then put it into practice.