i think i have diabetes and my doctor won’t listen
Replies
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kshama2001 wrote: »I don't normally chime in on threads like these, but a couple of posts seem a little harsh. The OP said she called to make an actual appointment because she's concerned and was told she would be called back.
You might need to find a doctor whose office is more on the ball. If I pick up the phone to make an appointment, I am able to schedule it in that phone call. My doctor may be busy, so I may have to wait for the actual appointment but scheduling it does not require a call back.
Probably the posts that seem harsh to you are from posters who are frustrated that the OP has repeatedly been told to get get professional help.
Yep. This!9 -
trulyhealy wrote: »i think i have a slight hypochondriac
Do you call your doctor often with symptoms and stuff you found on the internet? They may have you flagged as a frequent flyer and don't call back. If not, call and call again until you get an appointment.
There are plenty of in-home A1c tests you can buy. More accurate at diagnosing diabetes than daily BG readings.7 -
Go right to Walmart and buy yourself a glucose reader. They have the Relion for a very reasonable price. even the strips are cheap. This will ease your mind. Take a reading first thing in the morning before you eat anything. Then take readings every half hour after your eat something up to two hours. This will tell you a lot about your blood sugar.
I came here to say this.
I found out I was diabetic in February because I woke up to numb feet.
I used my husband’s glucose monitor before I ate breakfast that day. And my blood sugar was ~175.
Being diabetic is not the worst thing in the world. But more importantly your numb foot may be a symptom of something else. And in any case, it’s important to figure it out. Even if it’s “just” hypochondria. Which IS something that can be treated.6 -
missysippy930 wrote: »If they don’t give you a call back from the doctors office to schedule an appointment because of your concerns about having diabetes, find another doctor. This isn’t normal procedure for a clinic/dr office.
If this is repeatedly happening , yes I agree
But if it happened once ( as it reads to me) give them the benifit of the doubt that a message got misplaced or suchlike, one off human error happens everywhere, and ring back for an appt.8 -
I guess I’ve never had an instance that I was unable to make an appointment when I call to make one. Sure, I’ve had to hold when call volumes are high, but I’ve never been told that they would call me back to schedule an appointment. I certainly would call them back within a reasonable amount of time (24 hours maximum) if they didn’t call. I wouldn’t let it go for weeks.2
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missysippy930 wrote: »I guess I’ve never had an instance that I was unable to make an appointment when I call to make one. Sure, I’ve had to hold when call volumes are high, but I’ve never been told that they would call me back to schedule an appointment. I certainly would call them back within a reasonable amount of time (24 hours maximum) if they didn’t call. I wouldn’t let it go for weeks.
I have had this happen a number of times with the VA, but always because I throw a monkey wrench in the scheduler's flow, generally because either whatever the scheduler has does not match what the doctor told me, or I want something different, and she has to consult with the doctor or a nurse before she can schedule.
Most of the time they do call me back, but if not I would call them back.2 -
Call them back and make an appointment. If it's been a month and a half, the message was lost or forgotten about. Don't wait a month for a call back. If you don't get a call back the same day, call again the next day. Honestly, I've always just been able to call and set an appointment. I think maybe once or twice I received a message that the wait time was XX minutes and I could opt for a return call. Most likely the message was lost or the receptionist forgot about it. The doctor wouldn't be the one calling you back.
Do you get an annual physical? A comprehensive metabolic panel is routine during an annual physical and is used to conduct a broad assessment of physical wellbeing. Testing for diabetes would be part of this panel and is usually how the condition is discovered. Diabetes is a progressive disease that worsens over years, it's not something you just wake up with one day. Symptoms of diabetes don't generally show until relatively later stages of the disease.
Generally, if someone is getting an annual physical, risk of diabetes is caught early with blood sugars that are high, but not full blown diabetic. This is known as pre-diabetes and is simply a warning that if things don't change, it could progress to diabetes over some number of years. It is completely reversible with diet, weight loss (if over weight), and regular exercise. Getting an annual physical is important as many conditions do not present physical symptoms until very late stages of the disease. I have hypertension and at one point had pre-diabetic blood work...I didn't have any symptoms of anything; these things were discovered during an annual physical.6 -
missysippy930 wrote: »I guess I’ve never had an instance that I was unable to make an appointment when I call to make one. Sure, I’ve had to hold when call volumes are high, but I’ve never been told that they would call me back to schedule an appointment. I certainly would call them back within a reasonable amount of time (24 hours maximum) if they didn’t call. I wouldn’t let it go for weeks.
If I remember correctly, TO is in the UK. Not being able to make an appointment, not being called back, etc sounds very much like the NHS. One really has to be very insistent there, call back if a call-back doesn't happen, make things a bit worse than they are to be taken seriously. The NHS has a very long history of ignoring complaints by women, and things have gotten even worse since covid. And no, annual physicals don't really exist either. Heck, many of my friends from all over the world asked for an annual physical. If they got to see the doctor they were first asked if they are worried about something, maybe feel anxious or depressed. The physical, as they know it from home never happened.5 -
missysippy930 wrote: »I guess I’ve never had an instance that I was unable to make an appointment when I call to make one. Sure, I’ve had to hold when call volumes are high, but I’ve never been told that they would call me back to schedule an appointment. I certainly would call them back within a reasonable amount of time (24 hours maximum) if they didn’t call. I wouldn’t let it go for weeks.
If I remember correctly, TO is in the UK. Not being able to make an appointment, not being called back, etc sounds very much like the NHS. One really has to be very insistent there, call back if a call-back doesn't happen, make things a bit worse than they are to be taken seriously. The NHS has a very long history of ignoring complaints by women, and things have gotten even worse since covid. And no, annual physicals don't really exist either. Heck, many of my friends from all over the world asked for an annual physical. If they got to see the doctor they were first asked if they are worried about something, maybe feel anxious or depressed. The physical, as they know it from home never happened.
Why would someone disagree with this? 👆2 -
missysippy930 wrote: »I guess I’ve never had an instance that I was unable to make an appointment when I call to make one. Sure, I’ve had to hold when call volumes are high, but I’ve never been told that they would call me back to schedule an appointment. I certainly would call them back within a reasonable amount of time (24 hours maximum) if they didn’t call. I wouldn’t let it go for weeks.
If I remember correctly, TO is in the UK. Not being able to make an appointment, not being called back, etc sounds very much like the NHS. One really has to be very insistent there, call back if a call-back doesn't happen, make things a bit worse than they are to be taken seriously. The NHS has a very long history of ignoring complaints by women, and things have gotten even worse since covid. And no, annual physicals don't really exist either. Heck, many of my friends from all over the world asked for an annual physical. If they got to see the doctor they were first asked if they are worried about something, maybe feel anxious or depressed. The physical, as they know it from home never happened.
Why would someone disagree with this? 👆
I didn't disagree, but just chiming in to say in 20 years in the UK I was never unable to book an appointment if I called to make one or not contacted when I should have been.However it has indeed gotten more difficult during covid, and I fully agree we don't have the concept of annual physicals, which I think is great in other countries.
Nonetheless, if OP only made one single call to reception, didn't receive a call back, and then waited 6 weeks without following up, my first reaction would be to give the benefit of the doubt and say the message may have been misplaced or the assistant forgot to call back and just try again.5 -
trulyhealy wrote: »i think i have a slight hypochondriac
It sounds like you maybe have health anxiety, which is a real thing, and can be debilitating. I had it for many years (diagnosed general anxiety disorder and OCD). I was ALWAYS worrying about random symptoms that, yes, could be a sign of XXX - but also could also be a sign of anxiety. Part of it is that the anxiety causes you to be hyper-aware of sensations in your body, which in turn feeds the anxiety.
If this sounds like you then when you do get in to see your doctor you might want to discuss this with them as well, most doctors are compassionate about it and will often ask what they can do or say to ease your mind. And also the anxiety can be treated - "hypochondria" sounds like a joke but it really isn't the anxiety around it is real.
If it doesn't sound like you then just ignore - I don't mean to project my previous issues on to you but given your post and some of the replies thought I would mention it. Good luck.16 -
Redordeadhead wrote: »missysippy930 wrote: »I guess I’ve never had an instance that I was unable to make an appointment when I call to make one. Sure, I’ve had to hold when call volumes are high, but I’ve never been told that they would call me back to schedule an appointment. I certainly would call them back within a reasonable amount of time (24 hours maximum) if they didn’t call. I wouldn’t let it go for weeks.
If I remember correctly, TO is in the UK. Not being able to make an appointment, not being called back, etc sounds very much like the NHS. One really has to be very insistent there, call back if a call-back doesn't happen, make things a bit worse than they are to be taken seriously. The NHS has a very long history of ignoring complaints by women, and things have gotten even worse since covid. And no, annual physicals don't really exist either. Heck, many of my friends from all over the world asked for an annual physical. If they got to see the doctor they were first asked if they are worried about something, maybe feel anxious or depressed. The physical, as they know it from home never happened.
Why would someone disagree with this? 👆
I didn't disagree, but just chiming in to say in 20 years in the UK I was never unable to book an appointment if I called to make one or not contacted when I should have been.However it has indeed gotten more difficult during covid, and I fully agree we don't have the concept of annual physicals, which I think is great in other countries.
Nonetheless, if OP only made one single call to reception, didn't receive a call back, and then waited 6 weeks without following up, my first reaction would be to give the benefit of the doubt and say the message may have been misplaced or the assistant forgot to call back and just try again.
I think it depends a lot on where you live of course. I lived in such an area, and many of my friends did as well. Heck, even before covid the waiting time for a standard gallbladder removal was 1.5 years, and specialists were so oversubscribed that you didn't even get an appointment even with pancreas complications. If you didn't call your gp right at 8 or whatever it was in the morning you didn't get an appointment, and even then it was a lottery. It was impossible to call at a later time and make an appointment for another day.3 -
Most doctors are not going to just order a test, or handle something like this over the phone. True, they shouldn't have told you that they would call you back and then not called. But if they did call you back, they would probably just tell you to make an appointment. So, make an appointment. Then the doctor will hear what you are concerned about, will probably test you for diabetes, and may also check for other things it might be, and you will be face to face with an actual person who can answer these questions. (and until then, quit diagnosing yourself on the internet and worrying.)
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There are so many other things that could cause a numb foot. I have diabetes, btw. With just one foot numb and not both, I would worry about a pinched nerve behind the knee before I would think about diabetes. Especially in a young person of normal weight.
I’m wondering whether the doctor’s office maybe has a file on the OP for being a hypochondriac. When that happens, especially in a system like the one in the UK where you can’t just swap doctors easily, it can be really troublesome - because even hypochondriacs sometimes get sick! Regardless you should call back and push for an appointment. And if you are worried about diabetes in the meantime, order an inexpensive testing kit online, or buy one at the drugstore. Test first thing in the morning before eating. If the result is 100 or lower, relax, your feet are not going to fall off from diabetes. If it’s higher than that, you have something to tell the doctor’s office to make them take you seriously. BTW your auntie is wrong, plenty of people have undiagnosed diabetes and don’t realize it. But she is right that it’s probably not that in your case.4 -
@trulyhealy have you tried calling them back?3
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I don't know where you live, but in America we have walk in clinics and can get simple tests done easily. How frustrating to not have a doctor respond. Take action and go to a new doctor.
Sounds like you could be a bit paranoid. But, you need to put your mind at rest and at least you are watching out for your health. It can't hurt to have it checked out.4 -
missysippy930 wrote: »If they don’t give you a call back from the doctors office to schedule an appointment because of your concerns about having diabetes, find another doctor. This isn’t normal procedure for a clinic/dr office.
Um, I'm assuming op is in the UK. This is usual...
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Fitforevermore wrote: »missysippy930 wrote: »If they don’t give you a call back from the doctors office to schedule an appointment because of your concerns about having diabetes, find another doctor. This isn’t normal procedure for a clinic/dr office.
Um, I'm assuming op is in the UK. This is usual...
I did not realize clinics/doctors ignore patients concerns in the UK. I’m sorry to hear that. We’re talking about a very, potentially, serious health problem, which can be diagnosed quickly, and easily. Six weeks is not acceptable anywhere, and wouldn’t happen here. Advocating for yourself, and your health, should be your priority. If they aren’t returning calls, follow up daily until you get results. Posing a question to random people on the internet, doesn’t seem like a logical thing to do.
BTW, my husband was at an eye doctor appointment in September. During the exam, his eye doctor detected my husband as pre-diabetic. This already had been detected by his primary doctor, and he’s adjusting his diet to try to get it under control.4 -
Fitforevermore wrote: »missysippy930 wrote: »If they don’t give you a call back from the doctors office to schedule an appointment because of your concerns about having diabetes, find another doctor. This isn’t normal procedure for a clinic/dr office.
Um, I'm assuming op is in the UK. This is usual...
As discussed above, this is not a universal experience and probably depends on many factors, including where you live and the individual medical professionals you interact with. My experience in the UK is not this, and I have always been called back and listened to. I really think it's possible the individual person who took the call simply forgot to pass on the message or call back as a genuine error. Then the OP never followed up for 6 weeks.12 -
If you think you might be hypocondriac I think the best thing to do right now is to seek out therapy! Mental health is important and can impact significally your life! If you are really hypocondriac there is the chance that you are amplifying you symptoms, and getting a bood sugar test to measure it yourself could not be the best thing, since it may cause you to obsess about it.
I don't know if your sympthoms are real or exaggerated, and I don't mean to suggest you are absolutely or surely wrong, so if you are worried call your doctor again to make an appointment, but maybe also ask a frind or family member to verify your symptoms with you. But more important, seek therapy to treat your anxity!
I hope evrythiing is going to be alla right!9
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