I’m scheduled to see an endocrinologist in a few weeks, I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what kind of questions I should be asking, or if it is more of a ‘sit and listen’ kind of appointment. I always have more successful doctor visits when I write down the questions I have, but I’m not sure I have any questions on this, even though I’ve only been diagnosed for about a month. Does anyone have any questions they wish they had asked the first time? Or general things one should ask when newly diagnosed? I would appreciate any advice!
@jimjamz hi Ariana,
it’s ok to be a little overwhelmed. it’s ok to just listen. the endo will likely want you back in 3 months, or 6 months maximum.
I suppose if you feel up to a lecture, you can ask what the strategy is to see if it fits in with how you live… for example, is the endo’s favorite strategy to “take the same medicine at the same time everyday” and bend everything into that? or is it more of a “take as little medicine as possible” and your left with the carbo hardliners, or is it “you can do anything you want, lets figure out how to make insulin and testing fit in to your life” understanding where they are at can help you especially if it’s a non-starter and you see opposites here the BIG takeaway is the endo WORKS FOR YOU and not the other way around. feel free to fire them if they suck.
there are follow on diseases that come with diabetes… don’t want to label it as complications or coincidental… but blood pressure, heart stuff, thyroid, and other endo stuff like kidneys and adrenalin are things that have to be watched so getting a 5 year look ahead if you are feeling bold and like you want to hear it all at once.
I hate going to any doctor, even after all these years, due to the trauma. sometimes I talk very little. it’s ok.
regardless. hope you are ok
Hi Ariana @jimjamz, yeah a little nervous. As I recall, you are fairly recently diagnosed with diabetes and up to this time you have been treated by a primary care doctor and not by a diabetes specialist.
When visiting any doctor I always carry a small notebook into which I have been jotting down what has gone on in my life and any questions that I have. Many of my diabetes questions are about bits that I need help figuring out on my own - I expect at this time you may have had difficulty keeping your BG “in range” after or during some school events, when you try different foods, when your ‘regular’ meal schedule gets disrupted, when you menstruate, stress about that horrible math exam [I love math and volunteered as a high school tutor] and so many other events in your life. The endocrinologist will listen closely to what you say and she/he will offer you suggestions for living a beautiful and full life.
This is going to be a learning experience for both you and your doctor; I hope this visit works well for you!
Get info from ur endo about type 1 programs and places for support and to mwet other diabetics for u to talk to. Also see if u can get an appointmwnt with a diabetes educator thwy help with nutrition they teach u how to count carbs and read nutritional facts. Get all and as much info and support as they offer best of luck
Hello. You should ask your endo what is the correct A1C to be at so there won’t be any complications later on. See what he says. I found out from my EYE doctor that you need to stay at 7.0% or lower to not have any complications - in your eyes or body - when I saw the eye doctor for eye complications. I told my endo about the A1C, and he didn’t say alot about it.
See what your endo says and if you don’t like what you hear, get a second opinion.