Your Endo: Your Friend

On some level, there's something just unnaturally odd about an endocrinologist going to see another endocrinologist for diabetes. I mean, if you're an endocrinologist, you've been there, done it, and got the tshirt. You've been dubbed an official member of the Cool Kid's Club, and you know more about the disease then the average PWD could learn in five lifetimes. Why on earth should you consult anyone, when you're the expert yourself?

There's a medical saying, that the disease you choose to specialize in will be the disease that ultimately kills you. Whether you had it to begin with, or if, after x number of years on the job it finally becomes yours, there's some truth in that statement. Doctors make lousy patients.
If you're having a seizure or heart attack or whatever, though, it really doesn't matter WHAT you are, you'd better put your pride on the back burner and get the appropriate medical help. But with diabetes, it's different- most of it is self management, and the rest of it is being passed around to other various specialites. Diabetes is so many differant diseases.
What an endocrinologist really does, is try and help you address all those dramatic sidetrips into other parts of the body, along with said pancreotic issues. If you were an endo w/diabetes, all the basic medical tests + such could be done by a general practitioner who'd be in such awe of your hiarchial rank that he'd leave the diabetes well enough alone. Of course, you still need a doctor but it wouldn't need to be another endo.

There is an exception to this, though(the need for an endo, reason #2) one I didn't realize till I was in that situation. If you're ever admitted to a teaching hospital, and you don't have an endo, you're fair game for anything- whereas, if said endo is one of the top spokes in the Endocrine Dept., suddenly, they'll be alot more respectful(the OMG, this is one of Dr. X's patients! response) of you, and your diabetes. Never underestimate an endo's power toward decent diabetes care, when you, as a patient, can't change anyone's mind. And I imagine this applies to any patient-whether or not you're also an MD is of no consequence. I am grateful for my endo, and thankful that she can help in such situations that warrant rank over idoicy. So, everyone w/D should have an endo..when it comes to situations like that, although if your primary care doctor can also pull off that, they'll do too. Point is, you need an advocate, one with power.

It's bitterly cold this weekend, as in most other parts of the country. With the windchill, -10 degrees, and I realize I should be grateful for this(you guys up north are probably seeing -30's + other insane temps)
but I just want to get back to the good o'le 40's, I can't believe how warm it once was. (just 2 weeks ago!) I WANT SPRING. I've been pretty lazy this week, though I went to the gym twice, I basically just existed + walked on the treadmill at a snail's pace until my SIL was ready to go and I'm ashamed of that. The 500's number (Wed.) was compliments of my infusion set, which had fallen out during the research study(and I didn't realize it till 4 pm). It didn't come completely down + ketone free till 10 AM the next morning, and I took FMLA time for that too. Also something I felt guilty about, but I made up for it by working today.