Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Annoying questions

This morning on my drive to work I got a phone call from an RN at the surgical center where I will have my lumpectomies next week. Pre-registration and medical questionaire of course! I know I shouldn't be irritated when people ask those weirdo questions about my Diabetes. And, most times I look at it as an opportunity to educate. I know even an RN really doesn't know anything about Type 1...but ohhhhhh how I just wish everyone in the medical professions were understanding of Type 1 vs Type 2!!! I mean really....WHEN will the text books change to clearly define the differences and SERIOUSNESS of both diseases?

RN: "Do you take oral medications along with your insulin?"

Me: "No, I have type 1 Diabetes"

RN: "So you are diet controlled?"

Me: (SHOCKED) "No, I take just insulin, I have an insulin pump"

RN: "About when did you have the pump inserted?"

Me: (thinking ohhhh here we go) "Well, its not really inserted....I've had it for 2 years now"

RN: "mmmhmmmmm"

Me: Thinking I wish it were inserted and thats all there is to it. Like an artifical pancreas? Sure, I would take that over this pump any day. I know she's thinking the pump does all the dosing and calculating itself. (frustrated)

RN: "What is your height and weight?"

Me: "5'5 and 120 pounds"

RN: "ohhhhh wow, I wish I were so thin, strange you still need the insulin pump hugh?"

ME: Silent

RN: "Do you have any concerns for the day of the surgery?"

Me: "Just my blood sugars"

RN: "Oh, of course. No worries. We will have an Accu-check to test your blood sugar before surgery."

Me: Thinking oh how nice. They will make sure I'm in range before surgery....as if I won't have checked myself several times by then. (surgery at 10am)

RN: "So has your Diabetes been controlled since you got the pump?"

Me: Thinking oooohhhhhhhh yes, the pump is MAGIC! Just like that Diabetes is no more!

Thank goodness I'm not going under with general anesthesia! It's so hard to listen to MEDICAL personell speak so unknowingly about Diabetes. Aren't they supposed to make us feel comfortable and in the best care? The things I hear from medical people always amazes me! I guess all I can do is laugh at the humor of it!

3 comments:

Scott K. Johnson said...

So frustrating. It is hard to keep in mind sometimes that they can't know everything. BUT - they SHOULD know the basics, in my opinion.

Wendy said...

Nursing school NEVER prepared me for this!!!!!

Anonymous said...

If you were going under general anesthesia for a number of hours, wouldn't they put you on a dextrose/insulin drip? Though I would not trust these particular docs/nurses to manage it! Wow! Just wow! My niece just has surgery and they did beautifully with her numbers once they learned how to operate the insulin/dextrose drip. Problems in postop because of this 394, but as soon as we notified them, they stepped up and numbers were beautiful all night. During the surgery itself numbers were kept in the range we requested so she would be stable (7 hour operation). I'm glad you are having the local and can manage things yourself. Yikes!