(no subject)

[shadowkat]

1. My doctor upset me again by email.

She basically told me that since I tested negative for the COVID-19 antibodies, I had to wear a mask, gloves, and social distance everywhere. She's obsessed with gloves. (Not all health care workers are - two nurses who work in ICU and with COVID advised me not to do the gloves thing. I'll trust them over a doctor who has no experience with COVID and stayed home during the crisis.) Also that my chloestrol had gone up - so obviously I was eating too many buttery, greasy, fried foods (haven't had any since 2005 - I'm gluten intolerant and off all grains except oatmeal which lowers cholestrol), and too much cheese (I have it rarely and just in an omelete or a slice on a hotdog, and rarely have hotdogs - which are grilled). And that I need to exercise thirty minutes a day for cardio (I walk 2-5 miles three to four times a week).

I'm beginning to think doctors have a script. If the patient exhibits diabetes or high chlosterol or weight gain = not enough exercise and diet problems. Instead of asking the patient to list what they are eating, and how they exercise, and checking to see if they are going into menopause - they go for the easy answer.

Lazy.

THIS is why I don't trust doctors. It's why I get anxious when I see them. I don't like them. I like nurses, not doctors. Nurses are helpful. Doctors are overpaid frauds.

Irritated - I sent an email back - which is hard to do in the system - it only lets you have 500 characters. I told her that I hadn't had any greasy, buttery, fried foods since 2005. That I rarely eat cheese. And I exercise by walking 2-5 miles three to four times a week. The high cholesterol has zip to do with my exercise or diet.

And considering my diet was far worse in my thirties and I was exercising far less - and I had low cholesterol - I'd say this is probably menopause. Hello.

I really wish people would stop being assholes by email. My blood pressure is high enough as it is.

2. What they don't tell you about surviving COVID-19 - this is to inform folks to stop treating this disease like it's nothing.

3. "Last chance to tell the DNC that you want Bernie's ideals in the platform".

I restrained myself from saying - "I want Elizabeth Warren's - which is why I voted for Elizabeth Warren." Bernie is an idiot.

4. Time to rewatch.. Great Britain's Ukuele Version of the Cure's Love Cats - reminding me to download the Cure to my apple music tomorrow. I've already downloaded Elvis Costello today - listened to it all day. And previously, a lot of black music - R&B, Blues, and Hip-Hop. Some really good tunes in that mix.

Comments

[rogin]

I so relate to your story about the doctor. Just had a similar experience myself. I went to a doctor to find out why I have trouble getting pregnant again. And of course if you are overweight the answer is always because of that. Even though you can check if the weight is affecting the hormones and so far it is not.

He then called me to tell me I was lactose intolerant. In this he is probably right. But then he sent me a letter where he diagnosed me with pre-diabetes. Looking at the bloodwork we based that on my weight (ok) and on the insulin in my blood. Only he measured it two hours after lunch and then compared it to the values that you should have in the morning (fastened). I'm getting proper fastened bloodwork done tomorrow, but I really lost all trust. This is a beginners mistake and before I looked up how the values are calculated and measured, I was really scared.

And how do you call people over something inconsequential like lactose intolerance and then sent them a letter to tell them they have a serious illness? Ugh.

[shadowkat]

And how do you call people over something inconsequential like lactose intolerance and then sent them a letter to tell them they have a serious illness? Ugh.

Exactly. Also none of the things your doctor mentioned have anything to do with getting pregnant. I know people who are "overweight" by medical terminology that have had multiple kids, and people that are thin as a rail who can't have children at all - they can't. My cousin is thin as a rail, ended up adopting.

Diabetes? You can get pregnant with diabetes - or there would be less people in the world. Same with lactose intolerance - also can get pregnant - my sisterinlaw is lactose intolerant.

Also, they should be looking into weight gain - it's not always exercise or diet related, sometimes its medical or hormonal. I'm going into menopause - that results in shifts in regards to blood sugar levels, cholosteral levels, weight, and other things. My doctor knows this. She's being lazy.

[rogin]

Also none of the things your doctor mentioned have anything to do with getting pregnant.

I don't really blame him for pointing out other health issues and high insulin levels do affect fertility to a degree (although of course, we are talking about a statistical correlation here not absolute terms).

But I do blame him for not taking the sample correctly. Every fool knows that you need to be 12 hour fasting to measure the bloodsugar and the insulin values. To me it seems he was just creating his own easy answer.

it's not always exercise or diet related, sometimes its medical or hormonal.

Yep, and even if it is you need to analyze the exact connection. Just blaming the patient is cheap.

[shadowkat]

12 hour fasting? I only did 4 hour fasting. Interesting. Of course, it's hard to do a 12 hour fasting - and get to the doctor, without fainting. So, maybe it's not that bad - I'm in 6.4 range and I went down from 6.9, with four hours of fasting. (I'd had two banana paeolo muffins that morning.) I'm wondering now if it is accurate.

There's so many variables in play. Before questioning diet - the doctor should request that the patient provide a diary of what they have been eating for at least a month period, and what they've been doing exercise wise. Also evaluate stress factors.

[rogin]

By twelve hour fasting I meant just overnight and then measuring the blood sugar without having breakfast in the morning. So you stop eating at 8 in the evening, have your blood taken 8 in the morning. (The fasting glucose value, which should be below 100)

And then there is the insulin level which should be somehwere below 25.

Of course you can also measure them throughout the day, if you are looking to see how the metabolism works, but for that to be meaningful he should have asked me, when and what I had for lunch and he didn't. The way he did it he compared my after lunch values to the limits for the fasting values.

I really have to have a word with him when we have the appointment to talk about the bloodwork. I'm glad I get to see my regular doctor tomorrow.

[shadowkat]

My doctor kind of made the same mistakes. Didn't ask what I had that morning, just that I didn't eat four hours before. And when I did fast from 8-8, and almost fainted, because I couldn't get in until 9, and she didn't do bloodwork until 10:30 because she was running late..that went out the window.

The information you gave me above is kind of reassuring. It means the doctors numbers may be slightly off.

I got an email from her that it's not a problem - thanking for the update on my diet, and we'll retest in Sept, just keep up what I'm doing.

Glad you are seeing yours tomorrow - hope you are able to work things out.

[rogin]

Visiting my regular doctor really helped. She measured my blood pressure properly (as in asking how I had come here (by bike) and measuring it when my hear rate was going down again. The weird doctor just measured and said it was to high.)

And she also said that the sugarrelated blood work is meaningless if it is unknown when the test person ate last and what. I'll get the results on monday and I think it looks good that they will be fine.

Good luck with your heath (and healthcare) woes. I think it is great that you are working so hard on getting enough movement in.

[shadowkat]

Thank you.

I'm glad everything went well with your primary care. Whew.

Mine is usually better - but COVID-19 has set everyone off a bit. Also, my blood sugar level is reasonable. It's not going to dive from 6.9 to 5.0 in three months. It made it to 6.4.

[yourlibrarian]

I'm beginning to think doctors have a script. If the patient exhibits diabetes or high chlosterol or weight gain = not enough exercise and diet problems. Instead of asking the patient to list what they are eating, and how they exercise, and checking to see if they are going into menopause - they go for the easy answer. Lazy.

They do and it's a biased one. Just today Mike and I were arguing about my going to the doctor about hip pain I've been having. I told him it was pointless, because unless I already had a possible diagnosis that could be tested for it would be useless, because doctors have zero interest in investigating problems.

[shadowkat]

Yep. Anything that can't be quickly diagnosed and thrown medication at - they've no interest in.

I dated a doctor once - who was from China, who told me that in China they spent about thirty minutes to an hour with their patients. Here, he was lucky to get more than ten minutes. The residents in hospitals, etc, have no time, you get enough time to look at a chart, and move on.

Also, they don't like things like menopause - because that's different for everyone.

Will give mine some credit for acknowledging that candida overbuild in the gut exists and I had it, and that rice was a problem for me, due to the gluten intolerance. The previous doctor, male, decided the whole candida thing and gut issue was hogwash.

I don't like doctors. They frustrate me.