[bigrosiegreenbaum]

I am SO sick of the medical profession, SO sick of these know-nothing doctors! My incompassionate medical "professional" just informed me that she will not be prescribing me the 200 tests strips that my insurance company allows me to have for FREE each month, she's only giving me 100 because I "should only be testing 2-3 times a day". I told this dummy, no, the only way I'm keeping my sugar under 140 is by TESTING at least 10 times a day. 'You're going to get too many callouses on your fingers'. WHO CARES!!! This is the same twit who told me to add fruit and carbs to my diet! I said 'maybe after 6 months or so when my sugars have leveled out I could test less, but it's only been a month since I've been diagnosed!' She says, 'I don't care, I'm only giving you 100'. I told her that it's obvious she doesn't care and that I don't care what she says, I'm still going to be testing as much as I have to, the only difference is that I'll be living on the street soon because now I have to spend my rent money on stupid pieces of plastic! And all she did was argue with me, getting a patient's stress level up, which is more than likely getting my sugar up now. I told her to eff off and she's no longer my doctor and hung up on her.

Hell, I could understand if it was medication I was asking for but these are just pieces of plastic that don't affect HER LIFE at all and even if I was only testing 2-3 times a day I could use the extras to stock up on, since my insurance is through the state, which is bankrupt and could end at any given moment.

Lord, I hate doctors - I'm going to be interviewing the new one I chose at length before I let her even touch me and now I'm more determined than ever to just deal with this on my OWN without these government-trained, Ansel Keys-worshipping nimrods! :

 

[moon]

I'm not sure why docs have this mentality about testing but so many of them do. The first time I saw my endo he said I needed to test just once/day but after a bit of persuasion he prescribed 2x/day. When I went back a month later, having brought my numbers down significantly, and talked about how I did it, I asked him for more strips. I said I had worked hard to make the progress I had, and needed him to partner with me as I work towards better health. Made the argument that test strips were preventative medicine, a lot cheaper than dialysis ...

He ended up prescribing 4x/day and I'm okay with that. I currently test more but am running on the obsessive side right now.

I'd be livid also if my doc wouldn't support what I wanted and my insurance company allowed. That's great insurance that covers 200/month for free! Wowsers. Hope you'll find a doc who will support your admirable efforts to have control of your diabetes - you've done an awesome job!

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

I'm not sure why docs have this mentality about testing but so many of them do. The first time I saw my endo he said I needed to test just once/day but after a bit of persuasion he prescribed 2x/day. When I went back a month later, having brought my numbers down significantly, and talked about how I did it, I asked him for more strips. I said I had worked hard to make the progress I had, and needed him to partner with me as I work towards better health. Made the argument that test strips were preventative medicine, a lot cheaper than dialysis ...

He ended up prescribing 4x/day and I'm okay with that. I currently test more but am running on the obsessive side right now.

I'd be livid also if my doc wouldn't support what I wanted and my insurance company allowed. That's great insurance that covers 200/month for free! Wowsers. Hope you'll find a doc who will support your admirable efforts to have control of your diabetes - you've done an awesome job!

You know, I'm at the point where I seriously NEVER want to see a doctor EVER again. I'll have to save every single cent just to buy strips and I'll do the at-home A1C tests myself. Hell, I'll marry a rich doctor, but I don't ever want to go to one again!

Dr. Bernstein is the only doctor I would put my faith in from now on because HE has diabetes, at least he knows what we go through and what works and what doesn't. I can't believe the attitudes of doctors these days, just total arrogance!

 

[moon]

Well, I think there are many wonderful, caring docs who will work with us on our health issues. I have a fantastic internist who I'd follow to the ends of the earth. She's amazing.

The way I find new docs is to ask around and get recommendations from friends. That can be harder when finding a specialist our friends don't use, but ... don't give up on docs. There truly are many great ones.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

Well, I think there are many wonderful, caring docs who will work with us on our health issues. I have a fantastic internist who I'd follow to the ends of the earth. She's amazing.

The way I find new docs is to ask around and get recommendations from friends. That can be harder when finding a specialist our friends don't use, but ... don't give up on docs. There truly are many great ones.

The one I just chose, I picked her because she got a lot of 4 out of 5 star ratings from patients online, so I'm hoping she'll be a keeper. I'm going to tell her upfront about what my current quack's been doing to me and that I'm not going to tolerate it again.

 

[Jeremymc1]

Well, you are doing the right thing by finding someone else. My endo prescribed 8x a day, which my insurance covers, but I would have an absolute fit if she did not support that. Good luck Rosie.

Cheers,

Jeremy

 

[foxl]

How AGGRAVATING! She is clearly NOT a listener. And probably "amateur psyching" you right now as obsessive-compulsive.

I hate to say it but from knowing some socially, there is a culture of docs who LOVE to do that.

Good for you, firing her! She sounds like a jerk. We need people who listen and LEARN from their patients!

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

How AGGRAVATING! She is clearly NOT a listener. And probably "amateur psyching" you right now as obsessive-compulsive.

I hate to say it but from knowing some socially, there is a culture of docs who LOVE to do that.

Good for you, firing her! She sounds like a jerk. We need people who listen and LEARN from their patients!

My best friend just said the same thing to me, that she thinks I'm being obsessive about it, which isn't the case, obviously, but hell, why SHOULDN'T we be obsessive about it!! Damn doctors, all think they're God. But it's working out okay, because I'm getting my shrink to write the prescription for the 200 strips and that will over-ride the 100 script and by next week, I'll have a new primary doc.

And to top off my day, I saw a Better Homes And Garden magazine screaming 'The Diabetes Issue!' So I look through it and just as I expected, all the usual crap - "white foods are GOOD for you!" "Add more fruit to your diet!" "Eat more carbs!" I swear, I want to punch a wall sometimes.

 

[foxl]

And why would you not want to punch a wall ...

Glad you got a good shrink though -- eace: keeps the others from messing with you. AND covering for their idiocy. WOW.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

And why would you not want to punch a wall ...

Glad you got a good shrink though -- eace: keeps the others from messing with you. AND covering for their idiocy. WOW.

The best part is that my shrink actually had gestational diabetes herself when she was pregnant so she knows how much testing we have to do. Plus, she's actually the one who first diagnosed me as diabetic.

 

[foxl]

That's impressive! Do not ever lose her.

 

[Shalynne]

Hold you back??? I'd muuuuch rather sell tickets! Don't even need to take a cut.

Good on you for changing docs.

Out here, we can e-mail our medical team for non-urgent advice. They answer pretty quick, too. This is a Very Good Thing, and I honestly feel very fortunate.

Especially 'cause otherwise, I would not receive pearls of wisdom like this:

"Diabetes guidelines recommend no higher than 160/180 after meals, so you are doing quite well."

This was in response to my question on avoiding 140+ spikes.

 

[foxl]

Shalynne ... OH BRILLIANT.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

Hold you back??? I'd muuuuch rather sell tickets! Don't even need to take a cut.

Good on you for changing docs.

Out here, we can e-mail our medical team for non-urgent advice. They answer pretty quick, too. This is a Very Good Thing, and I honestly feel very fortunate.

Especially 'cause otherwise, I would not receive pearls of wisdom like this:

"Diabetes guidelines recommend no higher than 160/180 after meals, so you are doing quite well."

This was in response to my question on avoiding 140+ spikes.

_____________________________

When I called my health insurance company to complain about the strips fiasco, they offered to put me on the line with their diabetic nurse advisory team, and I asked who they were associated with and the answer? "Oh, their accredited by the American Diabet ---" ERRRR!! Stop right there, Myrtle, I ain't interested!

I do have to say though I have a pretty excellent health insurance company, they never give me any trouble and they pay for a lot of services, like the 200 strips every 3 weeks. But I can do without the nurses from the ADA.

 

[Shalynne]

_____________________________

When I called my health insurance company to complain about the strips fiasco, they offered to put me on the line with their diabetic nurse advisory team, and I asked who they were associated with and the answer? "Oh, their accredited by the American Diabet ---" ERRRR!! Stop right there, Myrtle, I ain't interested!

Ya know, in all humility I'd be forced to turn down that honor, too!

I do have to say though I have a pretty excellent health insurance company, they never give me any trouble and they pay for a lot of services, like the 200 strips every 3 weeks. But I can do without the nurses from the ADA.

I think we're both fortunate on that front. I really do appreciate the e-mail consultations! Granted, some replies are more amusing than
others ...

Does your insurance company have an ombudsman, or someone like that, through whom you can appeal the test strip cut, if you felt like it?

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

Ya know, in all humility I'd be forced to turn down that honor, too!



I think we're both fortunate on that front. I really do appreciate the e-mail consultations! Granted, some replies are more amusing than
others ...

Does your insurance company have an ombudsman, or someone like that, through whom you can appeal the test strip cut, if you felt like it?

No, there's no appeal process, but I did post after my original rant that I'm getting my shrink to write the prescription for the 200 strips, which will override the quack doctor's prescription. My health insurance company says I'm not locked into a doctor so anyone can write it for me, and the good thing is my shrink had gestational diabetes herself and whenever I tell her what the doc says about my diabetes, she's disgusted, so I'm lucky to have her!

 

[Shalynne]

Shalynne ... OH BRILLIANT.

Hey, I was impressed! :rolleyes2::rolleyes2::rolleyes2:

 

[Shalynne]

No, there's no appeal process, but I did post after my original rant that I'm getting my shrink to write the prescription for the 200 strips, which will override the quack doctor's prescription. My health insurance company says I'm not locked into a doctor so anyone can write it for me, and the good thing is my shrink had gestational diabetes herself and whenever I tell her what the doc says about my diabetes, she's disgusted, so I'm lucky to have her!

Excellent! Sorry I missed that bit of great news!

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

Excellent! Sorry I missed that bit of great news!

After my big screaming match with the doctor, she left me a voice mail saying that she was not going to budge because it's not "medically necessary" to test that much and - I quote - "no insurance company will pay for 200 strips a month". Really? Then I wonder why MY insurance company has no problem giving their diabetic patients 200 strips EVERY 22 DAYS if they somehow didn't believe it could be medically necessary. Doctors like her are SO out of touch.

 

[jwags]

My doctor tells me 2 time a week is more than enough testing. It really doesn't matter since my insurance company requires me to spend $6000 of my own money before they pay for my strips. I buy them on Amazon for about $52 for 100 Contour strips. You can get Relion at Walmart for $39 for 100 strips. For me it is important to test , so if I have to spend my own money I will to stay under 100 most of the day.