tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2701506015859560674.post6440495926139900802..comments2023-04-12T08:46:48.640-05:00Comments on The Angry Type 2 Diabetic: What Patients Want From Their Clinicians...Lizmarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07807048593487676705noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2701506015859560674.post-25881506585705490022012-11-09T15:00:55.525-06:002012-11-09T15:00:55.525-06:00Dear Anonymous, thank you so much for sharing you...Dear Anonymous, thank you so much for sharing your story... and your frustration. I think as a diabetic I share a similar frustration with nutrition labels, especially with carbohydrate counts. Some diabetics, for example, have to take insulin, and need to dose insulin to exactly the amount of carbohydrates they consume... and make these math calculations based on that. Often, folks use something called 'carb factors' to help them deal with the math (which could probably be applied to proteins, I guess)... and yes, there are scales that measure in grams, but they are pricey -- mine was like $30. And those nutrition labels, the USDA allows them to be off by at least 20-30%! That's right... labels can be off by that much. :( It's really difficult to manage health conditions under such inaccuracy burdens. Recipes are often a nightmare, too... and many diabetics end up taking 'scientifically wild ass guesses' on what they eat... which often backfire significantly. <br /><br />It would definitely be nice if there were more intuitive options for patients with less 'patience' or aptitude for some methods. I'm not such a great math guru, you know. :) Lizmarihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07807048593487676705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2701506015859560674.post-12831197517319297212012-11-09T07:09:57.256-06:002012-11-09T07:09:57.256-06:00I'm sitting here in tears because I'm on t...I'm sitting here in tears because I'm on the 4/5 cusp of chronic kidney disease - someone on the brink of dialysis. I am so angry at my family doctor, I'm ready to SUE! He would read my lab results and mention that I was losing a lot of protein. Unfortunately he never told me what that indicated so I went on for 3 years before he recommended I see a nephrologist. So I did. They gave a course for chronic kidney disease patients. Afterward we were taken to visit the dialysis center. A huge room with huge machines and some of the most lifeless people I have ever seen. No windows - just a huge green box. So nice to know we could do this at home - in our sleep (is there anybody out there who can get to sleep?). Then I got information from a woman who calls herself a renal dietician. According to her, .5 cup of rice has just 3 grams of protein. According to the Minute Rice box, .5 of a cup contains 5 grams. According to the USDA National Agricultural website, a .5 of a cup contains 2.3 grams of protein. AARRGGHH! I just want to scream. Counting protein grams is vital to a chronic kidney disease (CKD) patient. In my case, I get up to 45 grams of protein a day. Do you have a scale at home that measures in GRAMS??!! Do you have a publication that lists such information?? In any case, I don't want "this has X grams of protein and that has X number of grams." And I don't want recipes - I WANT MENUS!! You'd think that by this time RDs would have such a thing and would furnish it to CKD patients. And limiting liquid intake - I'll not be eating any grapes because of that. And limiting potassium intake - I'll not be eating any more bananas either. They say that if you arrive at the point of having to go on dialysis and you don't do it that the resultant death is peaceful. But I'm a Catholic and we don't commit suicide, not because we're not capable of it but because we'll go straight to hell. Don't know what difference there is between that and living with CKD.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2701506015859560674.post-77698745732597007312012-11-07T11:34:58.872-06:002012-11-07T11:34:58.872-06:00I'm printing this out and giving it to my Dr. ...I'm printing this out and giving it to my Dr. along with the comment that she fits all the explanations of "What Patients Want From Their Clinicians". I have a wonderful, caring Dr. who is always ready to listen to my concerns about my treatment, and, most importantly, doesn't rush me through my appointment. She really listens and explains her thoughts on my concerns. If she disagrees with my conern, she explains why. If she agrees, she says she'll look into and get back to me, which she also does. I wish everyone could have such a caring Dr.. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2701506015859560674.post-59918254183723254432012-10-12T08:32:04.430-05:002012-10-12T08:32:04.430-05:00Powerfully stated. I'll be sharing this widel...Powerfully stated. I'll be sharing this widely.<br /><br />Ann Becker-Schutte, Ph.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08811791856947238859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2701506015859560674.post-36112879040040856762012-10-11T19:38:24.497-05:002012-10-11T19:38:24.497-05:00I think we should all print this out and leave cop...I think we should all print this out and leave copies in our physicians waiting rooms across the country! And then do it over and over again! Roenoreply@blogger.com