Dr. Grumpy: "This is Dr. Grumpy, returning a page."
Mr. Insulin: "Hi, I'm a diabetic, and my blood sugar has been out-of-control today."
Dr. Grumpy: "I'm your neurologist. Why don't you call your internist?"
Mr. Insulin: "His number is out in my car, and it's too cold to go out and get it."
Haha... it's so sad that my first thought was, "Yeah, it's freezing outside. That's legitimate."
ReplyDelete911
ReplyDeleteThank God he likely has a phone book or an internet-connected computer inside.
ReplyDeleteC'mon Dr. Grumpy, surely you must have learned about diabetes in med school.
As an EMT, I am surprised that we didn't get this call!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mr. Insulin on this one.
ReplyDeleteCripes, no wonder doctor offices are so overloaded. Am I the only diabetic on the planet who doesn't go crying to a doctor every time my blood sugar goes nuts?
ReplyDeleteHell, the last time I hit 500 [still don't know why it happened, either] I managed to get it back under control by myself within a few hours. & I keep sugar within arms reach for when it drops down below 60.
I mean, you try for steady numbers but crap is gonna happen. A frikkin cold -- hell, an allergy attack! can send your blood sugars flying one way or the other. Diabetes is like every other life-long illness -- either you control it or it controls you.
"Take 10 units and call me in the morning"
ReplyDeleteIf we called 911 every time our blood sugars went out of whack the 911 service would create a service JUST for diabetics. While this isn't necessarily commonplace for any one individual diabetic it is a problem across the board for diabetics in general. With that said I typically call my endro. for help when I've done everything we've been taught to get our blood sugars back down, which is pretty rare. So how about that 911 service?! ( I KID I KID)
ReplyDeleteP.S. I ALWAYS call my neurologist everytime my blood sugars go out of whack. What you don't?
I think I can guess why their sugar is out of control today...
ReplyDeleteThat sounds a lot like the opening of a porn movie I just saw...
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Insulin, Have you not taken your blood sugar level yet? You sound low to me. Please check your blood sugar. If it is low, drink some apple juice or whatever you normally do for low blood sugar. If it is high, do whatever your endocrinologist has told you to do when it is high. Then put their number on your speed dial in the morning. What?? You've lost your meter again?? And you've been diabetic for nearly 40 years?? I see. You must go immediately to the nearest pharmacy and buy two. And since you'll be in your car, you can get your doctor's number and call them.
ReplyDeletefinese - the difficult are of getting patients to act appropriately... which reminds me, I need to see if I can't find my husband's meter.
With those diabetic feet, he really shouldn't be out in the cold.
ReplyDeleteMy endo can only wish I were so vigilant with my diabetes. Thank God for insulin pumps!
ReplyDeleteAmen!! I think pumps have saved a number of lives. And it certainly has made it easier for children to manage their disease. Dale grew up having to take shots at school. ::sigh::
ReplyDelete