So yesterday I had my second appointment with my endocrinologist.

The first time I met with her, she wasn't exactly hostile, but I got the feeling I was going to have to really be on the defensive.  She is very smart and obviously knows her stuff, but there was a bit of a personality clash.  She is an older woman, wiry salt-and-pepper hair, a little on the small and bony side.  You could easily picture her as a Victorian schoolteacher with a bustle and a super-tight bun!  And she was certainly a little stiff with me.  She wanted me to see the nutritionist for a refresher because I couldn't tell her on the spot how many carbs were in an apple.

Let's say it seemed like she was having a better day yesterday than the first time I met her!

The first thing I noticed was that she had dyed her hair.  It was still salt and pepper, but tinted that pinky-purple color.  I was rather amused - I wouldn't have thought she was the type for wacky shades like that!

She took a look at my logbook, and the numbers are looking much better.  I think she loosened up a little after that.  I can understand.  When a patient comes in with bad numbers and says, "I'm trying," it's hard to know if they're really trying or if they're in denial/noncompliant and you're going to have to dig in for battle.  She also saw the extensive notes and calculations I had written in the margins.  I had to explain it a little because I use different formulas than she does to get to the same results, but she was clearly impressed.  And the more we talked, the more impressed she was by the questions I asked and how much I understood about the "technical" stuff.

She told me that actually, there have been studies now to prove that the methods and insulins I'm using, when they're properly adjusted, give as good control if not better than the insulin pump.  I was really happy to hear that!  The pump is held up as kind of the ideal treatment regimen because it's the method that replicates most closely the body's natural insulin production.  Lots of doctors have wanted me to try it because it might be "good for me."  But she said that since I'm so good at and so used to the way I'm doing it, there's no point putting me through all that adjustment when the level of control would be pretty much the same. 

I had copied down the information from my nutrition tracker for my meals this week and brought that in to show her also.  She was impressed with that too.  I started to tell her that I don't want to see the nutritionist, but she cut me off with a laugh and said I eat very healthy and she's not worried about my carb counting after all.  And unless I had any questions, I don't need to see the nutritionist.  It's not that it's such a big deal to go, but it would have been a waste of time just because I couldn't convince her that I know what I'm doing.

She's going to talk to my GP about putting me on Synthroid (I see my GP through the health department, which shares case folders with the hospital, so in addition to phone calls, they can leave each other notes in my folder! I think that's funny).  It's very common for type 1s to get thyroid disease, and I've tested out of range once but not every time.  She said that the bad reading, even if it's not always there, means there is something underlying that needs to be treated.  I'm totally okay with it; Synthroid is a very common medication and you don't have to change your life to take it.  If I do have a thyroid issue, treating it will help my numbers even more.  Plus, I'm not exactly a high-energy person, and while a lot of that's my personality, I wouldn't be surprised if some of it was thyroid-related and maybe my quality of life would improve a little.

I saved the best parts for last!  She said that I'm doing so well and I don't need any training, that she only needs to see me once a year instead of every three months!  I've never had my appointments spread out that far before!  That's a really good sign.

She also asked if I was planning to get pregnant (I'm not).  I mention this because, normally when a doctor asks me if I want to get pregnant, it's to tell me, "DON'T!" because of my high blood sugars.  And instead she was talking to me about folic acid.  That was a cool moment!

And then, to top it all off, as I'm putting on my coat and picking up all my stuff, she says jokingly, "So...when are you going to come work for us as a diabetes educator?"  Talk about ego boost!!

Guys, it has been well over ten years since I've had a doctor's appointment where they had nothing bad to say to me, let alone so many good things to say.  I'm so used to getting lectured, to being on the defensive, to coming away with nothing accomplished.  I can't tell you how much this means to me.  I've worked very hard to get to this point, and it feels incredible to finally be recognized both for what I have done and what I'm capable of.  It's so amazing to see what a "normal" life with diabetes is like again.

If you read this far through all my boring medical info, thanks for listening!