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When is an endocrinologist necessary over a Primary Care Physician?
Diabetes & Endocrine System | Last Active: Sep 12, 2017 | Replies (34)Comment receiving replies
An endocrinologist should be part of your team. I see one every 3 months, she's the one that does the dosing, makes sure you don't have neuropathy. The primary care physician then follows the treatment of the endo doctor. When this happens, you may only see your endo about once every 6 months, unless there's a problem.
Replies to "An endocrinologist should be part of your team. I see one every 3 months, she's the..."
@jeya @retiredteacher From what I know a PCP can easily handle it if he or she is well informed about diabetes. I know my PCP has many diabetic patients for whom he is their diabetes doctor. If you are at all not typical though I would definitely seek an endo. You mention that your PCP is not very familiar with diabetes. In that case i think I would seek out a different PCP who is.
Also, you mention not being active. If there is a facility close to you where you can do pool exercises I recommend you try that. I go to them very frequently and the people range from under 60 to in their 80s in class. It really helps. Also many hospitals have things like chair exercises for seniors. I have not done that but I would imagine that would help too.
JK
No pool, facilities, or classes in my area. I don't know if I am not typical. I am just different like everyone else. People on this site have all kinds of problems and other diseases besides diabetes. So we are a mix of people who share one problem---diabetes. I can't speak to anything else.
It must be great to live in an area that has all this help for exercise and changing doctors or doctors to choose from, but it's not that way in my area. There is one endo. who sees patients one day a week; he's getting ready to retire. The hospital is like a clinic. If anything serious happens, it's off in an ambulance to a city with a hospital that can handle the problem. So that's another way we are different----not everyone has the luxury of facilities to educate or work with different illnesses. I have to deal with what I have and do the best I can. The pat answer is usually, "Everyone is different." I do believe that from what I've read and hearing it often.
So far, I am okay except I am a controlled diabetic, whatever that means.
retiredteacher
@retiredteacher I'm not sure if I commented on this before, it was still in my inbox.
You probably live in a beautiful, country area since you obviously do not live close to a metropolis. There sure are pluses and minuses to each. I know a number of people who have moved closer to the city as they aged so they could be close to better facilities but that's not for everyone. I personally am a city person so given my druthers I would be right in the heart of Boston but I cannot afford that so I will have to deal with being in a nice town in NH, about 55 miles from Boston.
I wish you did have more things closer but the important thing is that you are happy where you are.
JK
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@jeya, in an ideal situation I would have a team, but there is no coordination or cooperation between the PCP and the endo. I don't have a team; there's nothing like that where I live. It's a strange situation, but my team is my husband, the internet research I do, the books I read about diabetes, and me. That's why I always say I am my own doctor. The medical people don't exchange info. from what I can see.
With my endo. getting ready to retire, I have just about decided to see my PCP; she can do the blood panels, and that's all I need her for. If I had anything more, I'd have to travel to get to a specialist. Sad but true.
retiredteacher