Do You Hate Your Doctor?

Do you hate your doctor? I’ll admit that I’ve found a few of my doctors over the years less than pleasing. Some have been arrogant, some rude, and some just plain ignorant when it came to diabetes.

I’m thankful that I have a doctor I really like, but if I didn’t, I wouldn’t hesitate to find one I did.

I was thinking of all this because I read this article about a diabetic man who said he had “little admiration or faith” in his doctor. He was developing leg cramps and (rightly so) worried about his health.

I think sometimes diabetics can feel very defeated by the medical system. At some point we become frustrated by everything we deal with and simply accept people who may treat us poorly. I wish medical people would understand this, because I think it would vastly change the way they treat patients at times.

Some medical folks see so many sick patients that probably lie to them or don’t take care of themselves that they begin to look at all of us through a very judging and arrogant lens. The problem with this is that once they do this they are no longer healers, but judgers. Not every patient “brought diabetes on themselves.” Not all of us abuse our body. I’d be willing to bet that most doctors don’t do enough to take care of their own bodies, yet when we come to them for help they act as if they are disgusted by us because we are sick.

I say this from having diabetes for 20 years now and encountering this many times.

If you’re a diabetic who is frustrated with your doctor, let me say this: get a new doctor. There ARE wonderful physicians in the world who truly care about their patients. You don’t need an arrogant fool who will ignore your symptoms because they feel you somehow “deserved” to get diabetes or because they are disgusted with the fact that you’re sick.

And if you’re a medical professional who views patients as a bother, or as liars, or as “deserving” of diabetes, you need to examine your attitude.