Those Things They Ask.

I had a doctor (not endo) appointment yesterday, and it got me thinking about Those Things They Ask. I can get a little weird about my answers to Those Things They Ask, because not every medical professional I see knows my whole deal, and as immature as it sounds, I'm afraid that I get unfairly judged sometimes because they don't have the whole picture in front of them.

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Do you know what I'm talking about?

1. How's your diabetes doing?

Well... you know... it's still here.

This is such a weird question to answer - do they mean, how am I doing with diabetes? How is my A1C? Are they wanting me to have a heart-to-heart over coffee with it? I mean, my pancreas is still old and busted. I work hard at compensating for that, and do the best I can. Giving them a number isn't going to reflect that hard work. Which brings me to...

2. What was your last A1C?

I know that this is the go-to, "easy" way to gauge how things are going for me, diabetes-wise. Logically, I know that. But what I also know is that when I tell a medical professional that number, I get put in a category. "Compliant". "Good". "Bad". "Out of control". And the thing is, those labels and numbers don't always provide an accurate assessment of "how I'm doing". A1C is an average - I could be bouncing between 40 and 400, and they wouldn't know - they might assume I was staying at 150 all the time.

Not to mention that the numbers aren't the only things we should pay attention to when it comes to lviing with diabetes.

3. Do you have a lot of highs/lows?

What? Really? You know I have diabetes, right?

4. Are you still on the "Humalog pump"?

I know that they mean "an insulin pump, using Humalog insulin", but it still makes me giggle. Humalog is not an insulin pump brand.

So, here's what I'd prefer instead: a little bit of empathy. I'd love to hear an acknowledgement like "That has to be so frustrating", or "That sounds exhausting - you're doing so well.". It doesn't have to be a big drawn-out conversation, but it would be great to hear one of Those Things followed up with Something I Actually Appreciate Hearing. I like doctors who recognize the hard work behind those numbers they ask about.

It's a small wish that could have a big impact.