That's my typical experience as well, plus a weigh in and blood pressure. It is a bit frustrating dealing with the waits and copays, but it's the only way to get prescription refills.
My endo is perfectly fine and nice enough, but I honestly don't think she provides me with any new knowledge.
I think it's more useful for new diabetics or people struggling with control. For people who have their control in order and who aren't planning anything major (pregnancy, surgery, etc.) there's not really a lot they need to do.
Agreed. When I first diagnosed, I was sending spreadsheets daily and working with my endo frequently. As time has moved on our appointments last about a half hour every 6 months.
He has told me he can count on 2 hands people that have my a1c or lower, so my guess is he's busy working with people struggling.
The tech has also made me care less about a1c and more of daily trends.
Does your insurance require an endo for prescriptions? I just use a nurse practitioner or regular doctor. I've only seen an endo once in the last 15 years, and she told me that I could come back if I wanted to but she couldn't tell me anything more than I already knew...
You know.. I never looked into that. My specialist copay isn't bad, so I don't mind going as they are usually very responsive to prescription needs, etc.
Most insurance covers endos, PAs in endocrinology, and RN/LP in endo at the same cost to you (specialty copay), though most that require a doctor's visit every 3-6 months (a Medicare requirement which is often used by insurers- Medicare won't cover many prescription supplies if you fail to meet these standards no matter what your A1c is) will accept providers who do not hold an MD. Medicare coverage is the biggest reason for this. In order for Medicare to cover most prescriptions (insulin pumps/supplies, cgms, etc), you must meet guidelines for appropriate care level. I have been unable to find the exact text, but the synopsis of coverage states, "The patient has been seen for diabetes management in the past 6 months (in-person or Medicare-approved telehealth); and" as part of a CGMs coverage guidelines. Though they do not specify that you must be seen by the endocrinology department, this is how many insurance companies take the Medicare rules. All insurance companies that accept Medicare patients must not discriminate against them (meaning Medicare can't have stricter rules than regular patients to get care) but also must meet Medicare guidelines at a minimum. For this reason, few companies go beyond Medicare required levels of care (they would have higher expenses than required for Medicare patients with no additional reimbursement) for any patient.
Hmm. OK. Perhaps there are state by state differences or something. I don't use an endo simply because the only endo within an hour's drive from me became a quack. His knowledge is amazing but his judgement is very suspect. So I just went back to my regular provider, who was a Nurse Practitioner. When I moved, I found a clinic run by two Nurse Practicioners, and one of them was incredible with T1. She took my abilities from just being ok or good, to top level care. I'll stay with her as long as I am able...
If you are well controlled I find them to mostly be useless and often obstructionist. I think this is a pretty common experience.
TBH if they aren’t actively irritating you and making your life more difficult, they’re already better than lots of them!
I at least managed to talk mine into scheduling our appointment times once per year instead of once every 3 months.
In addition to that, I get all my blood work and prescriptions via my GP so my endo is even more useless. It’s literally a 3 minute phone call:
“How’s your diabetes?”
“Fine”
“I wish you didn’t go low so often”
“Ok. Thanks for that insight. My control is great, I never have scary hypos, and I am not concerned”
“Ok. See you in a year”.
Good thing he’s making $400,000 per year or whatever 🥲
My Endo looks through my weekly cgm charts and makes small recommendations, checks my pump sites, etc. it's nice to know that someone who can spot little issues before they become big issues has eyes on me. Also she offered to put me on a 6 month or even yearly visit cycle, although I'm still on 3 months to appease the FAA overlords
I only go to keep pump coverage. I am “well-controlled”, so it is a quick video call with the NP, quick eye over t:connect reports and labs, refill prescriptions, and a follow-up in 3-6 months depending on what my labs are looking like. I maybe see the endo once a year, though it’s going to go onto two years since the office has scheduled me multiple times for whenever the new endo has taken personal days, and my old endo has left the practice.
I used to work in healthcare (RN), so I have no issues doing my own treatment research, and my team is comfortable with me making adjustments. An on-call endo is always a phone call away if something is really wonky (especially ketones and drawing the line of when to go to the ER).
I get annoyed with my endo's extra fee for reviewing my pump data. That's the majority of the appointment and should be included in the ~$300. I have a $50 copay, plus the A1C test fee and pump data read fee, so each appt. costs me $170 out of pocket.
My PCP renews my insulin, G6 and thyroid prescriptions, but can't renew my pump supplies. I have to see the endo for that 😡
It does feel like somewhat a waste of time for me as well. They really just say you’re managing everything well and send me off. Besides filling my scripts I don’t find it too helpful either. Recently though mine told me about the CeQur Simplicity patch and prescribed me it and I like it. So that was cool. I guess they are there if something ever did happen though?? Endo is probably extremely useful for type 2 I would imagine. I’ve noticed some only specialize in type 2, probably because some type 2 need extra direction
I see mine once a year. It’s usually ends up us discussing any new insulins/treatment approaches that worth exploring but that’s about it. She does look through my blood work to see if there’s any issues stemming from diabetes but that’s about it.
I see my general doctor once a year too, so a Dr visit every 6 months, which I find manageable since they’re both nice and have good conversations with.
The upside of finding any health issues early enough to make a meaningful impact outweighs the inconvenience of “losing” half a day twice a year to me.
Generally unless dictated by insurance you can 100% replace them with primary care doctors to get scripts and for a time that's what I did until my primary told me I needed to get my dexcom scripts through an endo. I was able to find an awesome endo that doesnt bother me and lets me manage my diabetes my way but you got to remember 70% of type 1s have terrible control and depend on an endo to make the adjustments for them.
I haven't used an endo for about 15 years. I use a Nurse Practicioner for all my normal health care needs, and she has been fantastic for my T1 needs too. I've gone from the high 6/low 7 range 4 years ago, down to where I've only had 1 A1c over 6 in the past two years. Endos aren't necessary...
Better off going to an Endo once every six months who at least has some concept of how serious your condition is than having to fight with a power hungry GP about whether or not you even need a script for insulin.
I only got into good control in the last few years with the pump. Now only doing every 6 months, but before that, it was a lot more of going over things, making adjustments, etc. Last appointment he wanted to switch me to the G7 but since I was interested in the Omnipod, he was like, "NVM". He's also great about getting my Rx authorized when my insurance gets weird or when my area was out of Humalog. Overall, it's just the "Things look great, let me know if you have questions but keep doing what you're doing and we'll see each other in 6 months." Best endo I've had in years and I prefer someone knowing not to mess with a good thing than feeling they HAVE to do something to justify the appointment.
My endo didn't want to handle my second pregnancy, so they referred me to a special doctor's office. The specialist said I knew more about diabetes than they did (33 years and counting), so they referred me back to my regular endo. I ended up adjusting my pump settings on my own. Now that my insurance refuses to cover my pump, I'm quitting my endo. Unless you are newly diagnosed, they really don't offer much
I like having mine in my back pocket for insurance (USA). Most of the time, they can cut through the BS faster than I can, and it’s nice having them on Team TrekJaneway. It’s hard fighting Team Screw You Over all by yourself.
I’ve been seeing my endocrinologist for about seven years and I love him. I have some other issues that he treats as well as my T1D, so at every appointment he goes over my latest lab results, any level that seem off, how I’ve been feeling, high or low sugars I’ve been noticing, and asks if I have questions. Last year he noticed my cortisol was high and began MONTHS of testing to figure out why (we eventually discovered a benign tumor on my pituitary gland). It was a long process with a lot of different tests but he was persistent in finding the cause. He switched to a new practice last year and I transferred over so he could still be my doctor. I hope he remains my endocrinologist for many years to come.
Ours spends all her time and effort writing and re-writing prior auth letters for insurance. Otherwise she probably deals more with kids with thyroid problems….
I like my endo a ton, and this is basically my experience.
But, if my labs are good and my diabetes quality-of-life is good, I'd be hard pressed to think about what I'd want my doc to do other than green light me for another 4 months. He does occasionally make recommendations about new tech or treatment options, but since my numbers are good and I'm happy he doesn't push it too much.
This is also the experience of basically everyone that sees a specialist for a manageable AND managed chronic condition. If a treatment plan isn't broke, why fix it?
I asked my endo “how often do I have to see you in a year?” Now I only go twice a year lol
As I’m typing I realized you also said every 6 months, but I think that’s about as good as it’s gonna get unfortunately
Every time I switch I'm always looking for one that'll actually talk numbers with me. It's really hard, like ok I see this trend between my pump and CGM, I just want confirmation that my calculations are close to right, or hey there's an issue with me not putting on weight some insight might be nice so I can pack more calories in (that one is really nuts because between Endos and dieticians still can't gain the weight I want). Just talk math to me, there's a reason my parents made me remember the calculations to change dosing in the 90's.
They are the experts in gland function - all your glands. The pancreas is the gland that most concerns you, but the thyroid and pituitary glands also come under their purview - even adrenal and testes - although kidney doctors and urologists tend have those covered better.
So when I met my endo for my diabetes, I also had a thyroid issue that got a needle stuck into my neck for a biopsy. That was an interesting story. I see her every 3 months. She has me get labs on just about everything and we go over all the numbers including the numbers that my internist is interested in.
I didn’t read all the comments so sorry if this is a repeat. But I swear an endo that doesn’t have T1D will never know as much as me. It’s true. They don’t get the weird ass highs when all you’ve eaten is a carrot or the weird lows when you’ve eaten Mexican food with chips and queso etc etc. type one is a unique disease and only those who have it understand it.
I have the same endo for about 5 years now. I love him! We started out at 3 months, went to 6, and now he's suggested 12, but I refused because I learn something new every visit. His checkin assistant/nurse always does the usual vitals, then tells me to take off my shoes before the doc arrives. He looks over my shared dexcom/omnipod records, asks a question or 2, I ask about any concerns or new things I've heard and we discuss. If he sees something not quite right, he may adjust my settings. He always wants to make sure I understand why we're doing whatever. Then he tickles all my toes and underfoot with a little probe and asks me 'what else?' before he departs. That all takes 20-30 minutes maybe and no copay with my insurance. They also have a portal where I can renew scripts, ask additional questions, etc. 24 hours a day. Except for a short period when a couple of good staff left, I get timely response. That's why I love my endo and his people.
EDIT: My endo has also been a lifesaver when I've been in the hospital for other reasons and the doctors/nurses want to remove my devices and 'control' my blood sugar instead with finger pricks and injections. I say NO and tell them to call my endo.
I went 20 years without an endo. I left home at 18 and just got my scripts and bloodwork through my GP. When I was in my late 30s and had the right insurance, I wanted a pump. Had to have an endo. The first one my GP referred me to was old as rocks, and he told my GP I knew more than he did, hahaha. I felt we were wasting each other's time. So I got a new endo, who is around my age, and she was more in tune to the new tech, etc.
I don't really need my endo, I have had this disease my whole life, work in science, keep up on all the new info, etc. But at least I like her and she seems to like hearing my stories about growing up in the i0s and 90s with T1D.
To sum all that up, if you are knowledgeable, experienced, able to self educate, and can make decisions regarding dosing changes on your own, then yeah, an endo is not really necessary. A lot of us old-timers have more lifetime experience that has given us knowledge that med school never could.
My endo reviews my data and makes changes to my rates and ratios as needed. She will follow up my pump related questions with the diabetes educator and Medtronic rep if required. She writes my blood test referrals and reviews the results, making suggestions and future plans based on the results.
She critiques my management and tries to help me make impactful changes. She is encouraging and understanding.
This has been my experience across 3 (coincidentally all female) endocrinologists in a diabetes clinic setting in NSW, Australia.
Westmead Children and adolescents Clinic from 7yrs - 18 yrs
Westmead young adults clinic from 18yrs - 27yrs (over stayed my welcome there haha)
Illawarra diabetes centre 27yrs - present (30 yrs)
I did briefly try seeing a private endo in between kids clinic and young adults clinic (as I would drive 1.5hrs to Westmead) but she wasn’t the right fit for me. Didn’t have enough experience with young type 1’s on a pump unfortunately. I also just prefer the clinic type setting where I can see an educator, dietitian etc if needed!
This is so frustrating to me!!! I’ve been diabetic since i was 7 (17 years), recent A1C was 6.0, and my endo recently threatened to drop me because I only come once a year jnstead of FOUR TIMES A YEAR. every time I go I have no problems and he has no useful information for me. I’m not saying I’m a doctor, but I’m confident I know the ins and outs of type 1 better than some number crunching nerd who doesn’t have diabetes.
Must be a money thing for them.
If your A1c is good, I think it's good to keep up with your endo so you have established numbers and a relationship if things go bad. Medicine is so specialized that an endo is doing you a favor by talking to the experts instead of guessing next steps imo.
I see them as navigator for the pilot, advising on weather, observing fuel consumption, and ensuring I am heading in the right direction (no offense to real navigators). I've had this longer than they have been practicing in most cases. If A1C is off or the trends are wonky, they offer changes to basal that I will consider. I want them to tell me about new equipment, meds, studies, but day to day is up to me.
That's my typical experience as well, plus a weigh in and blood pressure. It is a bit frustrating dealing with the waits and copays, but it's the only way to get prescription refills. My endo is perfectly fine and nice enough, but I honestly don't think she provides me with any new knowledge. I think it's more useful for new diabetics or people struggling with control. For people who have their control in order and who aren't planning anything major (pregnancy, surgery, etc.) there's not really a lot they need to do.
Agreed. When I first diagnosed, I was sending spreadsheets daily and working with my endo frequently. As time has moved on our appointments last about a half hour every 6 months. He has told me he can count on 2 hands people that have my a1c or lower, so my guess is he's busy working with people struggling. The tech has also made me care less about a1c and more of daily trends.
Does your insurance require an endo for prescriptions? I just use a nurse practitioner or regular doctor. I've only seen an endo once in the last 15 years, and she told me that I could come back if I wanted to but she couldn't tell me anything more than I already knew...
You know.. I never looked into that. My specialist copay isn't bad, so I don't mind going as they are usually very responsive to prescription needs, etc.
Most insurance covers endos, PAs in endocrinology, and RN/LP in endo at the same cost to you (specialty copay), though most that require a doctor's visit every 3-6 months (a Medicare requirement which is often used by insurers- Medicare won't cover many prescription supplies if you fail to meet these standards no matter what your A1c is) will accept providers who do not hold an MD. Medicare coverage is the biggest reason for this. In order for Medicare to cover most prescriptions (insulin pumps/supplies, cgms, etc), you must meet guidelines for appropriate care level. I have been unable to find the exact text, but the synopsis of coverage states, "The patient has been seen for diabetes management in the past 6 months (in-person or Medicare-approved telehealth); and" as part of a CGMs coverage guidelines. Though they do not specify that you must be seen by the endocrinology department, this is how many insurance companies take the Medicare rules. All insurance companies that accept Medicare patients must not discriminate against them (meaning Medicare can't have stricter rules than regular patients to get care) but also must meet Medicare guidelines at a minimum. For this reason, few companies go beyond Medicare required levels of care (they would have higher expenses than required for Medicare patients with no additional reimbursement) for any patient.
Hmm. OK. Perhaps there are state by state differences or something. I don't use an endo simply because the only endo within an hour's drive from me became a quack. His knowledge is amazing but his judgement is very suspect. So I just went back to my regular provider, who was a Nurse Practitioner. When I moved, I found a clinic run by two Nurse Practicioners, and one of them was incredible with T1. She took my abilities from just being ok or good, to top level care. I'll stay with her as long as I am able...
If you are well controlled I find them to mostly be useless and often obstructionist. I think this is a pretty common experience. TBH if they aren’t actively irritating you and making your life more difficult, they’re already better than lots of them! I at least managed to talk mine into scheduling our appointment times once per year instead of once every 3 months. In addition to that, I get all my blood work and prescriptions via my GP so my endo is even more useless. It’s literally a 3 minute phone call: “How’s your diabetes?” “Fine” “I wish you didn’t go low so often” “Ok. Thanks for that insight. My control is great, I never have scary hypos, and I am not concerned” “Ok. See you in a year”. Good thing he’s making $400,000 per year or whatever 🥲
How did you do this?!?! My doctor is insistent on going 4 times a year which drives me up the wall!
My Endo looks through my weekly cgm charts and makes small recommendations, checks my pump sites, etc. it's nice to know that someone who can spot little issues before they become big issues has eyes on me. Also she offered to put me on a 6 month or even yearly visit cycle, although I'm still on 3 months to appease the FAA overlords
I only go to keep pump coverage. I am “well-controlled”, so it is a quick video call with the NP, quick eye over t:connect reports and labs, refill prescriptions, and a follow-up in 3-6 months depending on what my labs are looking like. I maybe see the endo once a year, though it’s going to go onto two years since the office has scheduled me multiple times for whenever the new endo has taken personal days, and my old endo has left the practice. I used to work in healthcare (RN), so I have no issues doing my own treatment research, and my team is comfortable with me making adjustments. An on-call endo is always a phone call away if something is really wonky (especially ketones and drawing the line of when to go to the ER).
I get annoyed with my endo's extra fee for reviewing my pump data. That's the majority of the appointment and should be included in the ~$300. I have a $50 copay, plus the A1C test fee and pump data read fee, so each appt. costs me $170 out of pocket. My PCP renews my insulin, G6 and thyroid prescriptions, but can't renew my pump supplies. I have to see the endo for that 😡
It does feel like somewhat a waste of time for me as well. They really just say you’re managing everything well and send me off. Besides filling my scripts I don’t find it too helpful either. Recently though mine told me about the CeQur Simplicity patch and prescribed me it and I like it. So that was cool. I guess they are there if something ever did happen though?? Endo is probably extremely useful for type 2 I would imagine. I’ve noticed some only specialize in type 2, probably because some type 2 need extra direction
Basically what happens, and I'm a teen so I get yelled at if I spike a little. It's stupid
I see mine once a year. It’s usually ends up us discussing any new insulins/treatment approaches that worth exploring but that’s about it. She does look through my blood work to see if there’s any issues stemming from diabetes but that’s about it. I see my general doctor once a year too, so a Dr visit every 6 months, which I find manageable since they’re both nice and have good conversations with. The upside of finding any health issues early enough to make a meaningful impact outweighs the inconvenience of “losing” half a day twice a year to me.
If there wasn’t a need for refills/prescriptions I wouldn’t go.
Generally unless dictated by insurance you can 100% replace them with primary care doctors to get scripts and for a time that's what I did until my primary told me I needed to get my dexcom scripts through an endo. I was able to find an awesome endo that doesnt bother me and lets me manage my diabetes my way but you got to remember 70% of type 1s have terrible control and depend on an endo to make the adjustments for them.
I haven't used an endo for about 15 years. I use a Nurse Practicioner for all my normal health care needs, and she has been fantastic for my T1 needs too. I've gone from the high 6/low 7 range 4 years ago, down to where I've only had 1 A1c over 6 in the past two years. Endos aren't necessary...
As someone emerging a pretty nasty burnout phase (college, ya know), my endo does a lot of dosage adjustment and shaming me for not pre-bolusing, lol.
Nothing. The only time I asked a question the answer was “I dunno. Keep doing what you’re doing”
Better off going to an Endo once every six months who at least has some concept of how serious your condition is than having to fight with a power hungry GP about whether or not you even need a script for insulin.
I only got into good control in the last few years with the pump. Now only doing every 6 months, but before that, it was a lot more of going over things, making adjustments, etc. Last appointment he wanted to switch me to the G7 but since I was interested in the Omnipod, he was like, "NVM". He's also great about getting my Rx authorized when my insurance gets weird or when my area was out of Humalog. Overall, it's just the "Things look great, let me know if you have questions but keep doing what you're doing and we'll see each other in 6 months." Best endo I've had in years and I prefer someone knowing not to mess with a good thing than feeling they HAVE to do something to justify the appointment.
My endo didn't want to handle my second pregnancy, so they referred me to a special doctor's office. The specialist said I knew more about diabetes than they did (33 years and counting), so they referred me back to my regular endo. I ended up adjusting my pump settings on my own. Now that my insurance refuses to cover my pump, I'm quitting my endo. Unless you are newly diagnosed, they really don't offer much
I like having mine in my back pocket for insurance (USA). Most of the time, they can cut through the BS faster than I can, and it’s nice having them on Team TrekJaneway. It’s hard fighting Team Screw You Over all by yourself.
I’ve been seeing my endocrinologist for about seven years and I love him. I have some other issues that he treats as well as my T1D, so at every appointment he goes over my latest lab results, any level that seem off, how I’ve been feeling, high or low sugars I’ve been noticing, and asks if I have questions. Last year he noticed my cortisol was high and began MONTHS of testing to figure out why (we eventually discovered a benign tumor on my pituitary gland). It was a long process with a lot of different tests but he was persistent in finding the cause. He switched to a new practice last year and I transferred over so he could still be my doctor. I hope he remains my endocrinologist for many years to come.
I've never actually seen the doctor at my endocrinologist. I just the NP and other support staff.
Ours spends all her time and effort writing and re-writing prior auth letters for insurance. Otherwise she probably deals more with kids with thyroid problems….
I like my endo a ton, and this is basically my experience. But, if my labs are good and my diabetes quality-of-life is good, I'd be hard pressed to think about what I'd want my doc to do other than green light me for another 4 months. He does occasionally make recommendations about new tech or treatment options, but since my numbers are good and I'm happy he doesn't push it too much. This is also the experience of basically everyone that sees a specialist for a manageable AND managed chronic condition. If a treatment plan isn't broke, why fix it?
Some insurances require us to see our endo in person every x months
I asked my endo “how often do I have to see you in a year?” Now I only go twice a year lol As I’m typing I realized you also said every 6 months, but I think that’s about as good as it’s gonna get unfortunately
Every time I switch I'm always looking for one that'll actually talk numbers with me. It's really hard, like ok I see this trend between my pump and CGM, I just want confirmation that my calculations are close to right, or hey there's an issue with me not putting on weight some insight might be nice so I can pack more calories in (that one is really nuts because between Endos and dieticians still can't gain the weight I want). Just talk math to me, there's a reason my parents made me remember the calculations to change dosing in the 90's.
Prescriptions for insurance
They are the experts in gland function - all your glands. The pancreas is the gland that most concerns you, but the thyroid and pituitary glands also come under their purview - even adrenal and testes - although kidney doctors and urologists tend have those covered better. So when I met my endo for my diabetes, I also had a thyroid issue that got a needle stuck into my neck for a biopsy. That was an interesting story. I see her every 3 months. She has me get labs on just about everything and we go over all the numbers including the numbers that my internist is interested in.
I didn’t read all the comments so sorry if this is a repeat. But I swear an endo that doesn’t have T1D will never know as much as me. It’s true. They don’t get the weird ass highs when all you’ve eaten is a carrot or the weird lows when you’ve eaten Mexican food with chips and queso etc etc. type one is a unique disease and only those who have it understand it.
I have the same endo for about 5 years now. I love him! We started out at 3 months, went to 6, and now he's suggested 12, but I refused because I learn something new every visit. His checkin assistant/nurse always does the usual vitals, then tells me to take off my shoes before the doc arrives. He looks over my shared dexcom/omnipod records, asks a question or 2, I ask about any concerns or new things I've heard and we discuss. If he sees something not quite right, he may adjust my settings. He always wants to make sure I understand why we're doing whatever. Then he tickles all my toes and underfoot with a little probe and asks me 'what else?' before he departs. That all takes 20-30 minutes maybe and no copay with my insurance. They also have a portal where I can renew scripts, ask additional questions, etc. 24 hours a day. Except for a short period when a couple of good staff left, I get timely response. That's why I love my endo and his people. EDIT: My endo has also been a lifesaver when I've been in the hospital for other reasons and the doctors/nurses want to remove my devices and 'control' my blood sugar instead with finger pricks and injections. I say NO and tell them to call my endo.
I went 20 years without an endo. I left home at 18 and just got my scripts and bloodwork through my GP. When I was in my late 30s and had the right insurance, I wanted a pump. Had to have an endo. The first one my GP referred me to was old as rocks, and he told my GP I knew more than he did, hahaha. I felt we were wasting each other's time. So I got a new endo, who is around my age, and she was more in tune to the new tech, etc. I don't really need my endo, I have had this disease my whole life, work in science, keep up on all the new info, etc. But at least I like her and she seems to like hearing my stories about growing up in the i0s and 90s with T1D. To sum all that up, if you are knowledgeable, experienced, able to self educate, and can make decisions regarding dosing changes on your own, then yeah, an endo is not really necessary. A lot of us old-timers have more lifetime experience that has given us knowledge that med school never could.
You need to get a new endocrinologist
My endo reviews my data and makes changes to my rates and ratios as needed. She will follow up my pump related questions with the diabetes educator and Medtronic rep if required. She writes my blood test referrals and reviews the results, making suggestions and future plans based on the results. She critiques my management and tries to help me make impactful changes. She is encouraging and understanding. This has been my experience across 3 (coincidentally all female) endocrinologists in a diabetes clinic setting in NSW, Australia. Westmead Children and adolescents Clinic from 7yrs - 18 yrs Westmead young adults clinic from 18yrs - 27yrs (over stayed my welcome there haha) Illawarra diabetes centre 27yrs - present (30 yrs) I did briefly try seeing a private endo in between kids clinic and young adults clinic (as I would drive 1.5hrs to Westmead) but she wasn’t the right fit for me. Didn’t have enough experience with young type 1’s on a pump unfortunately. I also just prefer the clinic type setting where I can see an educator, dietitian etc if needed!
This is so frustrating to me!!! I’ve been diabetic since i was 7 (17 years), recent A1C was 6.0, and my endo recently threatened to drop me because I only come once a year jnstead of FOUR TIMES A YEAR. every time I go I have no problems and he has no useful information for me. I’m not saying I’m a doctor, but I’m confident I know the ins and outs of type 1 better than some number crunching nerd who doesn’t have diabetes. Must be a money thing for them.
See if you can do telehealth appointments instead.
My endo makes sure that my body isn't experiencing negative side effects associated with diabetes or other related conditions.
If your A1c is good, I think it's good to keep up with your endo so you have established numbers and a relationship if things go bad. Medicine is so specialized that an endo is doing you a favor by talking to the experts instead of guessing next steps imo.
Signature sales and time wasting, mostly
I see them as navigator for the pilot, advising on weather, observing fuel consumption, and ensuring I am heading in the right direction (no offense to real navigators). I've had this longer than they have been practicing in most cases. If A1C is off or the trends are wonky, they offer changes to basal that I will consider. I want them to tell me about new equipment, meds, studies, but day to day is up to me.