Making the Most of Your Endo Appt
Make that 15 minutes serve you well!
Does it ever feel like doctor’s appointments are kind of pointless? For a lot of people they happen at lightening fast speeds and it can be challenging to feel like anything of substance happened. And while there is a lot to be desired in our healthcare system, we also have to practice radical acceptance and adjust to what is happening right now (no matter how unsatisfactory it might be).
I have an endocrinologist appointment coming up in just a couple of weeks and I want to share a bit about how I prepare for my doctor’s appointments.
Most healthcare professionals only looking at two weeks worth of data. Sometimes that’s great, but other times it’s not very helpful if the most recent two weeks doesn’t feel very representative. That can be an important thing to call out if you’re feeling anxious or embarrassed about your recent readings.
Review your own data before the appointment. Glance at your time-in-range and predicted A1C, but make sure to review your 14-day overview (Trends on Dexcom Clarity) to see if there are any noticeable areas of priority (most people will call it “problem areas” but I like to stay solution-focused). Having that info at the ready during your appointment helps your doctor to zero in on what is most pressing for you and your life.
Endos mostly focus on big picture diabetes management, like your A1C and your labs. These are important ways to monitor your health, especially since day-to-day we can lose the forest for the trees. Endos are also the ones who can easily make changes to your medications or prescribe you a new medication or device. Maybe you want to try a GLP-1 or you want to how Afrezza can help. Or maybe you’re ready to upgrade to the Omnipod 5. Or maybe you’re ready to chuck all technology at the window and you need a script for Tresiba.
More specific day to day management strategies are likely better answered by a diabetes educator, or even a diabetes health coach, depending on your goals. So it can be really helpful to schedule those appointments separately. You may find that your endo appointments go better precisely because you’re getting support elsewhere.
Here’s a handy check-list of things to prepare before your next endo appointment.
What is your own personal goal for your diabetes management?
Doctors may tell you what your A1C or time-in-range should be, but where do you want it? This can help you advocate for what you need if you and your doctor aren’t in alignment with your goals.
What do you think is the biggest barrier to reaching that goal?
Be honest with yourself! What is keeping you from your goal? It doesn’t have to be “I’m not trying hard enough,” it could be things like illness, demands on your time, technology malfunctions, etc. This helps you problem-solve with your healthcare provider by identify the actual issue. (tip: “I just suck” isn’t helpful)
What have you struggled the most with in the last 30 days?
Where do you notice diabetes management dragging the most? You might notice it after dinner (the chaos of dinner with two kids often gets to me), or it could be hypoanxiety. Or you’re struggling with lows during exercise. Looking at your blood sugars before you appointment can help you answer this question and prepare better for the conversation with your doctor.
Are there any devices or drugs that you would like more information about or to discuss adding them to your diabetes treatment plan?
If you have read about something in the news or seen someone else use something, it’s always worth asking and learning more to see if it could fit with your goals (see above answers!).
When you leave the appointment, what would you like to take with you?
It could be a prescription, a link to more information, an appointment with another specialist, or maybe it’s just validation or reassurance. Explaining to your endo what you want from the appointment increases the chances they can provide it for you.
How do you prepare for an endo appointment? Leave your tips in the comments!