Well, I haven't had a General Practicioner for a very long time. Now that I'm ill, I need one. I called the phone number that tells you which doctors are accepting patients.
Assholes, apparently only one doctor in the entire city is accepting new patients... thats bullshit!
Before this service was available, or that I knew about it, I tried randomly calling doctors in the area asking if they would take me as a new patient, and they all said no.
Today, I won. I rose above the beaurocracy of the healthcare system! I phoned my moms doctor and said that I needed an appointment with my doctor(this was a lie, he's not really my doctor). She said she couldn't find my file, I said 'really?'. Then she looked up my name on the computer and said that I wasnt listed as a patient of his... I was almost caught redhanded. She mentioned that it only made sense if I hadn't been there since they became computerized 5 years ago... I verified that and long story short, I have an appointment with my family doctor on Monday.
In case you can't tell, Im very proud of myself.
Also health related, Today is the first day of November which is National Diabetes Awareness Month. This evening I volunteered by handing out info-cards to people at the local Giant Tiger. Generally people were not terribly receptive, often thinking I was selling something or taking donations, but really what do you expect from the class of people that shop at Giant Tiger. Notably, when I got home from volunteering, my mom was soon heading out the door to go to... you guessed it, the neighbourhood Giant Tiger store. I also have been known to shop there, but I'm just being aware of my roots!
Anyway, I will be making an effort to educate people about diabetes this month, because as a diabetic, it pisses me off when people don't know what they are talking about. I encourage everyone to go on the internet, perhaps start at the site I was canvassing for today which is slanted towards Type 2 diabetes. Here's some Michael Style info about diabetes, I encourage questions!
There are 3 types of diabetes:
1) Type 1 (my kind); aka Juvenille Diabetes, Insulin Dependant Diabetes, Diabete Mellitus.
In this kind, the pancreas does not produce any insulin and therefore cannot metabolize the energy from food, the patient is reliant on injectible insulin.
Left untreated: The body, unable to get energy from food, the body starts metabolising fat tissue, then muscular tissue, then if you haven't died yet, organ tissue.
Poorly treated: Blindness, Loss of limb, kidney failure, increased risk of heart disease/stroke.
2)Type 2; aka Non Insulin Dependant diabetes, Adult Onset Diabetes.
In this kind, the body either doesn't produce enough insulin or is otherwise less capable of metabolising food by its own methods. Sometimes this type can be treated by diet and exercise alone, but there are also pills which can be taken to aid in the bodies production of insulin.
Left untreated: May progress to Type 1 Diabetes.
Poorly treated: Blindness, Loss of limb, kidney failure, increased risk of heart disease/stroke.
3)Gestational Diabetes- I dont know too much about this type, but it is only applicable to pregnant women. The added stress of pregnancy causes elevated blood sugar levels and it is treated with insulin while the woman is pregnant. I believe it goes away when she is no longer pregnant. But there is an increased risk of Diabetes in the mother and child.
The NUMBERS:
2 million - number of Canadians with Diabetes
10% of those are Type 1, 90% are type 2, Gestational Diabetes effects 3.5% of all pregancies.
MICHAEL GETS POLITICAL
obviosuly 1.8 million people is a big number so the Type 2 population gets much more attention. Most of the funding for studies is aimed at research on Typ 2 diabetes.
WHY THIS PISSES ME OFF
In the early stages, if caught, Type 2 diabetes can be managed by diet and exercise, as in not being so lazy and sugarcrazed. However the majority of people with type 2 are on pills either because there was not enough info out there and they didnt catch it til later when pills were needed, or they were unwilling to change their lifestyle.
I have type one, Juvenille, meaning that I develloped it as a child and they still dont have an explanation for it. It was not my choice to be dependant on insulin, so it quite pisses me off when people dont take care fo themselves when they have the opportunity and then end up on insulin.
Anyway, enough about that for now.... feel free to askany questions and leave comments, my goal is to educate people so they know the risks and effects of diabetes.
2 comments:
Yay for Michael getting political!!
Good thing to know that it is diabetes month, now i can tell my family about it. My dad was diagnosed with diabetes a few christmas's ago (type 2 of course) it was scarry becuase i had no idea what was going on, but my mom knew right away (she reads a lot of readers digest). Anywhoo, my dad totally has his under control (mostly) - it only becomes a problem in the winter when he is less active because of work. He did all the obvious things like cutting out chocolate bars (which he ate alllll the time) and that made things better. He only eats one cookie at a time, and we switched to splenda. I think he takes pills too, but i think that's because there are a ton of things wrong with him and they think if his diabetes got out of control he would totally have a stroke or something.
But i do agree that ppl that just do the pill thing are dumb. Within 2 years of my dad's diagnosis, 4 other ppl in his immediate family were diagnosed with type 2. Because that family is fat and lazy (i love them, but they are. My dad changed his lifestyle, my two aunties did too, but the one didn't, so she's gonna die. It's just that simple. I was proud of those who changed - it's hard to totally change what you eat after you've eaten it for 50 years. Good for them. The others suck.
I'm glad you're advocating for more research for type one; i can't imagine how scarry it would be as a parent to have a child with type 1.
If i was a scientist, i would find a cure for type one.
but i'm not.
So someone else should.
Keep fightin the fight Mikey!
oooohhhh I love the political talk, and combined with the mini-rant, this is the best moment in my day friend!! MMMM I can't wait for the diabetes dinner... and chocolate cake. Plus I learned some good stuff there last year, mostly what you've just explained, and was able to raise that point at the NDP convention last March- the majority of deligates were advocating for increased funding for type II diabetes when SHABAM!!! I ran to the mike and laid the smackdown. So we're politcal buddies now!! Yay circle friends!!! Plus you know howe much I love the big yellow pussy and if there's anywhere a Pank should be canvasing, it should be there.
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