When I was working as an intern in a diabetic clinic, I often hear patients’ complaining about the long-wait for booking an appointment. Since it’s crazy difficult to schedule a rendezvous with a health care professional, in particular with a family physician, you should always come prepare to settle everything in one go.
To prep for your appointment with any member of your diabetes health care team, here are some tips I strongly recommend.
- Book Your Appointment Months in Advance
The next available date can be dreadfully long, so it is best to book yours as early as possible. After each visit, I suggest booking your next appointment right away to get first dibs. Typically, regular check-ups are scheduled every 3 or 6 months depending on how well your diabetes is being managed.
During the waiting period, make sure to save your blood sugar measurements onto an app or in a booklet. Reading off a screen may be less practical compared to a physical copy, so it’s a good idea to have a print-out on hand. Highlight the lows and highs, and mark down the possible reasons behind these numbers (e.g. exercise, food splurge, stress, lack of sleep). Doing so will help both the health care professional and you to identify the cause of abnormal glycemia levels.
Prepare a list of questions and update it as you go. That way, you can ask all the questions in one shot during your visit. If you know beforehand that the doctor tends to be very busy and to cut your rendezvous short, list the questions in order of importance. If you’ve experienced any side-effects with the pills you are taking, note them down so that you don’t forget to mention it to your doctor.
- Weeks Before Your Appointment
Chances are your health care provider will want to a take a look at your HbA1c levels so be sure to do the lab work a week or two before your appointment. While many clinics offer the option to send the lab results directly to your health care provider (if the lab test is done at another facility), it is still a good idea to have a physical copy with you for those oupsie moments.
Swing by your pharmacy to grab the most up-to-date list of pills with their dosage and frequency. Include non-prescribed medications on your list as well such as dietary health supplements.
- The Day Of The Appointment
- Wear a short-sleeve shirt because there is huge chance that your doctor will will measure your blood pressure.
- For women, wear socks instead of stockings so that it is easier to take off during the foot exam.
- Heavy clothing can slightly up your actual weight. Wear similar weight clothing at every visit. Aside from the number of the scale, the variation of the weight compared to the last visit is another element that health care professionals look at.
