I have had diabetes for more than 30 years. Over those years, I have had a lot of different doctors. I haven’t felt I could trust and be honest with many of them. They seem so busy to stop and listen. What’s the point of speaking up? Sometimes all the diabetic medications they want me to take make me feel bad. So, I just don’t take them every day. I know that is why my diabetes is never under control. But I am not going to tell that to my doctor. Last year, they hired a new doctor at the medical practice I go to.

The first thing she wanted to know was if I had brought my medication bottles with me to the visit. She told me that from that point on I should bring my prescription bottles to every visit so we could work together on making sure I was taking everything the way I should be. Then she asked if I was having any problems taking all my medications? At first, I was too embarrassed to say anything.

She said some people don’t take their medications because some medicines might give them side effects that make them feel bad. I told her I wasn’t taking some of my medications because they were making me feel bad. She told me to stop taking those medications right away and prescribed different ones. She told me to call her and let her know if I had problems with the new medication.

She then asked me if I had time to speak with her nurse and a nutritionist to learn more about diabetes. In the 30 years that I have had diabetes, I have never had a nurse or nutritionist sit with me for so long and answer all my silly questions. It turned out I had a lot of good questions. I didn’t have any problems with the new medicines. I have more energy now and do some of the daily walking my other doctor had always told me I should do. I am even trying to eat better now that I see my small changes are helping. I understand now why it is important to be honest with my doctor. At my last check-up, my diabetes was under control – for the first time in 30 years.