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Are You smarter than a doctor

I

ianf0ster

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Location
Harpenden, Herts, England
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
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exercise, phone calls
What really matters is : Are you smarter (or just better informed) than your doctor?

Dr Paul Mason's video covers all the major Low Carb and Keto related myths -
T2D, CVD, Bone Density, Cancer, Dementia, Obesity, Insulin, inflammation Fructose, Carbs, Seed Oils, Omega 6 Oils, Salt, HDL, LDL, Statins and more:
 
In one or two specific areas I am better informed than my doctor. In general - probably not.
 
I am an expert in me. He or she seems to be an expert in diagnosis leading to pharmaceutical prescriptions.
I have also had more nutritional training than the average medic! (more than 4 hours so it is a low bar)
 
The clue is in the title. General.

I am well informed and research in detail the specific conditions applicable to me. In those specific conditions I am sometimes (often) better informed on that specific issue but not necessarily on possible connections to other conditions, current guidelines on testing/treatment allowed within the nhs.

On more than one occasion I’ve solved my medical dilemmas when a significant number of gp’s have failed or misdiagnosed. It takes some convincing sometimes for them to actually listen to their patient about what’s happening and what’s not. Some are open to doing so. Too many are not and prefer to leap to their own conclusions and then seek to confirm them/avoid contradictory evidence.

I’m most unlikely to be better informed on issues that haven’t touched my life or have the breadth of knowledge or much of the experience of a gp.
 
My track record, which has been posted before. Is a statement of necessity since diagnosis.
Have been a guinea pig for a drug that helps with initial insulin response.
Have had a medical paper wrote and published by my endocrinologist.
Have had numerous discussions with my endocrinologist and convinced him that I don't have to eat carbs because they make me ill.
My condition has no cure, but you can be healthy by being in ketosis.
I gave an introduction to my condition to a group of students that my endocrinologist asked me to address.
Have been released by my endocrinologist because he was confident I could not do anything more to improve my health.
I have his phone number and his email which I regularly email him with updates.
My surgery, my GP, my dsn and my dsn agreed that I should have testing strips and be on the register and get free prescriptions even though I'm not diabetic.
My surgery has changed dramatically in the last decade because my case was mentioned in a meeting whereby my misdiagnosis in 2009 was discussed in 2014, the decision to change policy regarding Type two diabetics to lower carbohydrate in their dietary intake.
have researched and read many thousands of reports concerning reactive hypoglycaemia and studied the various opinions on how to treat RH.
have read and viewed many articles on how digestion works. Have read how and why fluctuating blood levels are not good for endocrine conditions. Have read about why hormones are so important in diet and having a real healthy balance of food that are healthy for you. Not everyone!
Have discussed my condition with many doctors around the country due to my previous job, at sporting venues, they have asked more or less the same question about how I control the hypos. Obviously when I informed them I was in ketosis and didn't suffer hypos. They were interested in what my thoughts were for other similar conditions.
I have had the privilege of writing the stickys in the sub forum for Reactive Hypoglycaemia, which was passed by the forum hierarchy and is still giving advice to those like me who have had the experience of getting a true diagnosis of hypoglycaemic episodes
Have had my life experiences to fall back on.
I know my body!

Keep safe
 
My doctor is very smart in fact he is smart enough to know that when I have an appointment booked with him in his own words he gets his medical text books out and makes sure he is up to date because and this is a quote " I always know I am in for a real discussion when I have you in my surgery John"

I do not think I am smarter than my doctor but neither do I believe him to be smarter than I.

I certainly am better informed than him where diabetes is concerned he simply does not have the time to devote to researching it that I do.

I also have myasthenia gravis one of the doctors at the surgery said to me last year that she had only ever read of MG in the text books but had never before actually had a patient with it I have been living with it for twenty years so as with diabetes I am far more informed on the condition than she.

Again that did not make me smarter than she or less smarter than her.
 
My doc is pretty awesome, he also thinks I’m awesome for taking what he says seriously and actually doing something to fix the issues. I wonder how many people do.

Anyway, he was up to date with all the low carb stuff and actually agreed that was a good place to start.
 
ianf0ster said:
Are you smarter (or just better informed) than your doctor?
Click to expand...

Being smart is something that's grown and cultivated, often by being curious enough to seek out new information and by recognising what you don't already know. Being smart is the ability to put ideas together, and create solutions to problems.
Not a word I'm comfortable with, I'd be too embarrassed to describe myself as smart, definitely curious though.

Better informed might be a fairer description for some doctors. For example I told my doctor what a c-peptide test was, maybe she misheard me when I first mentioned it. Maybe, as it is my belief, c-peptide tests aren't given out willy nilly by GPs, they don't have to know.
 
lucylocket61 said:
In one or two specific areas I am better informed than my doctor. In general - probably not.
Click to expand...

Hi all, I have type 1 for 19 years, I think it’s very easy to criticise others from a distance,from my experience the care I have received from my team in the NHS has been nothing but first class.Rememer they are under a lot of constraints,both financial and time wise.If anyone is not satisfied,rather than talk the talk go out and do the training to work in the health care system to better things.For all those who criticise I’m sure you would soon notice if they wasn’t there.
I’m self employed,so,if I’m not happy with something, I have to sort it out,so,do just that,if your not happy don’t use our NHS ,go private,it’s your choice.Sorry for the rant on my first post,although I’ve been a lurker for many years,it really annoys me that people take the easy option for blame,regards Paul
 
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And you really think the answer for anyone that has any issue with a particular dr is to go retrain at great expense and time and to pay for private medicine? Sorry to be combative on your first post but what planet (let alone country) are you living on? Totally and utterly unrealistic for the vast majority and not even an appropriate solution. And whilst I admire the dedication and work all drs have put into their vocation it doesn’t and shouldn’t put them above rightful scrutiny. Not sure what easy option you think people are taking either.
 

I think most comments have been along the line that the individual knows more about themselves and their specific conditions then the GP. I don't think this is really blaming g anyone. I know that I have more knowledge about type 2 than my doctor. despite the fact that I have been in the normal range sine my first HbA1c review with levels of 5.2 she has not taken on board the possibility that type 2 doesn't have to be a progressive disease nor is she okay with going low carb.

If I hadn't found this forum and been able to learn more myself I would be in a world of pain. The advice I give all newbie type 2s is to get a meter. My doctor did not agree with my decision to get a meter the day of my diagnosis- she said it wasn't necessary. She is not interested in my readings and keeps suggesting I increase my carbs and having regular trays (carbs0 would not cause any issues. I have tried to educate her she has resisted. it is disappointing because until this I thought highly of her. I am now considering hanging ,my doctor to one that is curious about why my levels are normal and willing to help their other patients.
 
I don't think it is harsh but one of my thoughts is that another doctor may be open to hearing about low carb in treating type 2s and may pass that on to another patient. Where I live in Australia there are quite a few people that don't have the internet or even a computer. They have no chance you find this site- I would like to tell the whole world about the fact that type 2 doesn't always mean a progressive illness- I would like as many people as possible realise the value of testing regularly and changing your diet. My current doctor is clearly not going to do that with her patients another might. If I can help just one more person that would be great.
 

My former GP is of that ilk and kept the textbooks nearby for my appointments! More to the point, they were used, if needed, and I got to see them as well as any on-screen research. So nice to be treated as an intelligent adult and the trust worked both ways.

Alas, I don't think I will see his like again in my current practice as the GP I am meant to see is one I refuse to see and if I am told I have to when face to face appointments resume properly, then I will start looking at the neighbouring practice as I'm in their boundary..
 
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