There Must Be an App for That...

I received a call the other day from my GP, Dr. Laura Miller of Lifelong, telling me that Caitlin, someone who used to intern with Lifelong, wanted to do an in-house visit with me. Caitlin was with Lifelong for a couple of years as sort of a health assistant. She set up the workshops, like diabetes and stroke, which I would attend. She was very competent, had a good sense of humor, was engaging, and seemed to have a lot of knowledge about general health matters. Caitlin is now in medical school at USF. She told me today that medical school is now emphasizing much more the patient end of health care. So, she shadows Dr. Miller a couple of times a month, and is now doing these in-house visits. She asked me after we sat down, "What would you like to talk about? Your cancer surgery, your diabetes, your support system?" I started out by telling her about the uterine cancer, how it was diagnosed, about the surgery at Alta Bates. When she asked me the question at the end, "What would you change?" I replied that there's nothing about the Alta Bates hospital care, the care I received at the hands of my oncologist or gynecologist, or even Dr. Miller. They are very caring, extremely competent doctors, with great caregivers in each of their practices. (That last statement doesn't apply to my GP; Lifelong doesn't have the resources.) For instance, Dr. Poddatoori has a scheduling person, a surgery scheduling person, someone who helps me in the examining room, etc. Dr. Stern, the oncologist, has his own assistant physician, Dr. Stephanie Summers, a scheduling person, an insurance person, ad infinitum, it seemed. I told Caitlin that I have had two cancers, I have had two surgeries, and it's gone. Twice. But diabetes beats my butt every day. I don't have a hold on diabetes, and haven't for a good, what, 20 years? I have all the information, but I can't seem to make the right choices. It doesn't help that I feel I'm addicted to sugar, and sugar snacks are the easy way to go. As are potatoes and bread. I wished -- well, almost -- I was back in the hospital. When the dietitian came by, he gave me a menu from which to choose my next three meals. After I kept checking everything -- I was hungry after having not eaten in three days! -- so he stopped me and pointed out that I was allowed only so many glucose points because I'm diabetic. Once I learned that, I could choose more optimally, and end up with a glucose-balanced meal. Ruth suggested that, just like there's a Weight Watcher's app on her cell phone, there's probably one or two good apps for diabetics. Sure enough, I just found one and bought it: Diabetics Buddy (shortened version is "D Buddy.") I have yet to use it. I hope I can figure it out and use it to my advantage.