Unfiltered Story #291032

I used to work at a specialist office. We would frequently get diabetic patients who were having trouble with their vision. Most of the time, this is caused by them not managing their diabetes properly. While it’s important for those patients to be seen by our doctors for treatment and counselling, these usually aren’t emergency appointments (and even if there are spaces available sooner, we have to leave them empty for more serious, emergency appointments, which pop up all the time). As such, if a new patient is referred to us for a diabetic eye condition, we usually see them within a week or two. One day at work, I am answering phones, and I get the following call.

Patient: “Hi, my name is [Name], and I was just referred to you guys. Do I have an appointment set up?”

I find the patient’s chart and see that it is for a common diabetic condition. I inform him of his appointment date, which is just under two weeks away. When I inform the patient of this, they are NOT happy. They are very rude, and their tirade ends with:

Patient: “What am I supposed to do then? I can’t see!”

Me, to myself: “Well, if you managed your diabetes properly, you wouldn’t even have to be seen here!”

This isn’t even the first time I’ve spoken with a patient or a patient’s family member, irate about not being seen sooner for a condition they could have prevented. Almost every single chart I have looked at for a diabetic patient includes the doctor’s notes, which explain how they advised the patient about regulating their blood sugar levels and how that can prevent vision loss.

Seriously though, this situation makes me sad. Too many people have no idea about basic nutrition and how to live a healthy lifestyle, and I don’t know the answer.