I was so shocked when I read a comment on my post about finding the right doctor for me that all I could think about was the first line to the response I would write. I just couldn't get past the shock.

The commenter suggested that, in short, I should consider therapy to address my anger issues regarding diabetes. You know what, that person is right. I am angry that I have diabetes. Damn angry. And I should be angry. This disease has the potential to consume my life, affects my family and invades nearly every activity I do. I have a right to be angry.

But this is not the kind of anger that requires therapy. This is the kind of anger that requires action. Finding the right doctor for me – especially in a new city – takes time and knowledge. Knowledge of my body, my condition, my desire for quality healthcare.

So to approach a new doctor with a set of simple expectations that include treating me as if I know what I’m talking about shouldn’t be out of the question. I mean, to ask someone nearly four years into their diagnosis to speak to a CDE about carb counting is, in my opinion, like asking a high schooler to go back to elementary school for no other reason than because they recently switched schools.

Being accostomed to a certain level of care and respect is not indicative of anger. It’s simply being proactive. Dr. C communicated with me several times per month via CareLink so we could tweak my basal and bolus rates and address any questions or problems I was having. I could e-mail him any time about any issue and he would respond by the end of the day. In fact, he once called me based on an e-mail I sent about how terrible my post-breakfast numbers were shortly after going on the pump. HE called me. And it was not long after I had sent the e-mail. He didn’t pawn this duty off to his nurse nor did he wait three days to do it. He did it himself and advised me over the phone on how to adjust my carb ratios.

That is the sign of a doctor who wants to be as proactive as I am. The fact that Dr. C trusted me and knew that I was educated about diabetes gave me the power over diabetes and put me in control of my treatment.

So to walk into a doctor’s office and know that this relationship is doomed from the start is not anger. It’s knowing what I want and need in my healthcare team and going after it full force.