Type 2 Diabetes – Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Your Diabetes Diagnosis

It can be overwhelming when you first receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. You will naturally have so many questions you definitely will want answered. The first thing to do is compile a list of questions you have for your doctor.

Even if you come up with questions of your own, make sure to include the following ten questions in your list:

1. How often will you need to monitor your blood sugar?

2. What type of diet and exercise changes will you need to make?

3. Will you need to take medicine? If so, what kind, how much, and how often? Will you need to stay on it forever, or increase the dosage? Will you ever need to change from oral medications to inject able insulin?

4. What are the signs and symptoms of low blood sugar? And high  blood sugar?

5. What should you do if your blood sugar rises or dips too much? At what levels do you want me to treat high or low blood sugar on my own? Who should I call when my blood sugar gets really high (for example 350 mg/dL or 19.4 mmol/L), or really low (for example lower than 50 mg/dL or 2.8 mmol/L)?

6. What is the glycemic index and how important is it?

7. What do you do if you want to eat out in a restaurant? Or at a friend’s home?

8. Is Type 2 diabetes for life?

9. What are some of the complications for someone diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes?

10. Are there any resources available to help with the cost of medication and necessary equipment for managing your diabetes?

Write down everything you think of. It might seem insignificant, but it could make a huge difference in your treatment. Diabetes is different between individuals. What may affect one person might be irrelevant for another. You have to treat your condition personally. It is best to never assume an answer.

Remember when you are asking your doctor questions, pay close attention to the responses. Make sure you fully understand the answers and if you don’t understand ask the doctor to clarify the answer for you.

You will also need to take the initiative and read everything that you can about your condition. The more information you have, the better you will be able to manage your condition. Information is power and it will give you a great measure of control over your health situation.

You will find you can live a healthy, enjoyable life if you have the necessary tools to effectively manage your Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is an illness full of choices. You can choose to eat well, exercise, and monitor your blood sugar in the hope one day you can manage it and control it without the use of medications. Or, you can ignore it and suffer from the consequences. It is all up to you.