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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you have trouble keeping your blood sugar within the desired range, schedule an appointment to see your doctor. He or she can help you make changes to better manage your diabetes.
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. If your doctor is going to test your blood sugar, he or she will ask you to refrain from eating or drinking anything but water for up to eight hours before your appointment. When you're making an appointment, ask if fasting is necessary.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements.
- Create a record of metered glucose values. Give your doctor a written or printed record of your blood glucose values, times and medication. Using the record, your doctor can recognize trends and offer advice on how to prevent hyperglycemia.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor. Be clear about aspects of your diabetes management that you need clarification on.
- Be aware if you need any prescription refills. Your doctor can renew your prescriptions while you're there.
For hyperglycemia, questions you may want to ask include:
- How often do I need to monitor my blood sugar?
- What is my goal range?
- How do diet and exercise affect my blood sugar?
- When do I test for ketones?
- How can I prevent high blood sugar?
- Do I need to worry about low blood sugar? What are the signs and symptoms I need to watch out for?
- What kind of follow-up, if any, should I expect?
Sick day planning
Illness or infections can cause your blood sugar to rise, so it's important to plan ahead for these situations. Talk to your doctor about creating a sick-day plan. Questions to ask include:
- How often do I monitor my blood sugar during an illness?
- Does my insulin injection or oral diabetes pill dose change when I'm sick?
- When do I test for ketones?
- What if I'm unable to eat or drink?
- When do I seek medical help?
- Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose). American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hyperglycemia.html. Accessed Dec. 9, 2009.
- Nathan DM, et al. Medical management of hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes: A consensus algorithm for the initiation and adjustment of therapy: A consensus statement of the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:193.
- Shane F, et al. Metabolic and endocrine emergencies. In: Stone CK, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Emergency Medicine. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3112282. Accessed Dec. 22, 2009.
- Collazo-Clavell ML (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 2, 2010.
- A1C. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/a1c/. Accessed Dec. 22, 2009.
- Kitabchi AE, et al. Clinical features and diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 22, 2009.
- Your guide to diabetes: Type 1 and type 2. Diabetes overview. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/DM/pubs/type1and2/YourGuide2Diabetes.pdf. Accessed Dec. 23, 2009.
- Checking your blood glucose. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes/blood-glucose-checks.jsp. Accessed March 5, 2010.
- American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes — 2010. Diabetes Care. 2010;33:S11
- Diagnosis and Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Adults. Bloomington, Minn.: Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. http://www.icsi.org/diabetes_mellitus__type_2/management_of_type_2_diabetes_mellitus__9.html. Accessed March 3, 2010.
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