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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIt probably will be your family doctor or primary care physician who makes the initial diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. You'll likely then be referred to a doctor who specializes in hormonal disorders (endocrinologist). Your health care team also may include a dietitian, a certified diabetes educator, a foot doctor (podiatrist) and a doctor who specializes in eye care (ophthalmologist). If your blood sugar levels are very high, your doctor may send you to the hospital for treatment.
Because appointments can be brief, and there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for any appointments you have with your health care team. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what you can 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 eight hours for a fasting glucose test or four hours for a pre-meal test. When you're making an appointment, ask if fasting is necessary.
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated.
- Ask a family member or friend to join you, if possible. Managing diabetes well requires that you retain a lot of information, and it can be difficult to remember everything you learn during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Bring a notebook and a pen or pencil, to write down important information.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Preparing a list of questions can help you make the most of your time with your doctor. Other members of your health care team, such as a certified diabetes educator, may be the best person to answer some of your questions. For type 2 diabetes, some basic questions to ask include:
Glucose monitoring
- How often do I need to monitor my blood sugar?
- What is my goal range?
Lifestyle changes
- What types of changes do I need to make to my diet?
- How can I learn about counting carbohydrates in foods?
- Should I see a dietitian to help with meal planning at home?
- How much exercise should I get each day?
Medications
- Will I need to take medicine? If so, what kind and how much?
- Does the medicine need to be taken at any particular time of the day?
- Do I need to take insulin?
Complications
- What are the signs and symptoms of low blood sugar?
- How do I treat low blood sugar?
- What about high blood sugar — what are the signs and symptoms?
- When should I test for ketones, and how do I do it?
Medical management
- How often do I need to be monitored for diabetes complications? What specialists do I need to see?
- Are there resources available if I'm having trouble paying for diabetes supplies?
- Are there brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What websites do you recommend?
Don't hesitate to ask any other questions that occur to you.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- Do you understand and feel confident you can follow your treatment plan?
- How are you coping with diabetes?
- Have you experienced any low blood sugar?
- What's a typical day's diet like?
- Are you exercising? If so, what type of exercise? How often?
What you can do in the meantime
If your blood sugar isn't well controlled, or if you're not sure about what to do in a certain situation, don't hesitate to contact your doctor or diabetes educator for guidance.
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- Standards of medical care in diabetes — 2011. Diabetes Care. 2011:34:S11.
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- McCulloch DK. Initial management of blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2011.
- McCulloch DK, et al. Prediction and prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2011.
- Screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf08/type2/type2rs.htm. Accessed Feb. 27, 2011.
- Diabetes statistics. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics. Accessed Feb. 27, 2011.
- What people with diabetes need to know about osteoporosis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Osteoporosis/Conditions_Behaviors/diabetes.asp. Accessed Feb. 22, 2011.
- Helzner EP, et al. Contribution of vascular risk factors to the progression in Alzheimer disease. Archives of Neurology. 2009;66:343.
- Bainbridge KE. Diabetes and hearing impairment in the United States: Audiometric evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999 to 2004. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2008;149:1.
- Baker WL, et al. Effect of cinnamon on glucose control and lipid parameters. Diabetes Care. 2008;31:41.
- Balk EM, et al. Effect of chromium supplementation on glucose metabolism and lipids. 2007;30:2154.
- Huxley R, et al. Coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea consumption in relation to incident type 2 diabetes mellitus. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2009;169:2053.
- Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome (HHNS). American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/hyperosmolar-hyperglycemic.html. Accessed Feb. 27, 2011.
- Diabetic ketoacidosis. National Center for Biotechnology Information. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001363. Accessed Feb. 24, 2011.
- Frye RL, et al. A randomized trial of therapies for type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360:2503.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Use of hepatitis B vaccine for adults with diabetes mellitus: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2011:60;1709.
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