I guess that there's something else missing as well - knowledge of Type 1 diabetes.
Today everyone knows about Type 2 diabetes - you can't avoid it. On TV, the internet, radio, virtually everywhere are dufus actors wearing doctor or nurse outfits claiming you need "diet and exercise" along with whatever they are selling to "aid" with your Type 2 problems.
List of symptoms abound but usually the smiling heads indicate that you might have it if you are "overweight."
Many people are confused about the differences between Type 1 and Type 2. I wrote about the differences in "Type 2 is not diabetes..." a few years ago.
Apparently doctors today are also confused. (See this WSJ article as an example.)
Read about how they assign "diet and exercise" to folks with Type 1. About how they "don't notice" the obvious symptoms. And on and on...
Why is this?
I think its a product of our silly educational system that favors regurgitating know "right" answers to leaked questions over learning to find the facts on your own.
The "regurgitation" method is common for various forms of social engineering: how else would you know that "big corporatons are bad" at 18 years old.
But the path to hell is always paved with "good intentions" and this model is slipping into other forms of education - in this case medical.
As a kid you always knew of somebody who was a diabetic back in the 1960's. It wasn't at all common but the specter of having to use needles everyday to inject yourself with insulin was enough to get anyone's attention.
Maybe it was someone's kid sister or brother, or an uncle - but you heard about it.
And you knew the most common symptom as well (known since the times of ancient greeks): pee that attracted bees. Urine of diabetics has a lot of sugar in it and hence if you went outside to do your business and the bees flocked about the result you knew you were in trouble.
But "Type 2" has usurped "Type 1's" hold on everyone's imagination.
This is, of course, because of TV ads. Who doesn't think they might have diabetes these days?
Are you overweight?
Do you not "feel good" all the time...?
Blah blah blah list of symptoms everyone has blah blah blah...
All this to get you into the doctor so he can sell your insurance company a "treatment."
"Diabetes" means "elevated blood sugar."
But that's like saying "my car won't run right" - it must be a fuse.
So today's doctors are like lazy mechanics - oh, your car won't run right - let's just put in a new fuse.
Yet you continue to have problems.
And, rather than open the hood, you just keep repeating the "standard treatment" - in some cases according to the WSJ article - for years.
Usually until the patient figures out that he or she is being screwed by the doctor and delves into the problems on their own.
So today we have signs, TV ads, internet ads, radio all blaring: "Car won't run right - change the fuse!"
Billboard on subways and bus stops - "Check your fuse!!!"
So people and doctors forget to think about what's wrong and just change the fuse.
And they repeat it until its too late because the treatment for Type 1 diabetes is not the same as the treatment for Type 2.
(I think the names are bogus - diabetes needs to be used for Type 1 only - Type 2 is a different animal.)
As a society we need to rethink our model of "free speech" in this regard because "free speech" includes responsibility. Like not shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater.
Isn't it the same thing to should "Type 2" every time someone show up overweight?
Isn't that just as irresponsible?
Yet we promote this kind of think from grade school on...
So as people sit around languishing from diseases that the doctor is to lazy to take the time to diagnose at least we can all feel good about ourselves because, if this is depressing, someone will prescribe antidepressants as well.
So what does this leave?
It leave us to make our own best guesses about our healthcare.
Clearly doctors are getting it wrong - but then how much time do they really take? After all there's all the Medicare/Medicaid/Insurance/Government paper work to fill out for a simple visit.
And what's more important?
Getting paid and feeding your family or simply doing what's probably the right thing based on TV ads?
People need to realize that they had best educate themselves about health so that they can prevent this sort of nonsense.
And this is not easy - its scary - there are lots of diseases - and most of the symptoms overlap. Don't believe it, try Googling "fatigue insomnia" - you see "sleep apenia," "adrenal fatigue," "depression," "stress," and "fibromyalgia" all on the top of screen.
All very different problems - all with their own "specialist" to diagnose them.
All with vague additional symptoms that make them indistinguishable.
Modern medicine in the US - the best in the world...
I met a guy from Syria - you know the place in the middle east where there is a civil war but no one does or says anything about it?
He showed my how they diagnose things quickly and efficiently.
They have to because some simple blood tests might cost a months wages....
But we don't do that here any more.
Which healthcare system is more primitive I wonder????
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