The dietitian from under a rock

Carwy · #1 (**permalink**) 03-21-2008, 07:20 PM

Okay so having the betes is not all fun. I go to the dietitian today and right up front I tell I have had Hodgkin’s which is in remission. I have acid reflux that only acts up when I have carbonated drinks. I do not drink or smoke and I have hemochromatosis. I went into this with an open mind and was willing to hear what she had to say.

I average about 1500 calories and 120 carbohydrates a day. She starts out by telling me to cut out coffee with creamer, cut down on drinking soda, cut down on drinking alcohol and to try and stop smoking. From this moment on I know this was going to be a very bad experience and I was just going to shake my head and say yes.

So now it starts getting worse. She wants me to eat 1800 calories a day and 185 carbohydrates at the low end and on the high end 2000 calories and 240 carbohydrates a day.

Oh wait for it. Its going to get even worse.
She goes into what I should eat for breakfast and what is on the okay lists. (Now let’s not forget I told her I have hemochromatosis).
Heck some of the things on my can eat list are things I though were just plain bad any way. Heck donuts are on the okay list as long as I just eat one. Milk is a no no along with pork, cheese and lunch meat. Oh wait on the okay list is Margarine and regular Mayonnaise. Beans, peas and lentils are bad. Angel food cake is good.
She tells me I should be eating cereal and oat meal that is fortified with Iron. I tell her I can not do that I have hemochromatosis. Her reply “oh yea. Well you need to eat it anyway.”

I was like oh man how much longer do I have to be in this room with her.
We then talk about other foods I should eat. She tells me to eat spinach (high in iron). Then she tells me to drink oj and eat oranges. I was like they are not good for me because of my hemochromatosis. Vitamin C makes my body absorb iron too well. She was like well you need to eat them.

Then we go back to the drinking soda, alcohol and smoking. Again I tell her I do none of this stuff. She tells me to quit or cut down on them.

When she let me out of that office I left at a full run.
Oh and I told her about my family history of the betes and she said it may play a part in me having it.
I sure am glad I have real people who are facing this and living with it everyday to help me get this stuff under control.
So I will be picking Dewey’s brain and a lot of others on here.
As I post this I’m drinking my coffee with creamer.

Penny · #2 (**permalink**) 03-21-2008, 07:41 PM

She sounds like the first dietician I went to over 40 years ago. She would not listen to anything I told her. If I explained that I could not eat something because of allergies, she also told me to eat them anyway. Over the years, I have been told to eat lots of carbs, not eat anything white, eat lots of fruit, eat no fruit,drink lots of water, limit my water, no doctor or diet person ever agreed with another. I have only started getting some control since reading this forum. Carwy like we tell everyone....figure out what works for you.

xMenace · #3 (**permalink**) 03-21-2008, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carwy

As I post this I’m drinking my coffee with creamer.

And I'm sipping my Chardonnay!

Dewey · #4 (**permalink**) 03-21-2008, 07:47 PM

All I got to say is that this dietitian is LUCKY I wasn't there, or she would have ran out of the room, crying! It irritates me to no end when a dietitian, doctor, endo, or whatever else (you know, the people WE employ to help Us with our care) do not listen to our comments, questions or concerns. It's like, "Why bother!?"

After listening to Carwy tell me all this stuff (when he got home), I asked him why he didn't do like Chris Tucker in Rush Hour and ask "Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth!?" I'm so cruel.

grace girl · #5 (**permalink**) 03-21-2008, 07:55 PM

Reminds me of the one I went to...the one who told me that I need to eat twice as much as I normally do, stop avoiding sweets because, Hey, you can bolus for it!....and make sure I don't gain any weight.
....and then she told me I could never wear sandals again for the rest of my life....
It wasn't too long after that that I found this forum, which saved me from utter insanity. You've got everyone here, so you'll be just fine!

Jan B · #6 (**permalink**) 03-21-2008, 08:10 PM

Carwy,

This sounds like a joke! It's just plain scary. Oh, and Carwy -- you need to quit drinking, smoking, and start eating more iron fortified foods. No matter that you have too much iron, you need more. And here is some iron fortified Chantix to help you quit smoking. Good grief.

Carwy · #7 (**permalink**) 03-21-2008, 08:26 PM

Thanks everyone for your kind replys.
I have just one question.
Can I pick the medical conditions I want to keep and return the rest??

gettingby · #8 (**permalink**) 03-21-2008, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carwy

Thanks everyone for your kind replys.
I have just one question.
Can I pick the medical conditions I want to keep and return the rest??

If I had my way, you could.

Ya know I love ya !!!!!!!

Carwy · #9 (**permalink**) 03-21-2008, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gettingby

If I had my way, you could.

Ya know I love ya !!!!!!!

And I would keep the cancer, hemochromatosis and acid reflux.

Dewey · #10 (**permalink**) 03-21-2008, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jan B

Oh, and Carwy -- you need to quit drinking, smoking, and start eating more iron fortified foods. No matter that you have too much iron, you need more. And here is some iron fortified Chantix to help you quit smoking. Good grief.

ROFLMAO! That was awesome, Jan!

Kim_in_TN · #11 (**permalink**) 03-22-2008, 11:17 AM

I would have HAD to say something to her. I have a difficult time keeping my mouth shut when I come across a "professional" who is so inept!!! It sounds like she memorized the information from her final exam and has never read anything since then! What happened to continuing education and keeping up with the latest medical research? Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Oh and ((((((((((HUGS))))))))) to you!

steamfan261 · #12 (**permalink**) 03-22-2008, 11:40 AM

My last visit to my family practitioner was the last straw for me. She contradicted everything my endo had told me, suggested that the symptoms I wanted to discuss were all in my head, and suggested that my poor management of my bg and A1C were entirely my fault because I had been told "how to do it right".

I said to her: "Listen carefully, cuz this is the ONLY chance you get: YOU"RE FIRED!!!" If I wanted to be ignored I could hire someone to do it a lot cheaper than you."

She was somewhat annoyed with me.

I was glad.

George83 · #13 (**permalink**) 03-23-2008, 12:12 AM

What you need is a young dietician, with recent qualifications, that knows whats going on, is yours young?

Lulika · #14 (**permalink**) 03-23-2008, 03:21 AM

Dieticians? Nutritionists?....Bah, HUMBUG!!

Gary_W · #15 (**permalink**) 03-23-2008, 05:29 AM

I saw a nutritionist shortly after I was diagnosed 13 years back. I must say it was a fairly depressing experience and I haven't bothered since.

She was obsessed with spaghetti bolognaise as I recall and told me that I must start off by frying the mince (no oil at all, just dry fry it). Then tip off all of the juices and fat that run from the mince. Then boil it up again and tip off anything else that came out. Next, I must add the onions and just boil these up with the mince. Etc etc.

I asked advice about lentils, coconut milk, ginger, galangal etc. She had no clue and kept going back to the spaghetti. I have heard of spookily similar experiences from others.

I came to the conclusion that nutritionists who don't actually like food are a bit like teachers that don't actually like children; far more common than they should be and useful to no-one...

Gary