Life is like a bowl of cherries

I don't get much sleep in the week before an IEP meeting. Even with one like this, where I have a plan, I get insomnia. When I get insomnia, I often end up with bad analogies and t-shirt slogans. Then I torture you with them. ;)

This one is "what its like to wok with our school OT.” I know disease references might seem offensive to some folks, but they do get across the sense of importance of the situation.


You're sick, and you suspect there may be something wrong with your endocrine system. There is only one endocrinologist covered by your insurance, so off you go. He does some tests, and tells you that you have diabetes. When you look at the results of the tests, they look bad, and you start some treatment for diabetes.

After a year, your test results come back with slightly better sugar numbers- let's say, 250, when you now know you're supposed to be under 90; but its better than the 300 you were. After a small lecture on how painful needles can be and the risks of insulin, you start a little insulin. In the meantime, another doctor you're seeing for a skin rash looks at your records and suggests you see an out-of-network endocrinologist who specializes in diabetes (note- for those of you unfamiliar with diabetes, you can get a skin rash if your sugar gets too high). Doubtful that there is much else to be done, because the doctor has been telling you that everything necessary is being done, you decide it can't hurt to have a second opinion.

To your shock, you are told that yes, you have diabetes... and pancreatic cancer. As you look over the tests, including one that most endocrinologists consider standard, but your other doctor didn't even do, it is practically staring you in the face.

Your other doctor remains skeptical, so you decide to get a third opinion. That also comes back screaming "pancreatic cancer!" (which would, of course, explain why you're diabetic). You take these reports back to your doctor, and note that both of the other endocrinologists recommend cancer treatments. Your doctor replies with bringing you some literature about cancer treatments, while telling you that these treatments are all extremely painful and risky, and you *could* try them, but why bother? Your sugar is improving with the treatment you are getting, and its the diabetes that needs to be controlled. You insist on at least some treatment for some of your other symptoms that have been revealed by the other testing, and to get your sugars under control. The doctor reluctantly gives you an increase in insulin.

In the meantime, not being an idiot, you begin cancer treatment with one of the other doctors. In trying to get your sugars under control, the new doctor suggests you might want to eat certain kinds of foods that are low in sugar. You take this to your first doctor. They freak out. They tell you that you need carbohydrates in your diet. They scream something about Atkins and South Beach diets. They tell you the cafeteria can't handle this particular request because of dietary rules. You note that the new diet seems to be helping to control your sugar, so they contact your second doctor and ask them to change their recommendation. Needless to say, doctor #2 is highly offended, and responds that dietary control of diabetes is extremely common, and her first duty is to her client, not convenience. The first doctor permits the diet, but still tells you they don't like it and you should eat plenty of carbs. You go to their boss. That boss tells you no one has ever complained about the endocrinologist, and he has to be able to treat pancreatic cancer, because the law says so, and when the boss talked to the doc, the doc seemed very enthusiatic about the new diet. He won't pay for the treatment you've been receiving from the other doctor, period.

It has now been another six months, trying to get this all in place. You first doctor does some tests without your knowledge. At your next appointment, he presents the results, saying, "You're are now doing so well on the insulin... wow, 100! You may not need that insulin anymore! And look! Your cancer has been cured!"

And I'm supposed to have confidence in this person?