ARRRGGHH!!!! Since I don’t know how to write a scream I had to resort to taking a quote from a Charlie Brown cartoon. He always seemed to experience a sense of frustration from his sister, his friends, or himself. Usually, I believe it was the latter.
Such is the overwhelming feeling I have been experiencing of late and it seems, with more patients than usual. I’m not certain if it’s just something in the air or it’s because I’ve recently read a number of articles with this specific topic of non-compliant patients. I guess it’s like when you’re thinking of buying a specific car, every stop light they seem to be all around you.
We all know what ‘non-compliance’ means. It is a failure to adhere to particular advice, suggestion or down-right restriction(s) to certain behaviors or actions. Be it from a parent to a child about cleaning their room, doing their homework or their chores. Or from a doctor to a patient who has heel pain, a fracture or Diabetes and continually complains of certain aches, pains or numbness in their feet.
I mention Diabetes because, in my experience, due to the regimented schedule they need to keep throughout the day, everyday- it seems harder for them to stay compliant. Most Diabetics know that they need to do certain things such as exercise daily, check their sugar levels daily, refrain from eating certain foods, the list can go on. They also know they need not to do certain things, too.
I do feel for you but I need to say something, and please don’t take this the wrong way. It is coming from someone who truly wants no Diabetic to have any of the side-effects associated with this disease. You HAVE to do what your health providers tell you to do. You NEED to listen to us. Trust me, you DON’T want to lose your eyesight, go on dialysis, increase your risk for a stroke, high blood pressure, lose toes, feet or leg(s). This list can go on also. Please, I’m begging you. I don’t want you to have burning, tingling or numbness in your feet (diabetic neuropathy).
If you’ve read any of my previous articles you’ll notice one thing that may not be evident in articles written by other healthcare authors. Most of what I’ve treated patients for I have, at one time or another suffered with that problem myself…broken toes, foot and ankle, yep. Ingrown nails, neuroma, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and heels spurs, oh yeah I’ll never forget those debilitating problems as long as I live.
So when you come to me for advice for a painful heel let’s say, I know what you’re going through because I’ve been there. I know the stabbing pain the first few steps getting out of bed, or the car, or after sitting for 20 minutes. In addition to experiencing the problems myself, podiatry is a specialty. Therefore, I treat many patients who experience similar symptoms to one and other. Through my own personal and professional experience, I usually know what works best and what does not.
You’d be surprised how many patients opt for surgery instead of taking the time to listen to their bodies and correct what they are doing that caused the problem in the first place. Sometimes, it truly is an easy fix and only adjustments in their footwear will make the problem and therefore pain, disappear. Other times it isn’t an easy fix and more TLC is necessary not only by me, but with the help of a physical therapist, a dietician, their medical doctor, a Shaman, some voodoo or whatever it takes.
I wonder if Charlie Brown’s sister who had the lemonade stand-type doctors’ office ever suffered frustration with her ‘patients’ and the advice she delved out to them? Then again, she only charged 5 cents. I guess the overhead of some plywood, nails and some paint was a lot less. And, of course, no insurance company or government involvement.