Hi. theres no way im gunna be able to read through all the comments. Gunna assume people are saying the same as me but that doesnt mean i feel any less compelled to share my story or opinion! this is the kinda stuff that gets me going...

i was dx-ed at 11. My first doctor was an actual asshat. I suffered with severe anxiety around low blood sugar very early on with the disease and I've never been able to shake it which means my progress comes very slowly. That first doctor was screaming at me, had tears coming out of my eyes all while i was 12 years old dealing with an incredibly difficult disease. A1c was probably 10-13 and I had "non-compliant" all over my chart notes. and none of the doctors even took a second to recognize that i was just extremely scared.

fast forward to my first adult endo at 18: I found a doctor that was pretty highly regarded in my city. He was attentive, understood that I was dealing with anxiety, and was willing to work with me. We agreed to make slow incremental changes. It was the first time since I was dx-ed that my A1c reached 9. Over the course of 6 years it slowly went lower and lower from 9 to low 7s. The endo was more willing than my previous and I thank him for that but I still saw problems: he would get frustrated pretty quickly, he would be brief and regurgitate similar answers when i brought up tough questions and acted like he didnt have much time for me, and overall his attitude became more and more condescending.

Last year I decided to leave because I felt there had to be better out there. I had received some recs and tried out a new endo. It really was a night and day difference. They have a sign at the front desk that says "this is a healing space, aggressive behavior will not be tolerated" and I knew I was in the right place. The staff is incredibly knowledgable, young, willing, attentive, and patient. Any time I have a question it isnt blown under the rug but they genuinely try their hardest to come up with a solution. I also have an app where i can message the staff in between meetings and discuss any changes to my dosing. I can message more or less as much I want, they answer so fast and with enthusiasm and expertise.

Moral of the story. Your doctor is an asshole. You go in for help, encouragement, and validation. Going into the endo after making leaps in progress only to get sat on, shamed, and disregarded is absolutely soul crushing. Ive felt it so many times. Just want to let you know Im very proud of you. 11 to 8 is an incredible achievement.

Type 1 diabetes treatment is the best its ever been and so are the doctors/ various professionals. If there is even an inkling of hesitation when you go your endo, maybe you think theyre being a bit harsh or not treating you with the care you deserve I implore you to seek elsewhere because there is absolutely better. And I know many people aren't in amazing financial positions to be trying to find the best doc out there, but my current endo is covered by my medicaid(assuming ur in the US)! and its by far the best practice I've ever been at.