June 23, 2002
Community Resources
Question from Idaho, USA:
I live in a rural area and we only have general practitioners, and mine is treating me pro-bono right now until we have an income again.
My case has my general practitioner shaking his head and throwing more medications at me without much help. I am in need of finding a specialist to go over my diabetes records and give me an opinion. Since I am without income at this time, I would need this to be non-fee help.
Answer:
It doesn’t seem as though your problem is urgent, so perhaps the first step is to get enrolled in Medicaid and then to ask your present doctor for a referral to a hospital-based endocrine clinic.
DOB
[Editor’s comment: Your physician should be able to call to the nearest medical school or other major medical center, and get some general advice that would help guide your care until you can arrange to see a specialist. Such informal consultation between two physicians about difficult cases is common.
WWQ]
