Shades of "high protein intake damages the kidneys".

Thanks Deb. It's such a relief to know that being on insulin will not complicate eye health. Over the past 16 years, I have had four endocrinologists & one family doctor advise me on my diabetes & every one of them has endorsed the ADA diet which has gotten me into all this trouble in the first place. Truth is, I know longer trust any medical advice; my eye doc is apparently another example of docs who don't know what they are talking about. But he did sufficiently scare me into finally assuming responsibility for my own health.

In my first attempt with low-carb, three years ago, I lost 22 lbs & got normal blood work, & my endocrinologist absolutely insisted that it was the medications & not the diet that did the trick. When I mentioned Dr. Berstein, my doc called him a quack. I thought he knew what he was talking about & promptly regained all 22 lbs. plus an additional 23. It has taken me all this time to regroup & lose that weight (still have five pounds to go).

In the future, I will always question any medical advice & continue to do my own research.

Sad what we have to go through to get to that point, isn't it? Mistrust of doctors is truly a sad state of affairs for the medical profession. I don't know how many folks I've talked to trying to convince them they MUST take responsibility for becoming informed about whatever ails them because the doctor will just shove some pills at you (whatever the pharmaceutical companies are pushing that week) and send you on your way.

This is true of many doctors, but certainly not all and certainly not mine. And not the one I saw before my current physician (he died) either. Furthermore, to those physicians who are misinformed or are not quite sure about what to do, we have a responsibility to educate them.

If ever there was a person who had every right to feel betrayed by the medical community for its unwillingness to deal effectively with his diabetes, it's Dr. Bernstein. Did he curse the darkness? Maybe, but he also lit a candle the size of the Washington Monument.

We can all do the same. If a doctor is not treating you effectively, make some effort to reach them with the truth and if they don't respond positively, vote with your feet. We actually have a lot of leverage with them as long as we don't assume their omnipotence.

One other point: I've found that a doctor's attitude can change dramatically once he/she realizes that you are a motivated, compliant patient. Part of their frustration is inability to obtain compliance, so they may offer only suboptimal treatment just so they can make any difference at all. Once they realize that you are taking responsibility for your own health, their attitude may adjust accordingly.

While a high degree of informed skepticism is in order, because there are doctors who milk the system at the expense of diabetic patients, I think that a blanket attitude of cynicism will only serve to perpetuate the darkness.

The one thing the naysayers cannot dispute, whether physician or layman, is the truth and that's right in front of their eyes every time they do a blood workup on us.