Dieticians at your center do they........

[willieandwinnie]

Thank you David.   You said that very well. I was trying to say we want to be treated as adults. We know the numbers and understand what they mean. If you treat people as adults and involve them in their care, you will have much better outcomes. What is going to save the lives of dialysis patients is the medical community not just giving what information they deem important. I want all the information, good, bad and ugly, and let me make an informed decision about my care. Don't tell me not to read and ask questions, that makes me feel like you are hiding something from me. You might have the education and experience, but I live in this body and know it a hell of a lot better then you do. I can't stand being treated like a disobedient child. I don't know about you, but I stopped getting smiley faces and gold stars on papers in first grade. That is my   and I will get off my soap box.  

[flip]

I argue with mine all the time and she usually cuts me a lot of slack. Just like avoiding tomatoes on hamburgers. A thick slice of tomato only has 57 mg. potassium. Too often we done get individualized diet restrictions just a mainstream amount.

[BigSky]

Excuse me if I am wrong, but I think that what writers such as willieandwinnie and several others are expressing is the opinion that they are quite aware of the importance of lab values.  However, their concern lies with dieticians who treat them as if they were noncompliant children who are incapable of understanding such matters that play such an important role in their own health.

I think it would be much better for all concerned if the dieticians treated each patient as an individual.  Some patients are very involved in their healthcare and are rightfully resentful at being treated in an infantile manner.  Treating them as though they were five years old is not the right way to build a good working relationship.

In the end, I am guessing that most adults do not need to be treated as they their reading level were on a first grade level and be subjected to condescending smiley faces at every turn.

I suppose you can feel that way..... However IMO  I think you are reading way too much into it if you think stickers are being used in any manner to treat someone like they are five years old or it is condescending.  Coming around and talking to patients in a condescending manner over lab values is one thing, but stickers are an inanimate object and are hardly condescending,  come on now.

I have to say  IMO many do not understand the cause and effect.  Many on this board have posted certain questions/problems which are DIRECTLY related to not following diet and its corresponding affect on lab values.

[David13]

Excuse me if I am wrong, but I think that what writers such as willieandwinnie and several others are expressing is the opinion that they are quite aware of the importance of lab values.  However, their concern lies with dieticians who treat them as if they were noncompliant children who are incapable of understanding such matters that play such an important role in their own health.

I think it would be much better for all concerned if the dieticians treated each patient as an individual.  Some patients are very involved in their healthcare and are rightfully resentful at being treated in an infantile manner.  Treating them as though they were five years old is not the right way to build a good working relationship.

In the end, I am guessing that most adults do not need to be treated as they their reading level were on a first grade level and be subjected to condescending smiley faces at every turn.

I suppose you can feel that way..... However IMO  I think you are reading way too much into it if you think stickers are being used in any manner to treat someone like they are five years old or it is condescending.  Coming around and talking to patients in a condescending manner over lab values is one thing, but stickers are an inanimate object and are hardly condescending,  come on now.

I have to say  IMO many do not understand the cause and effect.  Many on this board have posted certain questions/problems which are DIRECTLY related to not following diet and its corresponding affect on lab values.

Yes, many dialysis patients do have difficulty with maintaining their diet restrictions.  Treating them as disobedient children is certainly not going to help.  As willieandwinnie said so eloquently, working together with the patients to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare is the way to go.  Stickers in and of themselves are not condescending.  Their use on "report cards" that are meant for ADULTS is, IMO.  These are the patients themselves speaking, and I think we should take their word for it.  All they are asking for is to have the information presented to them in a respectful manner that does not remind them of their first grade homework papers.  IMO.   

[BigSky]

Yes, many dialysis patients do have difficulty with maintaining their diet restrictions.  Treating them as disobedient children is certainly not going to help.  As willieandwinnie said so eloquently, working together with the patients to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare is the way to go.  Stickers in and of themselves are not condescending.  Their use on "report cards" that are meant for ADULTS is, IMO.  These are the patients themselves speaking, and I think we should take their word for it.  All they are asking for is to have the information presented to them in a respectful manner that does not remind them of their first grade homework papers.  IMO.   

BS, Its hardly treating anyone as disobedient children.