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VOLUME 7 NUMBER 1 • MARCH 2010
Diabetes Personality
her too. She also goes in to bat on these patients’ behalf when medical
schemes are difficult. ‘I’m not above using a little blackmail to get what
I want’, she laughs. ‘There was one occasion where the medical aid re-
fused to pay for the additional testing strips I thought the patient needed.
They reconsidered when I told them that in that case I would recommend
to the referring general practitioner that the patient be hospitalised for
several days of additional tests – something that would cost the scheme
a lot more.’
This isn’t the only context where Jeannie has been known to use a
little blackmail. Echoing the many other healthcare professionals profiled
by this journal over the past year or more, Jeannie says that her biggest
challenges lie in getting patients to understand their disease, make peace
with the diagnosis of a chronic lifetime condition and then comply with the
treatment prescribed. ‘Men are particularly bad in this regard’, she says.
‘In extreme cases, I even get those who initially refuse to see me and try to
send their wives instead. Essentially they want me to tell their wives what
is necessary and then have the wives relay my advice second-hand. In
order to get their attention and make sure they come in person, I play up
the link between erectile dysfunction and diabetes. It’s amazing how much
more co-operative they become when they know that not addressing their
diabetes might have a negative impact on their sex life.’
She underscores that diabetes education cannot be successful if done
remotely. For starters, the patient needs to be physically present so that
his or her sugar levels can be tested. Making patients aware of the im-
portance of testing their blood glucose levels regularly is another area
about which Jeannie is passionate, and for several years she has worked
tirelessly with the help of sponsors to source glucometers for patients
who would not otherwise be able to afford them. ‘I’m proud to say that in
the last two years or so, I’ve been able to provide more than 130 indigent
patients with their own glucometers’, she says.
Jeannie’s reward comes from seeing patients get their diabetes un-
der control and become visibly more healthy and happy. ‘This isn’t about
money’, she observes. ‘It’s about making a difference in people’s lives
– one by one. It’s important always to remember that each patient is an
individual, and the illness is only one aspect of his or her total life. I there-
fore always bear in mind that I’m treating a person, not a disease, and
don’t believe in trying to apply a set of academic “rules” to all patients. It’s
also critical to praise any progress made, however small. We’re not teach-
ers grading exam papers here. We simply need to show patients the road
ahead, make sure they follow it, and help them cross the various bridges
when the time comes’, she concludes.
Patients queuing up at a clinic.
Students learning how to test glucose levels on patients.
