Meeting and Working with a Dietitian

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Under the present conditions, I wouldsuggest reconsidering any appointment with a registered dietitian(with RD in the title). While I have some friends that are RDs, theyknow that currently, I still want them for friends, but do notbring up the subject of nutrition when we are together. One of mycousins who is a nutritionist, not a RD,and a member of anotherorganization, does take particular pleasure in confronting me aboutthe situation within the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) andhow they will lose in the long run. I do think she is doing this tosee how I react, but presently I just let her yammering go in one earand out the other.
Yes, when we do get to the facts andwhat is in the news and other publications, we do have a spiriteddiscussion. She has met some of our informal group, and sheunderstands what we are doing. She did help one of the group (Allen)get a more balanced meal plan. Even he was surprised about how farout of balance he had been. She asked him to get a scale that hewould use and for a week weigh his food and record what he waseating. Since he already had a scale that would work, he asked whatwe thought and we agreed that this could be an immense help for him.
The following week, she took theinformation, showed where he was weak nutritionally, and madesuggestions to create meals that are more balanced or more balancedfor the day. Not only did she give him suggestions, but showed himwhat the different suggestions could do for him per meal, but as wellon a daily basis. He was in awe with the results and commented thathe understood why the doctor had run so many tests. Then they bothsat and went over the sheet she had prepared. A few adjustments weremade and he said he was going to have to go to the grocery store. Healso asked how to prepare some of the new vegetables that hegenerally did not eat. She actually listed different ways to cooksome of foods and how to prepare some of them for eating raw. Shethen surprised even me and gave him her phone number to call when hehad questions.
Yes, all of us present made somesuggestions, but she kidded us that everyone likes a woman's touch –ooohhhh – ouch. We started kidding Allen about maybe not needinghis supplements that the doctor had him taking. She stopped usimmediately and asked which supplements. I said we needed to startat the beginning and she agreed.  Allen said he had been on Metformin formany years and one day had been asked by us if he was taking avitamin B12 supplement or had been tested for the deficiency. Heexplained that his doctor would not do the test and Tim and I hadgotten him to a doctor that I see where they did the tests andseveral others. Allen explained that he had a vitamin D shot andvitamin B12 shot that day. He explained what the progression hadbeen to the current day.
Allen gave her the supplements he wastaking per the doctor’s instructions and the dosage of each. Shelooked each over and said he had better ignore her suggestions fornutrition change until Allen and she had a chance to talk to hisdoctor. Then she asked how many of each supplement he had left andAllen stated that on some of them were just about out and he didn'tknow on a couple. She said that if possible, he should call thedoctor's office and get an appointment as soon as possible. Allencalled and received an appointment for the following Tuesday, andtold the receptionist the reason. About half an hour later, theDoctor called and wanted to review the reason. Allen put thenutritionist on the phone and she explained the reason and what wastranspiring. He asked if they could be in his office yet thatafternoon. They decided they could, and they were off.
The following day, several more of usgot together with the nutritionist and Allen was all smiles. Mycousin said that was one of the best meetings with a doctor she hadever been involved in. She had grabbed a couple of books from hercar before they had left and the doctor had the same books out whenthey were in his office. She said she had done some calculations onthe way and that was what the doctor had wanted to see. Allen saidthe doctor was impressed that she had followed Allen's wishes andadapted a meal plan for each meal in the day and if one meal wasshort, the next meal compensated so that the day was balanced. SinceAllen was still adjusting to insulin, the doctor was very happy thatshe had kept the number of carbohydrates down while still balancingthe nutrition.
The doctor did agree with my cousin onholding some of the vegetables until Allen had exhausted thesupplements and for them to go ahead if Allen was happy with what shehad proposed. The doctor did want Allen to continue the vitamin Dand vitamin B12 until the second appointment from now. Allen saidhis next appointment was in August and that would make the second inNovember and the doctor said he would order the tests for then andsee where his levels were and make any adjustments then. The doctor,according to Allen, had said if he could work with the nutritionist,he should be good with the food supplying sufficient nutrients. Thedoctor said the tests would either confirm this or lead to more teststo determine if Allen's body was not making use of them in which casethere would be a medical mystery to be solved.
Allen said the doctor had quizzed mycousin about her education and affiliation before going over thesheets that she had prepared. Allen was a little surprised that hehad checked some of her calculations, but realized that the doctorhad relaxed when he saw that his calculations agreed with hers. Thedoctor asked if she would be pushing the number of carbohydrates uplater, and Allen said that he had been told only if that was hisdesire. My cousin said she told the doctor that she makessuggestions, but works at the ratio the patient desires and said thatit would probably be five or six months in making, the transition tothe ratio Allen wanted. She said that this would minimize the levelof endotoxins.
Brenda, who did make this gathering,spoke up and said this sounded like what her daughter would say. Quick comparison of backgrounds revealed the same university, butmembers of different organizations. Neither is a member of AND andhappy where they are members.