DIETARY HISTORY

Getting a proper dietary history from patients can be such a painstakingly chore.
Often I feel like pulling my hairs out ( whatever remaining is left!!)

Here are examples:
Doctor: 'dire moi ki ou mange dans en jour typic?'
Patient 1: '½ du pain, du beurre, fromage. Midi mo prend mo dejeuner and tantot mo dinner'.
Patient 2: 'grand matin mo pas mange narien, lerla, parfois 9-10 heurs mo mange en ti bout dupain, apres midi, mo mange se ki mo gagne et asoir se ki in cuit la caz.'
Patient 3: 'gramatin mo mange mo dupain brun, mo pas prend mais mo pas prend du sucre,....3-4 mo boire mo du the avec 1-2 ti biscuit..' I then repeat: 1-2 buscuit.. pt: oui 3-4 buscuit, and then they rush to add..mo pas prend biscuit doux, mo prend biscuit sale..
( For them the diabetes is related to the 'doux' of the biscuit. So if it is biscuit sale, it is ok for them)
Patient 4: grand matin mo prend mo du the. then stop..'apres' I ask.. en du pain..then another stop. 'et apres' I will ask again. ..lasle parfais. then another stop. 'et apres', I will repeat. 'avec du beurre'. another stop. 'et apres, I repeat again'..parfois enn banane..then another stop...and this goes on like that.
Remember, management of your condition and advice given to you will depend on what information you feed me with.
If you don't feed me with the right information, then you may not get the right advice, and then you will struggle with your diabetes, blood pressure and weight loss control

By Dr. Iswaraj Ramracheya