Nobody likes going to the doctor. Usually we're going either because we're too sick to do anything more worthwhile, we've gotten to an age where certain "uncomfortable" exams are necessary, or we partied a bit too hard and woke up with neither memory nor clothing.

Despite all of these things, I think that the hardest part of going to the doctor is choosing one in the first place. Unless you have a friend or coworker that can recommend theirs, chances are you're going to have little or no idea what he or she is like until your first appointment.

Here's what you should look for during your first appointment:

1. Is this somebody that you can be honest with? Your doctor is going to find out the most about you not through examination but through your statements. Sure, your blood type, gender, height, weight, blood pressure, and lack of functioning pancreas are all pretty obvious by looking at you or doing simple tests. However, some of the most important factors influencing your health are pretty much impossible for your doctor to find out from a couple sporadic visits. Does your family have a history of heart disease? Are you sexually active? How often, and how much, do you drink? Do you smoke cigarettes? Do you abuse marijuana, cocaine, prescription drugs, or any other kind of drug? You should not be embarrassed telling this to your doctor. He or she is not there to pass judgment on you, but to help you survive and live a healthy life. This is absolutely imperative. If you feel like you can't tell these things to *anyone*, then you need to reassess how you're living. I am sexually active (though monogamous), I binge drink occasionally, I don't use any of the drugs listed above, and my doctor knows this.

2. Does your health insurance cover this doctor? Although this seems to be strictly financial on the surface, there are definitely health ramifications. There are a couple reasons your insurance might not cover this doctor: if you have an HMO, he or she may be "out of network", or your insurance may consider your doctor's practice a hospital visit. If this is the case, a routine appointment for a cold or the flu could set you back over a hundred dollars. For comparison, no matter what I see my doctor for, I am responsible for only a $10 copay.
How does this affect your health? Simply put, the more expensive it is to visit your doctor, the less you will go. You'll think, "Is it worth $150 to find out if this is strep throat or just a cold?" and more than likely you'll decide that it isn't. Money shouldn't factor into your healthcare (although apparently a lot of political candidates think it should) so choose a doctor that you can afford to see often without causing you financial stress.

3. Is this doctor okay with you having a separate endocrinologist? I *strongly* encourage all diabetics to see an endocrinologist that is an expert in diabetes; the details of that deserve a whole separate article. However, it is very important to make sure that your primary care physician (also known as GP, or General Practitioner) is okay with you seeing an outside doctor for your diabetes care. I was lucky enough to find a doctor that even encouraged it, asking me unprovoked during our first appointment whether I had an endocrinologist yet. It may be an ego issue, a control issue, or just a trust issue that makes some doctors uncomfortable...whatever it is, make sure your doctor doesn't have a problem with it.

4. Is the doctor overbooked? This is probably the easiest to tell without actually having to see the doctor in person. When you call to schedule your "new patient physical", do they ask you what your schedule is like next week, or next April? When you're sick, you need to see a doctor soon; while a waiting list may make a doctor seem popular, it can keep you from getting antibiotics or other health care in time and may mean this is not the doctor for you.

Choosing the right doctor is not easy. Look at it like a job interview; it will be a long relationship, and sticking with a doctor that is wrong for you doesn't help you, and definitely doesn't help the doctor. Be open, be honest, and if the answer to all the questions above is "Yes!", odds are you've found a great doctor that will help keep you healthy for a long time.

If your endocrinologist appointments go anything like mine,you've heard"Diabetics have to take special care of their feet!" about a hundred times. Although mostly associated with older or long-term diabetics, even young Type-1ers like me have to be careful.

Now, add even more support to that argument. New research is showing that by using an infrared thermometer, diabetics can check for "hotspots" on the bottom of our feet. Areas that are abnormally warm can be a sign of tissue breakdown, a precursor to ulcers. Finding the damaged tissue early and resting for a day or two can give the tissue time to heal before becoming a full-blown wound.

Insurance coverage is spotty, but more and more doctors are writing prescriptions for the $150 gadgets. Even more promising, new technology is being developed to function like a bathroom scale; stand on it every morning, and it will automatically test multiple locations and warn you of any high temps. Not only will this be easier than hand-held units, it will make it possible for the elderly or very overweight to check their feet as well.

I personally won't be purchasing one yet, but am glad that some very good medical minds are paying close attention to a very real, very dangerous long-term risk to us diabetics. If such a thermometer sounds like something you'd like, talk to your doctor! He or she will let you know if it's a good fit for you. And speaking of good fit, be sure to keep following the standard preventive care on your feet: where good-fitting shoes and regularly check your feet for redness, lumps, and cuts.