AFTER BEING WIDOWED I HAD TO FIND A NEW DOCTOR BECAUSE I HAD TO BEGIN MEDICARE. I WAS DROPPED FROM MY HUSBAND'S WORK HEALTH CARE. I WAS REFERRED TO DR. LIANG BY A PHYSICIAN I RESPECT. THE FIRST INTRODUCTORY VISIT WAS FINE. HOWEVER, AFTER FINISHING MY BLOOD WORK SHE DECIDED I SHOULD STOP MY DIABETIC MEDICATION AND MY TRIGLYCERIDE MEDICATION. I HAVE BEEN TAKING BOTH FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS. MY A1C (A MEASUREMENT FOR BLOOD SUGAR) WAS 5.3 (WHICH IS EXCELLENT) AND THE LIPID PANEL WAS EXCELLENT. SHE THOUGHT PERHAPS I DIDN'T REALLY NEED THEM. I WAS WILLING TO TRY HER RECOMMENDATIONS. I THOUGHT PERHAPS I AM REALLY QUITE IMPROVED. BESIDES, THE TWO MEDICATIONS SHE REMOVED ARE HORRIBLY EXPENSIVE SO I WAS RELIEVED. SHE TOLD ME WITH AN A1C OF 5.3 THERE IS DANGER OF HYPOGLYCEMIA AND WITH THAT NUMBER SHE WAS REQUIRED BY LAW TO TAKE ME OFF OF MY DIABETIC MEDICATION. I EXPLAINED TO HER THAT I KNOW WHEN I HAVE HYPOGLYCEMIA AND KNOW HOW TO HANDLE IT AND SHE SAID "THAT IS WHAT EVERYONE SAYS AND THEN THEY DIE FROM IT." ONCE AGAIN DENYING MY UNDERSTANDING OF MY OWN HEALTH, EDUCATION AND ABILITIES. THIS BECAME A THEME DURING APPOINTMENTS WITH HER. AFTER A WEEK OR SO MY BLOOD SUGAR DAILY TESTS WERE GOING HIGHER AND HIGHER. I CHANGED NOTHING IN MY NORMAL ROUTINE, DIET OR EXERCISE. MY BLOOD PRESSURE STARTED ELEVATING AND I WAS RAPIDLY GAINING WEIGHT. I HAD LOST 40 POUNDS A FEW YEARS AGO WHICH HAD REALLY HELPED MY DIABETES. IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO LOOSE ALL THE WEIGHT AND NOW IT WAS PILING ON WITHOUT CHANGING MY DIET OR EXERCISE. ALSO, I HAD PITTING EDEMA START OCCURING WHICH I HAD NEVER HAD BEFORE EXCEPT WHEN I WAS IN MY THIRD TRIMESTER OF MY THIRD PREGNANCY MANY YEARS AGO. I AM A RETIRED REGISTERED NURSE AND DID DIABETIC EDUCATION WHEN I WAS WORKING. I KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING WAS FROM BEING TAKEN OFF OF MY MEDICATIONS. I SAW DR. LIANG NUMEROUS TIMES BUT SHE WOULD NOT ADMIT THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. SHE SAID THE SWELLING WAS FROM FLYING IN AN AIRPLANE. DID THAT EXPLANATION ACCOUNT FOR THE MULTIPLE OTHER TIMES OF EDEMA WHEN I WASN'T FLYING IN AN AIRPLANE? SHE SAID I MUST BE EATING POORLY NOW. MY DIET WAS UNCHANGED. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO HER THAT I KNOW MY BODY REALLY WELL. SHE SARCASTICALLY REPLIED "WELL, I KNOW YOUR BODY IS SPECIAL....BUT...." SO RUDE, UNCARING, UNFEELING AND UNKIND. SHE ORDERED MORE A1C TESTS. SHE SAID MY A1C BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS WERE NOT INDICATING MEDICATION. THE PROBLEM IS THE A1C MEASUREMENT COVERS A 3 MONTH PERIOD. WHEN SHE RECHECKED MY A1C A MONTH LATER IT STILL CONTAINED THE PREVIOUS 2 MONTHS THAT HAD THE STELLAR A1C OF 5.3. I ASKED HER ABOUT THAT AND SHE SAID "NO, THE A1C ONLY MEASURES FOR A MONTH. I KNEW THAT WASN'T TRUE AND THEN VERIFIED IT WITH MY ENDOCRINOLOGIST. DR. LIANG WOULD NOT ALLOW ME BACK ON MY MEDS. NOW I HAD GAINED MORE WEIGHT AND IT JUST KEPT COMING ON MY BODY WITH NO CHANGES ON MY PART. FINALLY, SHE ORDERED A DIABETIC MED ONCE A DAY AT A LOW DOSE. I WAS RELIEVED TO FINALLY RECEIVE SOME MEDICATION BUT IT DID NOT HELP THE SYMPTOMS OR SUGAR LEVELS. I CHECKED IN THE PHYSICIANS PDR TO SEE THE AVERAGE DOSAGE OF METFORMIN AND IT WAS MINIMUM 500MG. TWICE A DAY. SHE HAD PRESCRIBED METFORMIN 500 MG. IN THE MORNING. MY MORNING BLOOD SUGARS WERE STILL VERY VERY HIGH BECAUSE SHE WASN'T GIVING ME THE CORRECT DOSE AND TIMES. WHEN I SAW HER NEXT AND WE WERE DISCUSSING THE SINGLE DAILY DOSE OF METFORMIN SHE SAID " YOU WERE SO ANXIOUS ABOUT YOUR BLOOD SUGAR I JUST GAVE IT TO YOU EVEN THOUGH I DON'T THINK YOU NEED IT." I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY EARS. SHE IS SO RIGID AND TALKS ABOUT THE LAWS SHE HAS TO FOLLOW AND THEN SHE SAID THAT! HAVING FURTHER A1C'S DONE AND REMINDING HER THAT THEY COVER A 3 MONTH PERIOD SHE AGAIN SAID THEY ONLY ASSESS A MONTH. IF I QUESTIONED HER SHE WOULD SCOFF AND TELL ME I WAS WRONG. FINALLY SHE OFFERED ME A REFERRAL TO AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST. I WAS SO RELIEVED. THE ENDOCRINOLOGIST UNDERSTOOD THE SITUATION IMMEDIATELY AND PUT ME BACK ON METFORMIN 1000 MG. TWICE A DAY AND NOW MY BLOOD SUGAR IS COMING DOWN, I HAVE STOPPED GAINING WEIGHT, NO FURTHER EDEMA, BLOOD PRESSURE MUCH BETTER AND MORE CONSISTENT. SHE EXPLAINED THAT THE MEDS I AM ON FOR DIABETES DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT CAUSE HYPOGLYCEMIA. SHE PUT ME THROUGH ALL OF THIS PAIN AND SUFFERING BECAUSE OF HER LACK OF KNOWLEDGE IN THIS AREA. THIS WAS ONE OF THE MOST DEMEANING, FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCES I HAVE EVER HAD WITH A DOCTOR. SHE IS FRIGHTENING, UNKIND, TRAUMATIC AND I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I HAVE ENCOUNTERED WITH HER AFTER HAVING BEEN A NURSE FOR SO LONG. SHE WILL NOT LISTEN. IF YOU CONTINUE TO PRESS YOUR POINT TO TRY TO BE HEARD SHE SAYS YOU ARE BEING ARGUMENTATIVE AND YOU MUST LEAVE HER OFFICE. I ALSO HAD ANOTHER HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE WITH HER THIS WEEK AND THAT IS WHAT PROMPTED THIS REVIEW. I HAVE NEEDED SLEEPING MEDICATION FOR A LONG TIME. I HAVE BEEN TAKING IT FOR YEARS. SINCE MY HUSBAND PASSED AWAY SLEEPING IS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT WHICH IS ONE OF THE ASPECTS OF GRIEF. SLEEP DEPRIVATION CAN CAUSE DISEASE, ANXIETY AND A MULTITUDE OF NEGATIVE EFFECTS. SINCE I HAVE BEEN SEEING DR. LIANG EACH TIME I HAVE NEEDED THE SLEEPING PILL PRESCRIPTION REFILLED I HAVE HAD TO CALL FOR HER TO REORDER IT. MY PREVIOUS DOCTOR WOULD RENEW IT FOR 4 OR 5 REFILLS SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO CALL EVERY MONTH. I SAW DR. LIANG ABOUT 2 OR 3 WEEKS AGO AND I ASKED HER IF THE PRESCRIPTION HAD REFILLS AND SHE SAID YES. WHEN I KNEW I ONLY HAD 2 NIGHTS OF MEDICATION LEFT I CALLED THE PHARMACY AND THEY SAID THERE WERE NO REFILLS. SO I BEGAN THE PROCESS OF CALLING ST.JUDE PHONE PEOPLE TO GET MESSAGES TO MY DOCTOR ASKING FOR A REFILL AND THE PHARMACY CALLED HER TOO. NO RESPONSE AND NOW I WAS OUT OF MEDICATION. I WAS AWAKE ALL NIGHT. SO YESTERDAY I CALLED TO CHECK STILL NO REFILL ORDER SO I DECIDED SINCE I CAN'T GET A CALL BACK I WILL MAKE AN APPT. I GOT IN AT TH