Encouragement is Sometimes the Best Medicine

I have a patient who we recently diagnosed with diabetes. During our visits, I have tried to explain the importance of reducing simple carbs in his diet, but I don't think that he ever "got it." At our last visit, I noticed that he lost 30 pounds over the past 3 months (and I didn't need a scale to tell me that). He was proud of the progress that he had made with he weight and his improved diabetic control. When I asked him how he did it, he told me that he was eating a lot of rice. At that moment, the thought briefly entered my mind of discussing carbs again. But you know what? I didn't say a word! That day was not the right time for that discussion? He was doing well, losing weight, and his glycemic control had improved. That day was the time for simple encouragement. That day was the time to celebrate his success.