Additional considerations. Lately, they're making me crazy. Diabetes serves up a plate load of them. Every. Day.

The insulin pump at my hip - and how to keep it dry. The insulin that goes in the pump - and how to keep it cold. My hip-hopping bloodsugar - and how to make it sit somewhat still. The food I eat - and how to keep it from sending my bloodsugar levels soaring. And all the medicine and supplies - and how to pay for them all.

That last is a big deal. A really big deal. (READ MORE)

I was a little shocked, actually, to have gotten a real answer instead of a blow off "It's in medical review" answer.

My pump rep and my endo's nurse have jumped through hoops giving my insurance company the information it needs/wants in regard to approving my CGMS claim. I thought there was going to be a conversation between the insurance folks and my doctor's office, not just a flat out "No." I really thought that giving them all this information and stressing that I have hypo unawareness would surely make them say yes. Like I said, I was shocked.

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand I'm still ready for a fight. I've called my pump rep to fill him in and see where we go from here--not to say, "I give up, thanks for trying." On this hand I feel a little angry that they have all this information detailing medical necessity and still say no. (READ MORE)

Jumping into the world of pumping is no simple task. And I don’t mean that it is hard to get an insulin pump. The hard part is picking through the available pump companies, deciding which one suits your lifestyle, and finding a way to pay for it. If you live in Duckburg and own a bank vault full of coins, you can pay the thousands of dollars for up-front costs and hundreds monthly for a pump. But for the rest of us, health insurance is the only avenue to an insulin pump. (READ MORE)

So I try to be a good person with diabetes who sees his doctor when he is supposed to. Who gets his lab work done every three months. One who checks his blood glucose level six to eight times a day. All that good stuff.

So as a pump user, I am told to order my supplies when I open my last box. That was almost a month ago and guess what I did when I opened my last box?

Yup. I went online and ordered my three month supply of infusion sets and reservoirs. I should be good to go. I pat myself on the back and wait for a conformation email to arrive.

Like a prom night flashback, I wait and wait to hear from someone while my heart sinks deeper into the "why me" realm as time ticks by. (READ MORE)

ldleeuw

When I was little, I imagined a perfect life. I picked careers, pretended to make life-changing decisions and pictured my future. Nothing was affected by realistic needs and the facts of my life. I could be anything and never worry about discrimination in the workplace. I could live anywhere and not stress over medical access or insurance. My mind was limitless.

Now I make these life-changing decisions for real: I pick future careers, places to live and potential spouses. Now I have limits. My decisions factor in my diabetes and my future with diabetes. I look at things like job requirements, insurance benefits and personal reactions to my diabetes. Everything is affected by it. (READ MORE)

Last week when I emailed my human resources rep about how to interpret the information I got from customer service about what is covered in regard to an insulin pump, the last thing I expected to hear was that as of Jan. 1 we'd have a new insurance company.

I really didn't think much of the insurance switch at the time. In fact, I never really have had such a vested interest in my insurance company until now. The biggest obstacle I saw when S. told me of the switch was that I might not get the same deal on an insulin pump as the customer service guy told me I could get. (READ MORE)