It's been almost three years since I found myself in the hospital at the age of 21 with a new diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes. They went on and on about how it was Type 1.5 blah blah blah. All I knew was that I was now dependent on insulin and needed it for the rest of my life. So began my new adventure :)
It had also been only a month since I started dating my boyfriend, Craig. So there we were, infatuated with each other, in the hospital, with me now having to do daily shots. I believe that it made us stronger and showed me who he was as a person. It also made me know how strong he was when I broke down crying when the CNA couldn't get the blood pressure machine to work. He didn't leave or walk away and later, when she was bothering me at 3 AM, she told me how I needed to keep him.
4 months after that, I begged my endocrinologist for a pump. I couldn't stand the Lantus. So began my journey with the Omnipod pump. At first, I loved it! Not having shots, having my meter calculate my bolus. It was wonderful. Occasionally, I would have a pod error but I would just call them up and they would send a new one. Things were fine.
Until my dad lost his job, thus leaving me insurance-less. Good thing for mothers who put me on her plan right away. However, insurance companies really don't care that your last company paid for a pump you already use. Unless it falls under their definitions of durable, they won't cover it. Well, I wasn't going to let that happen. After many phone calls, speaking to higher ups, and lots of frustration, I got to keep my pump until April of 2012. And by then, I would have a job of my own, be almost through my Masters degree and on my way to being an independent person with my own career as a teacher.
Or so I thought. Finally, December came along, fewer and fewer pod boxes were left and I decided to begin the battle of insurance companies once more. Sure enough, I was faced with the same situation. No one knew what Omnipod was, no one knew where I could get supplies and no one knew who paid for it. I was through. I threw my hands up and gave it.
So here we are, beginning of February and I am currently wearing a Medtronic Minimed Paradigm insulin pump. I'm still getting used to being attached to a device my a tube but I must say, I am super excited to see where the next few years takes me and how my diabetes will be better under control now that I can benefit from a CGM sensor as well!
To be continued...