Its not a luxury!

Type 1 and LADA
#1

Several Days ago my BD meter that came with my pump got run over. So I called Minimed who sent me to Santiva (the company that deals with the meters now) after explaining everything to the lady on the phone she told me that she was sending a new one out. Well we were in the middle of a Ice Storm and UPS was not delivering anything so I went to Ft. Sill (the Army base by my house) to try to get a meter just until the other one came.
I first went to the pharmacy where the lady was trying to help me as much as she could but could not give me a new meter. The family doctor I see was out for the day and it was past time for a walk-in with any other doctor. So I went to the clinic and spoke with the nurse who was a not very nice (if you get my drifft) and she told me that I was just going to have to wait until the meter came or till the doctor got back (my doctor had had a baby the day before so she was not coming back for at least a couple weeks) So my next stop was the ER (I HATE TO THE ER) after explaining what was going on with the E2 (PVT) at the desk she still told me I would have to sign in and see a doctor. There was like 40 people in the waiting room! So I ask to speak to a nurse. The nurse came out and did not even listen to what I had to say she just told me that I needed to sit and wait for a doctor!
At this point I am about ready to go crazy! They are acting like a glucose meter is a luxury!!! So I sign in and take a seat. Expecting it to be several hours before I even get called to triage I take the book from my purse and plan to be there all day long. Then out of now where the PVT calls me to the desk and tells me to go up to Internal Medicine that the doctor up there will see me and give me a meter.
Even though I know that a internal medicine doctor does not treat diabetes I am willing to do anything at that point.
So I go up to the internal clinic and sure enough the doctor saw me immediately (I did not even have a chance to sit down) He asked me what was the problem and I told him
"I have Type 1 diabetes. I am on a Minimed 722 insulin pump and my meter got run over this morning. All I need from you is a RX for a meter. " It was quite for a second and he said “That — ER team couldn’t give you a RX for a meter! Are you serious?” Here is your RX and you can pick the meter at the pharmacy downstairs. But I would like you to come with me to the ER first. I did not know what to expect but I went with him. We went to the ER and walked into this office were there were 3 doctors were sitting and he lit them up!!! I was scared and he was not even yelling at me. He even brought up that I am asking for something that will keep me alive!!! In his words “She is asking for a blood glucose meter not a nose job!!! And I know that if she could not have Diabetes she wouldn’t. Next time you are to busy drinking coffee and — around to take care of a pt. will be your last day as a doctor!” That was the end out it we walked out did not even give them a chance to respond.

I have never ever had a doctor stand up for me like that! I liked it!

Well I got my meter and I LOVE IT! I don’t even want to use the BD one.

#2

It is good to know there are still some doctors out there, who know what the heck is going on. I sometimes feel that diabetes is treated like a minor inconvenience by non diabetics.

#3

Wow
My meter broke one Fri and they said it would be Tues before they could get a new one out to me, so I paged my doctor after hours and he called me in a script immediately for a new one. But then I found the Precision Xtra online and had to try it and have fallen in love with it.

#4

Wow! I’m so impressed with his reaction, that was brilliant! Wish you filmed it!!

#5

Thankfully someone realized it wasn’t a luxury! I have 4 usable meters at my house right now. Thankfully! I can’t imagine going without my meter! And most people GIVE meters away! It seems crazy that they wouldn’t write you a script. I’m glad the doctor stood up for you. It’s nice that some people get it.

#6

Well I now have 3 usable ones and 5 non-usable ones.

Well it being a military hospital they one carry one type of meter and those test strips. So I could not even get test for my flash that I have at home. and military doctor can only wright scripts for a military pharmacy. So that was the main problem.

#7

Good for you and that Dr! I’ve got one that will lit up the lazy Drs in ER and I totally LOVE it! Drs like that are GREAT!!! It does make you feel really good to get one like that! That’s how I got the one I’ve had for 23 years now from the ER! He took Type 1 as seariously as I did and jumped the rest of them in the ER and MADE SURE he was my Dr and I wouldn’t trade him for anything!!!

#8

I’m glad it worked out finally, but why don’t you have a spare meter? Keep them both calibrated so that you can swap in the spare if you destroy, lose, or even just drop your main meter.

#9

Hmm… from your thread “How many meters do you have” I see that you have 8 meters. If only one of them can be used with your pump isn’t that like having 7 spare tires, none of which will fit your car?

You were well equiped to measure your BS levels, even if you couldn’t calibrate your pump. Did the Doctor who chewed out his fellow Doctors for risking your life know that you had 7 working meters?

I don’t pump, so maybe I don’t understand the issues. Does the pump suddenly stop working if you can’t calibrate it against a particular meter model?

#10

I do have other working meters but no current RX’s for those strips. Also I was at a military hospital so they are only allowed to wright scripts for meds at the base pharmacy (that is what I was told) so I was trying my best to get a script for another meter strips but they could not do that. Also with my insurance I can only have a script for one meter at the same time.

#11

Got it. Strips with no meter, and meters with no strips.

I always have at least 2 meters that can use whatever strips I am currently using.