I’ve been diabetic since 1997, type 1. I’m looking for some extra support, my husband is supportive but i have been dealing with diabetes for a while now and he is still in the training process lol. We just got married a couple weeks ago and i finally have insurance after about 3 1/2 years of not. i couldn’t afford it and i couldn’t get help though the state. i have not been testing so i don’t know what my numbers are running…it was all i could do just to afford my insulin…i have insurance now since we got married and my endocrinologist appt is in the morning…i’m tarrified. i eat healthy and i work out all the time but have no way to track my numbers. Any suggestions are welcome and i’m trying to make a list of questions to ask the DR. tomorrow so any help there would be awesome too! I look forward to being a part of this forum!
I would say don’t be terrified! If you couldn’t afford to test, you couldn’t afford to test. If you want to bet that the doctor won’t tell you to test, I will take the over on that for $1,000,000.00 TuDollars! LOL. I would be leery of the doctor telling you not to test enough though? It seems like some docs think that people don’t test because they don’t want to, more than because of the sort of fiduciary conundrums that you are describing. If he suggests “well, if you are not testing, you should test at least four times/ day” that would be a HUGE red flag and you should BLACK FLAG her and explain that you need him to rx a bunch of them. I still run through 12-14 many days, even with a CGM, and it is always useful to test A LOT.
Same thing happened for me insurance wise. Got married, got insurance and got diagnosed all in 10 days.
All I can say is start now. Get a meter (they’re cheap) check out how your insurance covers test strips since they are the costly part… I really like my Accucheck Compact plus. Much easier to use than the Bayer Breeze I started with. I can’t imagine doing this without a meter. I would be sooo lost.
See what the Dr. has to say. I assume you have a pretty good understanding of D since you have had it for a while. If not, read up. Lots of good resources like this site and “Blood Sugar 101”.
Good luck and congratulations on doing as well as you have with one hand tied behind your back. Time to use all the tools and kick some D butt.
I would ask your endo a lot of questions to feel the endo and their staff. Recomended diet? Lantus & Humalog or does they push for a pump? Are you open to a pump? What type of pump is thier favorite? Will they help you get a (new) pump? Prescriptions for everything! insulin(s)? test strips? glucagon? Will the endo let you take control or will they dump you if you do not explicitly follow their instructions? possibly ask about pregnancy? (since your a newlywed, congrats!) Possibly ask to meet the staff as you may be spending a bit of time with a dietician or Certified Diabetes Educator to see if you mesh well with them.
I think it’s good just to be honest and say that you’ve not been able to afford the strips. if the doctor berates you for your socioeconomic realities then maybe they are not the physician for you. as for questions, I’m not sure: you could ask what bg monitor would best suit your needs and what to watch out for with insurance? What were you thinking as far as questions go?
I like my Contour USB best, but they are more expensive because they are new. I know the OneTouch Mini is relatively cheap, though I am not so sure about the test strips. Last time I saw the meter at Wal-Mart it was around ten dollars, but like I said the strips are not cheap… so maybe there is a better choice than that…
People seem to like the book ‘Think Like a Pancreas’ for diabetes information. I’ve had diabetes for almost 18 years and it is a good refresher sometimes.
I hope everything goes well for you and am glad you are finally able to get some of the things you need under the insurance.
With an endo you’re going to have some blood tests, soon.
Ask how to get the results of the A1c as soon as he has it or if you can get it directly from the lab.
Ask for a prescription for at least 9 test strips a day for awhile & tell him it’s so you can establish what’s going on - you need them for getting up, after breakfast, midmorning, before lunch, after lunch, midafternoon, before supper, after supper a couple times, during the night. Sounds like you work out, so you need strips before during and after.
Ask for a CGM so you can see what different kinds of foods are doing. Ask for a pump if you can get one. Ask for non-office hours phone number. Ask who in his office you’re supposed to call. If you’re unsure of carb counting, ask for who you can go to, to get that help.
Ask how he feels about you reducing doses as things get under control. Ask what he thinks is a good target zone for you.
Write down all your asks so he can see you’re serious. And find out how he reacts.
And with following your notes, you won’t be terrified, you’ll be in charge of the direction you’re going, and the doctor will fall in line if he’s any good.
Careful not to pull yourself down toooo fast or you’ll have bounces, swings that will require a trapeze.
Congratulations on getting married, and getting health insurance! Good change all around, huh? Remember that the doc is there to serve YOU, not the other way around, and any information you get from the visit is just a tool for your use in making good decisions about your health. Have a good appointment. I hope it goes well
What’s done is done - you can’t change anything about your upcoming test results now.
But what you can do is to see it as a new start. No matter what the results will be (maybe they aren’t even bad, you never know), it is in your hands to make them better.
If you can afford it now, start testing. Get a meter, maybe you can get one for free.
Get a second appointment in a while when you have an idea of what your numbers are, and work out a plan with your endo.
You would think there was help out there right Lynne? Unfortuantly there’s not. We might have gotten some sort of help when we were kids with Type 1 but we do grow up and then it’s really sad when u try and find someone out there to help u.
That is not true. There are only a couple low cost health care clinics in the state of PA and none of them are anywhere near me. They have to have a provider to get stuff thru them and a lot of people can’t afford to pay out over $100 to walk in the door. The drug programs don’t offer test strips.
What’s the issue? I was just playing around w/ my Bayer Contour USB today, I figured I should use the 25 complimentary strips before they expire? It was 2 points lower than the One Touch Mini I did right before it. I was thinking it would be a bit smaller to lug along running but I am such a sweaty mess these days, everything has to be ziplocked up and it doesn’t work too well with either meter. Plus I seem to have chucked the cap for the sucker so I’d have to get another one somehow.
