So, I just need to blow off a little steam here. Everything has been going pretty well with Brennen’s diabetes management, but today I got really peeved. Our insurance has a diabetes wellness program that Brennen is signed up for and I had gotten a message on Friday that we needed to call to update his records. So, I called today to do that so everything was set for all of his supplies to be delivered to us etc. When I finally got connected to the person that I needed to talk to, she started totally prying into what was going on with him. I had had to tell her that he just switched to the pump (so we could get all of the correct supplies that we now need delivered) and she began asking about his BG readings and how often we test and all kinds of stuff like that. Right now his numbers are all over the place because we are trying to figure out the correct insulin to carb ratio for him, the right correction factor, and we are still in the “honeymoon” phase which is slowly but surely creeping away. This woman actually had the nerve to tell me she though his insulin to carb ratio was not right that we were giving him too much insulin. At meals he is usually only getting 1/2 unit as it is. I asked her theoretically, if he were still on shots, like he was just 4 days ago, what I should do since 1/2 unit is the smallest dosage that can be given from a syringe. She seemed like she couldn’t believe that I actually was aware that that was the case and didn’t really have a good answer for that question. Then she said that for his age a fasting blood sugar in the 100-150 range was too low and that that is why his sugars have been going so high after breakfast. She said he is rebounding. Then she had the nerve to ask if we had ever tried not to give him any insulin after breakfast and see what his sugars would do, that maybe we should try that. Seriously!?! WTF! I could tell her what they would do. Shoot up sky high and land him in the hospital for DKA again. It isn’t like he was sent home from the hospital two months ago automatically on 4 shots a day. He started on just long term insulin once a day and quickly, within a week, graduated up to his normal 4 shots a day. This woman made me feel like I was a total moron and had no idea what I was doing. She even questioned whether or not I knew how to read a food label. By the time the call was over, I was so frustrated that I was in tears. Not to “toot my own horn” or anything, but I think I am doing a fine job taking care of my son. I already have somewhat of a medical background, I had gestational diabetes when pregnant with both of my boys, so I get it, and I have taken a lot of time to educate myself further about diabetes. I am working very closely with our endocrinologist, diabetes educaor, and pump educator. I don’t need some nurse who works for an insurance company telling me what I should do to take care of my diabetic child!!! So frustrating!!! Just needed to vent.
I feel your frustration.
You’re under no obligation to answer any of these questions, or discuss your son’s treatment with anyone. The next time someone from the insurance company calls, don’t tell them anything about his medical condition. If they pry, tell them to contact his endo (who won’t tell them a thing). I get frequent calls & letters from my insurance carrier informing me of their 24-hour on-call nurse & asking me why I haven’t participated in their free service. I delete the messages & throw out the letters. My insurance company’s nurse is the last person I’d speak to for obvious reasons. Call the insurance company, speak to the highest ranking person you can & tell him/her you’re outraged that a nurse would undermine & question your endo’s instructions. Write a letter to follow-up stating you feel harrassed & request never to be contacted again about his treatment plan.
And so you should! If this happens next time, just say that since whoever it is that you are speaking to is not a professional medic, that you would prefer to only be speaking to a doctor who has examined and knows your son better than someone on the end of the telephone. End of discussion!
Next time just let her know that you are making recordings of every call from the insurance company. Just to make sure that there is no room for “misunderstanding”. Then you should try to make her repeat some of her previous advice: last time you said … . I am sure this will be fun.