Starting the path to a CGM

I just faxed the paperwork for a Dexcom CGM. It took some doing to get the fax out, but I was determined after hitting a Bg of 59 mid-morning. You see I am one of five children, three of us were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within a few years. My youngest brother and I where determined to be type 1.5 at the same time a few months ago. I think the other brother is in denial about the prospect that he could also be or become type 1.5. We have an extremely strong family history, with a segment of the family we are not close to. In my Dad’s family, his two siblings both had diabetes, and he does not. Notice I said “had”; my uncle died from a heart attach (combination of drinking, smoking, and possibly diabetes). My Aunt died from hypoglycemia.

I knew it was time to change doctors when I tried to explain that the reason my A1c was high was because of my Aunt’s death. This doctor had been treating me, unsuccessfully, for type 2 diabetes for several years. She never ran any blood work to determine the source of my diabetes when I had no characteristics of typical type 2’s. At the time of my Aunt’s death I had experienced several overnight lows that fortunately woke me up. The doctor just didn’t understand.

After some procrastination I sought out a new doc, and boy did I find a great one. The first thing he told me was, “I don’t know everything, and I don’t want you to think I know everything, so we may need to find you a specialist.” That was the best thing I could have heard. He does not treat my diabetes, but he ordered the blood work that resulted in the type 1.5 diagnosis, I go to an endocrinologist for that now, and I encourage anyone that is using a Primary Care Physician to treat their diabetes to consider seeing an endocrinologist. I learned that there are other autoimmune disorders that as a diabetic we are much more likely to have than other patients. Mine is watching my thyroid closely.

All I can do now is sit back and wait for the paperwork to be processed. Keep testing every few hours.

Is your insurance going to pay for you CGM? I would love to have one, but until insurance companies begin to pay for these devices, they are not an option for me.