I have type 1 diabetes. I was diagnosed when I was 10 years old. I have always struggled with my diabetes; it is a constant challenge to balance out the levels of insulin, food intake and exercise. It takes multiple blood tests every day and lots of injections. For me I have become so frustrated because I am doing all of the things that should result in having reasonable glucose levels but all the work and energy I put into it isn’t working. My glucose will bounce from high to low over and over. It is overwhelming and frustrating a lot of the time, if I let myself dwell on how all my efforts to control it aren’t working it can be downright scary and depressing.
I am experiencing rapidly progressing complications that are things that can improve, stop being damaged or even in the case of the nerves and circulation in my feet I may be able to reverse the damage with tight control of my glucose levels. I will have new lab results in a few weeks and I am cringing to think of facing my doc again because I am pretty sure the average measure of glucose control they take will be worse than the last one. With the last set of labs my doc stressed the importance of tighter control and reminded me that my liver and kidneys are not going to hold up under the strain of this roller coaster of glucose levels, especially the high sugars. I have so much I’d like to do with my life and I hate feeling sick and worn out or scared of having a bad low when I am alone - I am going to do what it takes to improve my health and my life and based on recommendations and research the pump is the closest diabetics can get to being like a “normal” person with a functional pancreas.
I have been on the calling, faxing and emailing the insurance and various pump manufacturing companies over the last month or so to see what I could do from my side. The insurance has some sympathy for diabetics but budge any more than what I already got them to do with the medical need paperwork and exemption from the full deductible to a lesser deductible. So I do have some assistance with insurance and the low income program I qualified for with the manufacturing company of the Onetouch PING pump. The bottom line and the reason I have been reaching out to see if there are additional resources is that I have some coverage but being low income and already having monthly medical costs I don’t have the means to pay the difference. I would need to pull together 1120.00 initially. Then I’d pay monthly on a payment plan until I’d paid the other part, no interest on that balance thankfully with the low income program at the pump company 
I will have higher monthly supply costs for my diabetes care but not too bad (tubes, infusion set and the wells that hold the insulin in addition to my current insulin and test strips costs) but as I’ve said my health and my life are worth that!
I am checking every avenue I can for resources, assistance and even considering fund raising projects… any thoughts would be appreciated : )
There are organizations that help people who can’t afford insulin pumps to obtain refurbished pumps. Islets of Hope has a massive list of resources that you can access here: http://www.isletsofhope.com/diabetes/insurance/medications_supplies_1.html
Hope that helps!