Why?

After 30 years of living with this disease, I want to ask WHY? Not, “why me?”. Just Why.

I’ve never felt sorry for myself or wondered why my brother’s didn’t have it instead, but you would think after all these years, someone would be able to tell us why we develop diabetes!!! I know older folks who have battled 40-50+ years have more experience than me, but in my opinion even 20 years and still no clear cut answer, is unacceptable. I have often wondered where the donated $ has gone. Research? Probably research for new devices and medicines which have required us to spend more $ and no doubt made our lives somewhat easier and led to better control for many, but not all of us. I want a cure for crying out loud!!! Some of us are born with a can do, will do, won’t let a darn thing stop me type of mentality, but again, not all of us are. I admire those people tremendously, but I have found that over the years of burn out and depression, I am just not that strong. I want to be, but those of you who have experienced depression know that it’s just not that easy. So, now, as I am appreciating a newfound love for myself and who I am, I will try to embrace this disease for what it is and how it affects me on a daily basis and continue to shell out my hard earned paycheck on supplies, devices and meds.

Speaking of these necessary to have in order to live supplies, devices and meds, why do they have to cost sooo friggin much??? Oh my goodness!!! I am blessed to have a job and insurance, which I know many don’t. I am aware that many countries have a hard time even getting what they need, but for crying out loud!!! In my opinion, it’s rape on my finances and I don’t make a lot of $. Maybe universal healthcare is the answer, maybe it isn’t, but why not put regulations on the profits that pharmaceutical companies, doctors, etc. make off of us? It’s just not fair. I know, I know, life isn’t fair. I just feel like we get hit double time as PWD.

Speaking of insurance, why do they have to be so difficult??? Wow! I can’t say I’ve had as many probs as others have, but I’ve had my share of issues. Just recently, when I decided to start taking care of myself again, my endo changed my , insulin to Levemir and Novolog. I requested the pens b/c they make life just a wee bit easier. Prior to asking for my dr. to call in these new RX’s, I checked with my insurance co. online for the pricing. I saw that the pens were the same price as the vials, woohoo! So, I let the dr know what I wanted to use. The nurse called in the order and called me back to report that my insurance wasn’t going to cover the Levemir pen b/c I am not arthritic and there is no medically necessary reason for me to use it! Really??? I then called to find out what the cost of the pen was w/o insurance. The lady at the pharmacy told me it was $227 for one pen. Ouch. I called back the nurse and told her I would just use the vial, but then I asked her if the Novolog pen was denied. She said it hadn’t been & that I should check back with the pharmacy to make sure things were ok. I called them and they said insurance would allow that one in pen form. WTF!!! Seriously? I finally decide to call insurance and find out what is going on. I explained to the clueless lady on the phone that I had actually checked the pricing on line for these items and the website reported the exact same price for Levemir & lantus-pens & vials, as well as Novolog & Humalog-pens & vials. I asked why would they allow coverage of one pen but not the other, when I have to take both for the same reason. She really couldn’t give me a clear answer except that one is a preferred insulin while the other was not. 1st of all, that wasn’t the reason they gave my dr’s office for denial, but 2nd, Levemir and Novolog are made by the same company, so how could one not be a preferred insulin? Well, to further my confusion, when I went to pick up my vial of Novolog, I was shocked to see that the price of the pen was $60, so I told them to just fill the vial instead. Later that week, I went to pick it up, low and behold, price for the vial is also $60. Blood is boiling right about now… I had to buy it, b/c at this point I needed it. So I then called my insurance company again to ask what the price of the Humalog is. It is 1/2 of the price of Novolog. So my next dr appt, I asked him to switch it on over. Aren’t we supposed to avoid/relieve stresses to us for better health, wether we are diabetic or not? So why do they make it so difficult???

Speaking of dr’s, why are so few dr’s specializing in endocrinology? There are 3 in my city of 100,000+ and not another choice for 40 miles? Isn’t there $$$$$$ in endocrinology??? I look at what I pay for my care and think about the research that needs to be done to find a cure and I am still puzzled about how few endo’s are out there!!! It’s a disease people can live long lives with if they spend the $ to do so, Hello??? I go to an endo that is 40 miles away, because the only one on my insurance that is accepting new patients is hardly what I’m looking for in a dr. I do like my new endo, just not the drive to see him.

Thanks for reading everyone!!!

I have no doubt that the various people around the world working on a cure are working hard at what they do but you have to wonder why we are yet to discover what causes T1 diabetes let alone cure it! Its an analogy that has been made before but you have to wonder what the length of time was to develop a little blue pill that allows some older gentlemen to ‘pitch a tent’ so to speak :wink:
As for the insurance stuff, luckily for me my country has socialised medicine so I can’t empathise but it does sound typical of insurance companies. In the recent devestating floods here in Australia, a lot of insurance companies are refusing to pay out based on disputes over the way a policy is written in regard to flood damage
:frowning:

All that stress isn’t good for BG is it. We all have issues like that. I can’t even get an appointment with an endo, doc gave me a script to see one (I need a referral), and I called 3 times, they are too busy to take new patients, sooooooooooo, we just sit here and waste away while waiting to get in to see a specialist? UGH. That is when I said I need to take care of myself. My doc is clueless. Last visit I had a sinus infection and strep throat, doc says, why do you think your BG is so high? Ummmmm cause I have 2 infections? Fever 103? How do you not know that BG rises in sick people!? It even rises in sick people who are NOT diabetic. UGH, very frustrating all of it! But, that is why we come here, we discuss, bounce ideas, read each others rants. :slight_smile:

Not to be cynical, but I am actually suspicious about many diabetic companies. They make an insane amount of money off of diabetes; why give the cure. I also agree that its been way too long of a period for them to have not found any more information on diabetes. Don’t get me wrong, I am appreciative of the products, but I feel like a cure or SOMETHING even less could have been found out by now.
I am thankful for diabetic research, but I am skeptical of the larger diabetic companies’ motives.

I hear your frustation with this whole business of healthcare with individuals that have existing health conditions. Its ridiculous. 2 years ago I spent 6K in 10 months for my pump supplies and insulin. Thank the lord that I’m insured now. In any case I use a company called MEDCO for my insulin (Humalog) (was on Novolin) and they are great. They have a process called Medco by mail which I use. I receive 10 vials of Humalog every quarter for $70 (copay). I was paying CVS $65 every month for 1 vial. Stay upbeat tomorrow will be a better day…

Just going to address one thing here, INSURANCE! Don’t worry it drives me crazy too

Theres no money in the cure, its as simple as that. Theres no money in any cures. My mom use to work for the american cancer society years ago, maybe over 20 years ago, she told me that one of the researchers called and said “i found the cure” he was killed the next day (what are the chances?). I’d like to believe all the hard work that has been put in by the DOC and many others would not go to waste but sadly theres so much greed. Its a sad world we live in sometimes.

Amen Elisa!!! There is no money in cures! Enough said!!!

I have no faith there will be a cure. There is not money to make if all the diabetics go away. I think some European country will likely find a cure for the disease because they have socialized medicine, In the US there only looking for the next gadget or pill to keep us stuck with this disease as they live in there million dollar homes. As we all sit at home contimplating how we are going to pay for our supplies.

grabs tin foil hat Look I’m all for conspiracy theories and all that and sure when you look at D that way it sure is a money maker - first there are the treatments, doc visits, specialist visits and later more of the same for D complications that occur. As a larger percentage of people worldwide are diagnosed with diabetes it is literally making the medical world millions and millions. However the cost to society is huge and I’m not talking money here…I simply cannot believe that there won’t be a cure!
The US pretty much stands alone in regard to the health care system it provides - sure you get the latest and greatest but at what cost? You also have to ask yourself why the latest and greatest is also available in countries like the UK and Australia, free of charge or at heavily reduced costs. Look this isn’t a beat up so will stop here but IMHO the sooner medicine is looked at in regard to patient care and availability as opposed to profits, the better we will all be.