Living with Diabetes

Author: kathleen

  • Things are slowly getting better

    There are two numbers that aren’t budging and they are frustrating me – my weight and my A1C.

    One number is getting better – that’s my sleep number.  I’m getting over 7 hours a night lately which is much better than it was in December.  I think I was average about 4 hours, even less some nights, especially when I was dealing with the gas line.

    I do know that number has to improve before the other ones will.

    I’ve got one more doctor’s appointment next week – primary care.

    I’ve got all of my medical supplies ordered, and most of them are here.  The last box was here, but we did the billing wrong, so that box is on it’s way back to Medtronics, and its’ replacement will be here next week.

    My prescriptions are on the way, one arrived today.  So yes, life is MUCH better.

  • Medtronic Sensors covered by Express Scripts Pharmacy

    Okay, now this gets weird.  Express Scripts won’t cover the Bayor Countour glucose test strips but they will cover the sensors? 

    Whatever, sensor exchange happening.

  • Getting used to SemiRetirement

    Actually it isn’t that hard.  Layers of stress have been rolling off. 

    First I got my medical insurance card.  And leave it to Express Scripts to make sure I get my presciption stuff on January 2.   I did get my information from them in advance and had PillPack working on things as soon as they opened after the 1st.

    I’ve been getting all the medical appointments done that I’ve put off because of the $3500 deductible.  Well woman last week, endo this week, primary care next week.

    Get my CPAP supplies last week, insulin pumps supplies are shipping today.  Have that all on autoship now.  Well, the CPAP stuff I pick up because the office is in Dallas and they are nice.

    Nice to know that everything is covered with the reasonable deductible.  Yes, I pay more each month, but its all piece of mine.

    Oh, and best yet, I show up in the Texas Teacher Retirement system as retired and I know what my gross pay is.

    All good!  Now if I can get my A1C down.  It’s 8.1, was 8.0 and of course during the holidays.

    Oh, and I ended up not scheduling a retirement party because the process brought out my social anxiety disorder.

  • Loving Yoga

    I have been doing yoga since about the time we got back from our cruise.  On January 1, we celebrated my 50th class and celebrated doing their 60 day challenge – doing 5 classes a week for 60 days.

    I missed a few days last week, between a dog agiity trial and doctor’s appointments, it just didn’t happen.

    It seems to be helping my overall pain level and its definately helping the mood. 

  • Got to love @ExpressScripts

    Got my prescriptions cards precisely on the 2nd of January.  Will need new medications shipped on the January 14th.  I’ve already got everything to @PillPack and I have full confidence they’ll get the ducks lined up.  So much nicer than dealing with it on my own.

    Don’t know if I can afford using them forever, but I can’t wait to be back with them.

    On the good side, @ExpressScripts doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for Neupro – hmmm, that makes me wonder if they have a coupon.

    And they do, and @PillPack should have it.  If not, I’ll get it on Monday.

  • Express Scripts has a Windows Phone App!

    I might have to change my mind about Express Scripts.  They made me absolutely nuts when I had to use them before – between how they shipped insulin, to how they manage some medications.

    There are advantages to Express Scripts over UHC Optum RX – they charge by the month, not the dose.

    They allow PillPack though I have to pay the monthly cost, not the 90 day.  The nice thing about Pill Pack is that they help manage my medications that take pre-certification.

    We’ll see how it goes, but I am going to let PillPack handle things for awhile.

  • Thank you for Birthday Wishes

    I am enjoying the birthday wishes, and have good plans today – an exercise workshop with @sunstonefit and dinner later with my husband.

    This is an important birthday for me as I am eligible now for Texas Teacher Retirement benefits.  In fact, I have all the medical information and am now chasing down pre-certification for prescriptions, etc.

    I’m letting PillPack do the heavy lifting on that as I know that dealing with Express Scripts makes me crazy.

    I’m also getting my head wrapped around the semi-retirement thing.  I know that people laugh when I say that retiring is hard.  BUT, first, this came as a surprise – I didn’t think it would happen as soon as it did – I got a bit lucky because I teach tech and could buy retirement years.  I could have gone back to the classroom, I had a job offer from a local school, but all signs pointed that it wasn’t the right thing for me any more.

    I’ve always been very active, especially mentally, and I hate wasting all that education I have.  So there you go.

    The best thing that has happened to me in the past two years is Johns Hopkins.  I have to thank a Syster for refering me to that job.   I teach computer science and web design for them and typically have over 10 students.  I typically put in 15 minutes to 2 hours a day.  I can do it anywhere I have good internet access – I did have to leave an agility trial recently because I didn’t.

    I have also just started working on an Open Source project – for the software I am using now.  I always blog best when I am using LiveWriter and I am working on @OpenLiveWriter doing what I do best – supporting developers so that they can concentrate on code.   I would do a full time job doing that as a gig if there was the right project and developers but that doesn’t seem to be happening.  Softcard was the right project, but man were they the wrong people.  Individually okay, but sure didn’t know how to play together.

    I am also doing my version of Extreme Weight Loss.  Meaning mostly that it it isn’t extreme.  I’m working out at Planet Fitness, our local aquatics center and SunStone Fit.  I don’t make it to all three each day, though I have once. 

    I’m even doing more dog training and am looking forward to getting a puppy (beagle) in the near future.

  • Why am I selling stuff? (Hair accessories)

    Why not?

    No seriously.  I love these items.   I have been wearing them for over two years now and everytime someone sees them up close they want them.

     

    FX-2571_Large_Web

    This is several sizes of the same design.  They come in one piece, and are easy to use.

    FX-2571_M_Web_02

    Just slide the pin in place and you are good to go.

    I’ve been using these in yoga:

    UP-LUX_Large_Web

     

    UP-2647-L_ALT_Large_Web

    Super simple.  Twist hair up, stick one in vertical and one horizontal and you are good to go.

    It’s at http://www.lillarose.com/kweaver.

  • New Business–Hair Jewelry

    See http://www.lillarose.biz/kweaver  Gorgeous hair jewerly.  Found these at an agility trial – and have loved them ever since.  They are made out flexible wire, look gorgeous, and are easy to use.

    My favorite right now is the You-Pins, wrap up your hair, stick two pins in them and you are good to go.  They also have really cute badge clips.  So there is something there for everyone.

    More later, but I love these!

  • Awesome Nordstrom Experience

    Posting here because @Nordstrom has ads here.

    In the midst of an awecome @Nordstrom exerience which all mistakes were my fault.

    My sister and I share a birthday and I foud the perfect present for her on clearance and since I’ve gone through the checkout process with them only to find out that someone else bought the same item before I did, and didn’t get it, I didn’t check the address until after tracking showed it was delivered and she didn’t get it.

    I sent it to her old address with her new name.  <sigh>

    They opened it without seeing who it was to, but that’s okay.  She got ahold of them and they put it out for UPS to pick up again.

    I called Nordstrom customer service to see it if had arrived and told the customer service rep the story. It took us some looking but the reason it was on clearance is that the manufacturer had come out with a new version that was cuter.

    Since they hadn’t processed the new one (if it has even arrived), they still went ahead and shipped the new version for the sale price AND upgraded the shipping for free for her to get it in time, since UPS is playing crazy games.

    All very awesome.

     

    Though when we were talking about this, Karen decided to get me a Nordstrom gift card because “they take care of you”, to the point of carrying exercise wear in my size. 

    Typing this while at Nordstrom buying exercise wear and taking advantage of my personal 10 points day.