Category: Blog

Probably the longest I’ve gone without blogging, not sure the site even exists.  New jobs have been sucking all the energy.

For those who don’t know, I’m switched roles, I’m developing software full time and teaching part time.  Both are good gigs, and I took a bit of cut in pay, but I’m happier.

The development gig has been taking up all my writing energy.  I take notes on the stuff I’ve learned, what I’m doing and writing documentation most of the day.  I’ve forgotten that takes away my urge to write.

Blood sugar control isn’t good, but my workout routine is great.  I’ve managed to get to the gym almost every day.  There were a couple of days last week when we hit a hard deadline but there you go.

Hopefully I’ll be back here more often.

I'm on a new plan and I was paying about $230 a month on prescriptions.  Now I am paying $436.  On my old plan, I was paying about $500 a month for the plan, now, about $250.

My co-pay for my insulin pump supplies is double.  It will be interesting to see when I meet my out of pocket expenses.

Of course, the costs don't include pump supplies, doctor's copays, etc., so I am definately paying more for health care.  I almost feel like my whole salary is being eaten up by the health care costs.

UHC claims that their mail order service might save me money but they can't guarantee it.  I really do like Pill Pack so they get to keep my business.

Fun stuff, and I still don't know if my sensors are covered. 

New job is still kicking my butt, but since I have a much younger co-worker that seems to have even less energy at the end of the day, I'm not too worried.  Enjoying it.

So I now have a "normal" insurance policy.  For years, I paid over $500 a month more to get a premium health insurance policy.  Now I am paying half as much through United Health Care.

It seems out of pocket is about twice as much.  Under $500 for pump supplies over a three month period, when I paid until $300 before. 

The most irritating thing is that I keep getting contacted by the insurance companies from my old job. Yes, companies, as they changed insurance companies.  Both think I am still getting coverage.

Of course, there are claims still trickling in and that's fine.

Last week I talked with Medtronics and they said, you were denied coverage because of your diagnosis.  I told them I wanted to see about an override, and they said I would have to talk with the insurance company.

I wasn't up for it, so waited until Monday. 

The reason I was denied?  Medtronics had submitted a 90 day claim and they only do 31 day claims.  I get that.  When I got my CPAP, it was a rental for the first year or so, because there are a lot of people who can't tolerate it. 

So I called Medtronics back and explained it.

Questions?

Why didn't Medtronics look at the claim denial and figure it out on their own?

I'm also wondering if they even processed the claim on the supplies — they sent me a pump once without getting coverage.

<sigh>

The only type of work left to you is a stressful, working at a desk job.

Your arthritis means that you cannot do any job involving a lot of standing or walking.

You need the Continuous Glucose sensors because you are hypoglycemic unaware.

Insurance won't cover because you are overweight, thus you have to be Type 2.

You have been pumping insulin because that is the only way you even maintain weight. Multiple daily injections and basal insulin made you roller coaster.

The good news, they will pay for the supplies but Medtronics doesn't want to go for the overide.

You could do the sensors out of pocket but it is somewhere around $500 a month, about a fourth of your take home.

Another option is disability, about 2/3 of your old take home. It would be ironic if that company would cover the sensors.

Of course, I am lucky, I have Dulce. She is back working part time, getting ready to go full time. But that is a lot of work.

Sent from my Windows Phone

I can't use my new insurance benefits until September 1. I have an overlap and the old insurance takes precedence.

So I can't go back to Novolog until September 1

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Back when I was injecting, not pumping, I was on Humalog – and a few months on the pump.  And then we decided that Humalog was what was making me itch.  Even Symlin, made by Lily made me itch, but a itch with injecting isn’t that bad.

But I just saw a chart today, and it shows that Humalog has a longer action and a longer tail.  Meaning that it takes longer to work and stays in your body longer.

I’m sensitive to those things, and having to sit around and wait for the insulin to work and then being stuck with it forever, is NOT a good thing.

I don’t know what happened to the sensitivity and it also sort of makes me wonder if I would now do better with the Dexcom.

Don’t want to push my skin and really don’t want to carry two devices.

Sunday night along with the rest of this weekends excitement my CPAP failed.

Threw off an error message so I pulled the plug and rebooted it.

I thought it was putting off enough pressure but I woke up feeling like I hadn't used it. Which happens rarely, since the phase " feeling like doggy dodo" is appropriate.

First thing I did driving into work, was to call the medical supply company. They are awesome. Hope Home Medical if you are in the Dallas area and you need CPAP. Owner does and gets us.

They called back as soon as they opened and said they would try to replace it. They got approval right away and I had a new machine at noon.

I love it. It turns itself off and on. It has a thermostat on the humidifier. And it has an indicator for mask leaks.

5 years is a long way in medical devices.

I am quite happy I could do this on school insurance and wait to deal with the new insurance.

I have new everything.

Sent from my Windows Phone

I will start out by saying that anyone in IT should have looked me up by now and they would know.  So if you are a new coworker of mine, “howdy”.

I have been worried about two things: keeping insulin in the workplace – I already had a pen out because I thought I might be staying over night somewhere, and I routinely rotate my vials.

That being said, I would like to keep a fresh vial and pen at work.  At the school gig, I had a small refrigerator in my room for years.  It got old so I just started routinely carrying cold water and refrigerated insulin and that worked well. 

But people, I work in an office attached to the mall!  And they give us cold drinks and hot drinks.  Just about any flavor you imagine.  So I’m dragging water any where?

And people, I work in an office attached to the mall and I have to get away from people for a while.  So yes, I’m eating in the mall.  Don’t worry, they know me by name at the Nordstrom’s café.  And Starbucks is closer.  Bet I’ll find other secret places with stuff I can eat for lunch.

So, I asked – can I leave my insulin in the break refrigerator and the person I asked showed me a closer break room.  We have a beverage area, a break room on our floor and another break room.  However, I’m going to have to share a conference room with 5 other people starting next week.  Oh well.

I also asked, since I have to share a conference room with 5 other people and the cube farm isn’t any more private if it would be okay to use the mother’s room if I had to make an adjustment.  She said sure.

By the way, we have real restrooms with real doors that lock and everything.

I always feel lucky if there is a door at all, much less one that latches.

YES, I’ve had to use restrooms that didn’t have doors on the stall.

So I haven’t looked in the mother’s room yet.  But I’m pretty sure that they are a) private, b) lock and c) are sanitary.

Because I’ve yet to test OR change a set in any one’s restroom.  I had a walk in closet in my old classroom that was perfect for that, and there was only a semester or so where I didn’t have access to it.

I love  my job.

Took her to the gym today, and they have a new manager.  I had to go through the whole spiel before I could work out.

Yes, I’ve been a member for 6 years.

Yes, she’s a service dog.

No, you aren’t supposed to interact with her unless I have given permission.  Yes, you can say hello to her (her command).

Sigh.

That’s okay, I think I’m going to let this membership lapse and go to Planet Fitness.  It wasn’t cooler today. 

Planet Fitness is on this side of the highway, and there is another one across the street from the new office.