Living with Diabetes

Blog

  • More on the cost issue

    dLife Today: Penny Wise and Pound Foolish?

    A recent UK decision highlights one of the problems with universal coverage, and interestingly enough, it isn’t that different from an issue faced by Americans under many managed care programs – cost pressures that deny life-enhancing drugs.

    This definately bit me in the rear when I first went on an insulin pump. My diabetes care and my life has improved significantly since I started pumping insulin. However, the HMO I belonged to, wouldn’t fund it, and I did it out of pocket. I’ll probably have to do the CGMS system out of pocket too, I just have to decide if it is worth it.

  • Got in the pool yesterday

    We’ve had record setting temperatures in Dallas this week and I actually made it in the pool and swam some laps.

    Since I had just finished 35 minutes on the treadmill, I disconnected.

    Sorry for the light blogging. I’m still exhausted from the time change.

  • I could have predicted this

    BBC NEWS | Health | Diabetes inhaler rejected for NHS

    Insulin that can be inhaled rather than injected has been rejected by NHS advisers on grounds of cost.

    Bet they are the only ones who will feel this way.

  • Life has been nuts

    The weeks of stress and limited exercise took their toll. I’m up about 5 pounds.

    The good news is that I’ve finally gotten to where I can exercise following my iShape plan, and have finally started reducing, rather than increasing my insulin usage, so maybe they will go away.

    I am having real problem with the repeaters attitudes, and they are really getting to me. I’m sick to death of their lack of respect. I actually left after 2nd period yesterday — but desperately wanted the whole day off, but went in because we had an important faculty meeting.

    Hopefully today will go better. Today is operant conditioning day, which means I’m taking Marcie with me.

  • Byetta Website

    Quite a few people come by my website looking for information about Byetta, but since I haven’t done it, I can’t give much information on it.

    There is a website devoted to Byetta at http://www.bettaweightloss.com

    I’ve posted quite a bit about Symlin though.

  • Dexcom is available!

    I’m very tempted.

    Dexcom

    The starter kit is $800. Sensors are $35 a piece and come in a bundle of 5. It would be wonderful if BCBS of Texas would cover it.

    I’ve very tempted to do it without coverage. I would not have to wear the sensors every day.

  • Time Change SUCKS!

    Between the diabetes and the sleep disorders and the knee the time change is sucking.

    The sad part is, I can go asleep any time but when and where I am supposed to. For example, I dozed off for a minute in front of the TV about an hour ago.

    Knee aches which is not helping.

    However, I do have some good news. I’ve been doing my iShape workouts for 4 weeks now and while my insulin usage is staying steady (and higher than I like), my blood sugars are smoother. And just this week i started using my temporary basal to drop my rate before and during exercise instead of eating to prevent the low.

    So I’m hopeful that once I recover from the time change, my insulin usage will start to drop.

  • When is enough, enough?

    I’ve been watching every episode of Miracle Workers since it started on ABC and I was actually happy to see one of their procedures fail.

    So far, it has just been TOO positive, without getting into the true ordeals the patients have had to go through to get their miracle. I will say, that everyone so far, has eventually turned out in a better shape than they started with, including the poor woman who died after the show was filmed tonight.

    I was especially interested because they were putting an articial heart in her. I’ll be honest — and my mom and I was just talking about this — I figure I’ll be suffering from cardio vascular complications at some point in the future, since I have heart problem history on both sides of my family. In fact, I’ve been seeing a cardiologist every year for the last 3 years, and was seeing one every 5 years before that.

    Back to the show. Poor woman had gone through breast cancer and then was diagnosed with heart failure. They put a Jarvik pump in her, and after 3, yes, 3 open heart surgeries she was doing better. They sent her home and she finally died of a massive infection.

    I personally think they went too far with the second surgery, though I do think she was aware enough to participate in decisions.

    I just know I don’t want to go that far.

  • Latest Experiments

    After participating in a chat last week on insulin pumpers (if you are a member, the transcript is available), I decided to perform 2 Symlin experiments.

    The first was NOT prompted by anything anyone said. It was prompted by the fact that I’m a Type 2, I’ve been dealing with heavier insulin resistance and lots of hunger problems. That said, I decided to up my dosage to 25 units. No adverse effects and my blood sugar is smoother.

    This WAS prompted by the discussion. I’ve been kicking around this idea for quite some time, and since someone did suggest it in the chat and found it working, I decided to try it too. I put in an extra infusion set on Sunday and I’m using it to put Symin in. I’ve got it more accessible than I usually put it and plan to change it out on Sunday. It eliminated the “ick” factor of injections, although it still burns because of the ph problem. Of course, I take that as meaning it is working.

    So far, it’s been really good.

  • Summer

    Well, I got a gig as an Algebra I teacher (computerized) this summer. I’ll be working for 6 weeks, 7:45 – 1:45 4 days a week.

    As soon as that is done, I’ve got to do an AP Workshop. Then I have one week left to play. Hopefully I’ll also get to write our district final, which will really make the summer full, AND the bank account happy.

    I’m really looking forward to this.