Looking Ahead

I know we haven’t even hit Thanksgiving or Christmas just yet…. but as I’m putting off more medical tests and thinking about my year-end endo appointment I’ve been thinking about my health in 2014 and getting a jump on some of the improvements in 2013!

Insurance

My insulin and test strip needs for next year are a major concern. News that Express Scripts will no exclude both my Apidra and my Freestyle strips really ticks me off. I struggle with some insurance nightmare every year. It’s like they want to make living with diabetes tough. If you have ES through your insurance, you might want to take a peek at the 2014 preferred drug list and new exclusions. One-size treatment does not fit all and I highly doubt that my doctor would prescribe me something that didn’t work for me. I have zero desire to switch insulin or meters since I test on my pump. Carrying around a separate PDM and Dexcom receiver is hassle enough, adding a different meter and several extra steps to the list is not ideal. I’ll be asking for a letter of medical necessity in December and preparing for a fight.

Recalls

I’m also doing the only thing I can to make sure my strips are accurate and checking my reasonably new quarterly supply for any recalled lot numbers. If you use Abbott test strips, you should check on the recall as well.

Balance

I want to tighten my overall control. Most days I’m happy with how type 1 and I are trying to balance, but now that I think I’ve got the hang of stability, I will inevitably be thrown off (the holidays won’t help that).

My pump targets are okay, but I think I’m going to decrease them a bit. I’ve also been working on dawn phenomenon and have gotten my fasting from the 180s to the 130s, but ideal I’d like to not have to correct every morning.

I know that I can’t cruise around at 80-100 mg/dL all day, everyday the way that people with functioning pancreases (pancreai?) do, but I’m sure as heck going to try! I got a little freaked out in the past year with a small bleed in my eye and a little scary stuff with my kidneys. The doctors telling me that the best thing I can do is to keep doing what I’m doing isn’t helping. Meeting “medical” goals might be enough for them, but it’s not enough for this perfectionist.

Meeting medical goals is great and really should be celebrated. I strive to live a “normal” life to the best of my ability and to the fullest extent that I can while carrying around a dead-weight pancreas. I don’t want to settle for the ideal numbers for “a diabetic,” I’d like to make those numbers as close to “a normal” patient as possible.

I’m still afraid of what damage was done to my body during the time that I was living undiagnosed and when I was in DKA. But the fact is, I’m alive so I have the opportunity to try my best.

A new year is a great opportunity to make changes, but I don’t think I want to wait that long. Here’s to looking ahead!

3 thoughts on “Looking Ahead

  1. Hi there, I’m a Swedish nurse and just found your blog :). There are so many things I take for granted, one of them is that diabetics have their insulin and blood sugar testing equipment. I had a friend in Virginia ages ago who was diabetic too and had struggles with the insurance. Here medical care is covered by the taxes which is for the most part is good. We are very blessed to at least not have to fight for our right to be able to keep a disease like diabetes under control.
    However, good luck with your goals for the new year!

  2. Dear Rachel
    Just read a news article about hosts asking guests to remove shoes in which your comment and web address were cited. Just wanted to share with you my physical disability. I contracted polio at age 2 – I am 68 years old. I have weakness in one leg and foot. Looking at me one would never know the extent of my limitations – thank goodness women in pants came into vogue years ago! They hide a lot! Now that I am OLD my limp looks natural to people who don’t know me. But without my shoes I can hardly walk. I wear a brace that goes in my shoe. My foot is extremely sensitive and I cannot put weight on it without being cushioned. I am not complaining…..just wanted to make you more aware that some of us need our shoes regardless of what our outward appearance looks like.

    • Hi Bev, thanks for your comment. I understand that regardless of appearance some people need the support of their shoes, or in your case braces+shoes. For example, my mother who brings her own slippers to my house has problems with her feet and needs additional support, she understands our preferences and respects that. I’m not the kind of person to have strangers over to my home, so chances are I would be aware of the situation and prepared for it. I would also hope that as someone who needs to wear shoes all the time, you would be prepared to make sure that your shoes are clean especially during the winter when there’s a salt in abundance. My family members who use assistance such as canes will ask for a rag or paper towel to wipe the bottoms during poor weather.

      If you would like to know more about the blog post Bev is referring to, visit: http://www.probablyrachel.com/looking-back-at-shoes/

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