THEY say life is all about checks and balances. But did THEY live with diabetes?? Seriously, THINK ABOUT IT.
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A. I was out of Baby Aspirin, (something I take daily)
B. I was down to 3 bottles of insulin (1 opened, 2 unopened)
C. My pump supplies are officially down to half mast,
D. So is my trusty 3 month Ace Inhibitor supply.
Diabetes checks and balances regarding supplies are never in perfect balance, much like life in general - No matter how hard we try.
Which I guess makes sense because if we were out of everything all at once, not only would it be majorly expensive, it would be majorly stressful as well. Still, keeping track of all this crap is a constant in our lives.
Like it or not, I (and by "I," I mean "WE,") notice this shit because my (OUR) brain(s) have been trained to see the diabetes of it all.
Like this morning at 3 a.m. when I was having a low, I noticed that my bottle of Apple And Eve Elmo Punch (And yes, it is too diabetes supplies!) was now officially half empty and I would need to buy some more after work today,along with a giant bottle of Baby Aspirin. While I don't down juice on a daily basis, I can't risk running out!
Speaking of lows, I had just popped my last Mixed Fruit flavored glucose tab on Tuesday, but ironically, I'd received a box of Watermelon Glucose Quick Sticks in the mail a few weeks back from a reader/fb friend - Talk about diabetes balance in the form of a backup!
So this morning I actually busted opened the box and put 2 of those sticks in my car and two sticks in my handbag.
Disclosure: I have never tried these Glucose Sticks before and like I said, they were sent to me by a reader/fb friend - I didn't purchase them. But I was and am very thankful to have them as diabetes back up none the less. Plus, they fit right into the whole "Diabetes Checks and Balances" theme of this post.
Prices vary & they aren't cheap & I have no idea if they're covered by insurance or not. When I actually have to treat a low with them,(which I know will happen sooner rather than later,) I'll let you know my thoughts on how they work.
So, in the ever changing and always necessary world of Diabetes Checks & Balances: What Diabetes Checks and Balances have you experienced as of late?
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5 comments:
I was low at 3:15 am as well, but I'm in California so it was probably later where you are. I seem to be like you things don't run out at the same time. Bought insulin last week, I just put in a prescription for syringes, will get hem tomorrow. Still have 2 months left on test strips. Indonesia major grocery shopping once a month so usually pick up a large bottle of juice at that time, sometimes I have extra sometimes it's gone by the time I go again. You are so right on there is so much to think about having on hand, reminds me of when I had babies. I was packing my purse one day and my teen said "it's like you are packing a diaper bag". My hat goes off to those mommas who have to pack d-supplies and a diaper bag;)
You can never have too many backups! Thanks for the post, K2. Hope the balancing act balances out more, with additional needed supplies and meds! And can't wait to hear your thoughts on those glucose sticks... never had those or heard of, and I'm intrigued! Of course, on that note: I'm not hoping you have a Low - just maybe that I'm not the only person who sometimes enjoys "snacking" on glucose tabs when my BGs are not Low... :))
I just got 3 months of pump supplies, insulin, and test strips in a week. It's nice when refilling d-supply stocks line up (as long as you remember it's coming). I think I need to order sensors and glucose tabs soon. I have the strange feeling I don't have any more full unopened bottles around...
The timing of your post is interesting, because I've been receiving robocalls from Express Scripts telling me I have Rx's that can be filled, who my old insurance company (EmblemHealth) switched to on January 1. The only problem is that on January 1, I was switched to UnitedHealthcare, who uses Medco. I ended up calling them to tell them that I am no longer covered by the insurance company, but I would think they should know almost 45 days after my plan ended. Apparently not. The Glucose Sticks are interesting, but at $45/box, I won't be buying them anytime soon. Anyway, I'm in a good place supplies-wise, since I filled everything at the end of the year, and now just refilled everything with my new insurance co. and I don't have a huge deductible anymore, so for the first time in 3 years, I wasn't paying for it all until June! Still, the supplies thing drives me nuts because I find mail order to be a major P.I.T.A. When I was growing up, I could just go to my local pharmacy and pick up supplies, but now it requires freakin' planning ... and they wonder why depression among PWD's is higher-than-normal?!
We just received a shipment with three months of pump supplies.
I have enough lancets to get us through the zombie apocalypse.
Our supply of insulin is getting low.
Our test strip supply is also getting low. I was thinking I should have them call it in for testing 12 times a day (our script is for 10x/day) and then I thought, good lord, do we really need to poke our little girl TWELVE times a day?
The reality is we do go through a lot of strips if she's high or low or if she has sports.
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