“Looks Like I Picked The Wrong Week To Stop Sniffing Glue.”

“Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.” Steve McCroskey - Airplane

Every single time I think about (or attempt to start) basal testing, that’s the line that goes through my head- cause I'm weird like that. Sidebar: I LOVE the movie AIRPLANE!

But seriously- it looks like I picked the wrong week to start basal testing.

As of late, my numbers have been all over the place. I’ve been running low after dinner straight on towards midnight and waking up with high numbers the past 3 days.

The Trend graph on my borrowed CGM looks like the letter M, except of course when it looks like the letter W.

I’m not used to this crap- my a1cs are normally around 6.8. Is this what 6.8 looks like?

I don’t bloody think so!

I’m getting frustrated for several reasons, all of them valid.

1. I don’t like the thought of not eating and I don’t like the thought of being still.
2. Lets face it, the morning high numbers are not the best way to kick start my day folks.
3. There’s a chance that I might be fighting off an infection that’s causing these highs (I have to get a molar pulled and my sinuses are still clogged,) and there’s also a good chance that I’m just making excuses for said blood sugar highs.
4. Basal testing during the Easter weeks makes it difficult to enjoy Sunday’s carrot cake.
5. I have a meeting with Gary next week to discuss my basal rates and have to turn in my borrowed cgm, so the whole window of testing my basal rates is running out and I need to take my “big girl” pill and get on with it. So I am.

Today’s basal test will commence at 1pm and last until 10pm. No eating, lots of blood sugar testing, and of course, uber amounts of bitching on my end, which should make work veeerrrryyy interesting~

“We have clearance Clarence.” Proceed with the basal testing- and don't call me Shirley!

War is hell - so is basal testing…

Organizationally Challenged

I’m trying to become more organized in my life- and that’s not easy for me- it really isn’t - AND IT NEVER HAS BEEN.

But as this life continues to get busier and the stress levels continue to fluctuate (and tax season is like, next week) I need to get my crap together!

I haven't reached hoarder proportions and I'm not dirty.

Howard Hughes I’m not. You won’t see me walking around using Kleenex boxes as shoes or instructing my friends to use 15 tissues when opening the front door to my domicile.

I’m clean, and I like being clean. I clean my bathroom every Saturday, I’m a firm believer in closing the lid on my saline solution and putting the cap back on my toothpaste when I’m done –some might even say I’m a bit militant when it comes to those things.

I’m a laundry technician (I really like doing laundry and am quite Type A when it comes to temperature settings,) and I have a thing about washing hands. Now there’s a STRONG possibility that the washing hands thing is related to testing my blood sugars. BUT I also think dirty hands are gross- unless you’re gardening or working with your hands at the moment.

I need to develop some organizational expertise when it comes to my immediate surroundings.

So I’m taking the time to pitch, purge, sort, file and discard. Some days I get a lot accomplished, and other days (nights during the week) I barely scratch the organizational surface.

What does this have to do with diabetes? Well, in my quest for a firmer grasp on efficiency, I’ve found and noticed a few things related to life with diabetes.

1. Going through old handbags that I plan to donate to Goodwill, I’ve found spare infusion sets and unused lancets
2. Speaking of lancets, even though I stopped ordering lancets with my testing supplies 2 years ago- I have 17 boxes of unopened lancets (each containing 100 lancets for a total of 1700 lancets) at my disposal. Anyone need a box?
3. I found an extra box containing 250 test strips in the back of my closet that are still a few months shy of their expiration date. How the hell did I miss not having them? Those vials of strips have moved to the front of my test strip drawer. Yes, yours truly has a desk drawer that is completely filled with testing supplies including lancets and test strips in chronological order according to expiration date. For an organizationally challenged person- I have my good moments~
4. On the inside, side portion of my bedroom closet I have two shelves out of 6 ( they resemble cubbyholes) for my pump supplies. This works well in theory, but I still have 2 boxes of infusion sets on my bureau. I need to get in the habit of keeping ALL said pump supplies in their designated cubbyholes.
5. I have an insane amount of shoes in my closets- and I can’t bear to part with a single pair- even the ones that kill my feet or aren’t deep enough for my customized orthotics.

So does anyone have any organizational issues or suggestions?

Your issues and or advice don't have to be diabetes related, but on the flip side, it absolutely can be.

BOTTOM LINE: I’m open to any and all suggestions and will take extreme comfort in knowing that I’m not the only person out there who suffers from a chronic lack (inconsistency might be a better descriptive) of organization.

Basal Testing PSYCH-OUT

So I was all set this morning to fast- I really was. I'd psyched myself out on Sunday that from 9 a.m until 5p.m. today, I was going to FINALLY start my basal testing and fast the day away! Just so I'm 100% clear- I'm not a fan of fasting, AT ALL. But fan or not, it needs to be done.

Sundays blood sugars were great, except for the after dinner lows. For some reason my blood sugars kept going south after dinner and no matter how much I treated, my blood sugar was showing that it was still under 80. I tested and tested again- fearing that my meter my be off the mark- and yes, the numbers fluctuated between 100 and 75. The number on my borrowed CGM, (on loan to me from Gary Scheiner, a friend and CDE who is helping me w/my basal rates) was reporting a number somewhere in between - I didn't know what number to go with! FDA- please take note of the meter numbers!

I was tired, I had work in the morning and I wanted to catch some ZZZZs.

Finally at 11:30 p.m, I decided to lower my midnight basal rate and had a few teaspoons of one of my favorite guilty pleasures, peanut butter and jam on a spoon.

Cut to 6:45 am this morning- when I awoke too my borrowed CGM buzzing to tell me that my blood sugar 279 while my meter reported that I was 291.

I did a bolus correction for the 291 and 15 grams of carbs because coffee makes my numbers go north- and high bg or not, this Diazon was not skimping on her morning coffee!

Anyway, my basal testing is pushed back yet another day- Can you say PSYCH-OUT?

Happy "Every PWD (Person w/Diabetes) In The World ROCKS Day!!!"

Today is National Make Your Own Holiday Day – I kid you not Diabetesaliciousness readers- it really is.

So in honor of this fantastical holiday, I’ve decided to make up my own holiday called: “Every PWD (Person with diabetes) in the World With Diabetes ROCKS DAY”.

Why? Because I absolutely believe that every single person in the world with diabetes does rock!

PWDs “ROCK” on many levels, such as but not limited too:

1. We deal with diabetes 24 X 7, 365 days a year- and are not diabetes exempt from vacations, religious holidays, family emergencies, or mental health days. So yeah, WE ROCK.

2. We deal with the Diabetes Police on a daily basis and no PWD that I’m aware of has committed bodily harm to said members of the Diabetes Police. Again- WE ROCK!

3. Whenever one of our people (a.k.a. PWDs) needs help, other people with diabetes are there to lend a helping hand! WE ROCK

4. PWDs speak the same diabetes language- without ever having to utter a word! We get and accept one another- faulty pancreas and and all!

So my friends, HAPPY “EVERY PWD IN THE WORLD ROCKS DAY!”

If you’re a PWD, give yourself a hand, because YOU ROCK!

If you’re a Type 3- tell the person with diabetes in your life how much they ROCK!

Spring Changes

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. Anne "Anna" Bradstreet

Lately, things have been crazy hectic- and time has been an issue with everything.

As far as Diabetesaliciousness goes, writers block has been staring at me square in the face as of late.

On the work front, I’m ending one contract job (which I’m happy about) and continuing with another – which makes me smile. I’ve also been lucky enough to garner a couple of freelance writing and consulting gigs in the diabetes arena and that fact reminds me that hope does indeed float~

On the health front all seems to be OK. Eye tests are great and I’m inching closer to the dreaded basal tests. They start at the beginning of next week with my friend Gary Scheiner. I’m not thrilled about the basal testing, but I am looking forward to the results.

I’ve been known Gary since 2006 and he’s been a great help in keeping me off the “Screw The Basal Testing - I'm Fine” track!

I’ve been obsessively testing my blood sugars (more so than usual- I'm going through test strips like freaking water!) as of late to get into the swing of the whole basal testing thing and I’ve already learned a few things.

1. I barely eat after breakfast and have to force myself to eat lunch. I’m just not that hungry during the day and I’m not really sure why. This of course means I’m famished towards the end of the workday and start to run low around between 4 and 6 pm.

2. I get hungry at night and that’s a problem because I find myself not only treating my low before I eat dinner, (which is a balancing act in and in of it self,) but I also find myself grazing after dinner – Again, not good for my numbers or my waistline. As far as weight goes, I haven’t gained or lost any… so that’s good. I’ve managed to stay at the same weight all winter. BUT I’m still about 7lbs from where I’d like to be.

3. I need to get back into the habit of exercising more. It’s been a long, cold winter and my cardio has been off. Even though the size 8’s still fit, I need to get tighter in the muscle department. So along with swimming, I’ve decided to do more weights and stretching, AND put some air in the bike tires and start peddling again. It’s a cruiser not a racing bike, so no finish lines to cross p no pressure there.

I rode a bike when I was in Florida and I forgot how much fun (and what great exercise) bike riding could be – I can’t wait to start!

I’m itching for changes in my life, both big and small. I’m the only person who can make these changes happen by doing what needs to be done. It's a daunting thought at times, but totally doable as far as I'm concerned.

I believe that every single one of us is capable of making changes that will help us in life. Everyone can make changes- it's the actual doing that's hard.

What changes (little or big, diabetes related or not) are you planning to make for spring?

"Things That Make Me Go Hmmmmm?" Spring Edition

Spring has sprung and once again, lots of things are making me go Hmmmmmm.

PART 1

I’m happy the healthcare reform bill passed because I strongly believe that every single person (pre existing condition or not) needs to be insured at a fair price regardless of their job, or lack of one.

I've also had my own insurance issues as of late and know first hand what it's like to be forced to switch to a more expensive insurance or be dropped completely by your insurance company because of an out of the blue health scare that was none diabetes related.

Look, I still have questions regarding the health plan. There’s a lot of verbiage to plow through and I haven't plowed through all of it yet. I know it's not perfect and I never expected it to be. But things need to change regarding healthcare and insurance companies and it's a start. I’m still reading articles on the subject & will state my thoughts in a much more articulate manner very soon.

I don’t understand why people are so against having the option of a national health plan, if only for the following two reasons.

Insurance companies will finally have to be accountable for their actions- just like every other business in the United States.

Pre existing conditions like diabetes, asthma, lupus,etc will no longer cost us astronomical premiums that can increase whenever said insurance companies feel like it.

One thing that didn’t make go hmmm (it made go W.T.H) was why the FDA only had one person with the patient perspective speak at their hearings for meter accuracy. What’s with that?

Ellen Ullman was our voice at the hearing and she was WONDERFUL. Thank God she was there to speak on our behalf! And why shouldn't she have a place at the hearings? Aren’t the patients and their families the ones that actually USE THE METERS? Don’t the patients lives and well being depend on keeping track of their blood sugars?

Here's a question to the FDA: Why not include a multitude of patient perspectives in the hearings? It’s not rocket science FDA folk; it’s pure common sense. Talk to the people who use the product DAILY because their lives depend on it- not just the people who manufacture said product.

Click HERE to Send the FDA your patient perspective.

Click HERE to read an excellent post on the subject!

Another thing I understand but still don’t want to do is Basal Testing. The very thought of it makes say “OH SH*T” every time I think of what it entails.

I’m going to be honest here. I don’t want to fast and I don’t want to not drink coffee in the morning. I don’t want to fast, and I certainly don’t feel like getting up in the middle of the night to test and test again. Did I mention that I don’t want to fast?

BUT, and the but is KEY here folks- I want to be healthy and it’s been YEARS since I did basal testing - it needs to be done. My basal rates most certainly need to be tweaked, BIG TIME.

I’ll be starting my basal tests very soon and you'll hear all about it.

Another thing that makes me go hmmmm is drug/DME companies version of the “IDEAL DIABETIC.” We are far from perfect. We are not just the young and old, and our blood sugars vary from hour to hour. We are not all cute and fuzzy, and some pwds are more weathered and wise. Many look very much like the person you see in the mirror - Go figure? Companies need to represent us all- not just who YOU think we are.

Another thing that makes me cringe and go hmmmmmm is fashion. Seriously folks, who ever said that having a chronic illness must = bad, ugly fashion?

I don’t and won’t buy into that school of thought and neither do most of the PWDs I know. Stay tuned re: my passion for pretty diabetes fashion~

BIG Thanks go out to Amy, Mike, & Kerri for writing such excellent posts that I linked to in Part 1. THANKS GUYS~

PART 2

Why do people think Glen Beck speaks the truth? Just because he uses a blackboard doesn’t mean he’s a scholar or an authority on the “Real America.” Every single one of us, red state or blue, is part of the "Real America!" Just because I think Glen Beck is a moron makes me no less of an American.

And finally: Why are people obsessed with MTV’s THE JERSEY SHORE? I'm not even going to link to that piece of tripe!

I'm going to state as fact that those people don’t represent New Jersey as a whole. I grew up at the beach in South Jersey and that’s not how we were brought up.

Thats not how my friends and family bring up their children. New Jersey is the Rodney Dangerfield of states - Jersey gets no respect! And now with a show like that, we never will.

The people on that show are a horrible representation of the Garden State and give Jerseyites and Italian Americans alike a bad name!

Diabetesalicious Lite: 3/19/10

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Today's post is Diabetesalicious lite but diabetesaliciousness non the less~

Yours truly wrote a post over at at Health Central called: Diabetes or Not, Friends Look Out For Each Other. Stop on over and leave a comment (if you feel so inclined,) letting me know if you can relate!

File this in the "This is just plain ridiculous not to mention unhealthy" file. Donna Simpson of New Jersey wanted to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the worlds fattest woman. Her current weight is 600 lbs and her target weight is 1000 lbs. I fell sorry for this woman and her family on so many levels. I hope that she gets the mental and physical help she needs so she can live to see her daughter grow up.

Yesterday's post, "Meters = Diabetes GPS System," was all about meter accuracy. Scott Strumello wrote an excellent and more detailed piece on the subject last night.

Bennet broached the subject at the beginning of the week and Kerri wrote a fantastic post this morning. Please check them out!

Want the FDA to know your thoughts? @BernardF tweeted a link to an FDA Document regarding blood sugar meter accuracy.They link takes you to both the document and a link requesting you to leave comments on the subject.

I have no doubt that the diabetes on-line community will set the FDA straight! Click HERE and leave let em know what you think!!!

Speaking of weighty issues, meter accuracy, and bolus worthy issues, today is National Chocolate Caramel Day- I kid you not, it really is. Go out and have a chocolate caramel or two- just be sure to test, bolus, & floss!

Meters= Diabetes GPS System

TAKE NOTE FDA - This one's for you!

Like all of us, I pay a hell of a lot of money for glucose strips (even with insurance) and I rely on them every single day to stay healthy. I check my numbers between 10 and 15 times a day and I pay hard earned money for those strips - not to mention the fact that I literally and figuratively pay with my blood!

If I bought an antibiotic that might be 10% to 20% of the mark, that would be unacceptable, so why is such a big range “OK” when it comes to my meter?

I consider checking my blood sugar to be my body's own personal GPS system.

I don’t read maps very well and when someone asks me what direction North is, I say "Canada" and point towards the sky, so the whole GPS thing has made my life easier on many levels.

My blood sugar meter and strips are the navigational tools that help me to confirm what where my body is, and what direction it needs to go in.

Sometimes I need to make a sharp turn north towards Canada (when the numbers are dipping fast) and treat a low.

Other times I need to swerve and head south ( here's a visual, I'm currently pointing to the floor and thinking of Florida) when my numbers are going through the roof. I do a correction bolus so I don’t head for the DKA Hills.

The route I love (and prefer) is the road where I’m right on course and all is right in my world.

So here’s the deal FDA- WE,(as in every single person with diabetes) NEED and DEMAND that meters and test strips are accurate. Our health, our livelihoods, and futures depend on it. I It’s hard enough navigating through life with diabetes on a daily basis, but because of these inaccuracies, many of us have to test and test again because the numbers on are meters are somewhere between 10% and 20% off the mark in either direction.

Here’s a crazy thought: IF you pay for something, shouldn’t it work properly?

I don’t know (and I could be little nuts,) maybe I should start paying 10 to 20% less on my yearly taxes? Yes, I pay my accountant boku bucks to figure all that out, but heck, he might be 10% to 20% off in either direction!

On St. Patrick's Day Everyone is Irish!

As my grandmother Agnes Dillon Kunik used to say: On St. Patrick's Day, everyone is Irish!

I'm a mutt as far as nationalities are concerned and I think that's just ducky, but my grandmother Agnes was Irish (French Irish Brigade and Black Irish) to be exact.

I think of her every St Patrick's Day for several reasons.

1. She apparently used to do the Irish Jig every St Patrick's Day on top of the kitchen table every single year!

2. She always talked about the "luck of the Irish," and as of late-luck has had a whole new meaning for me~

3. The constant memory that stands out regarding my Grandmother was that every single time I'd walk into a room as a very small child she'd say to me: Ahhhh Kelly, my little Irish Beauty. Her saying that- or variations of that, are the most clear memories I have of her.

Today I'm wearing green (not so different than other days as it's one of my fav colors,) working hard, and I may or may not go out with friends after work.

Now for the Diabetes Angle: Below are links to carb and nutritional listings for traditional Irish fare. If your going out- BE SAFE, TEST OFTEN, and HAVE FUN!

Beer

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Irish Soda Bread

Baked Potato

Kelly Blog Insulin Pump

Late post today, please forgive~

I was feeling a bit stuck on a today’s topic. I’m working on several posts at once and doing the whole day job thing,and I just couldn’t wrap my head around a topic for today.

So I decided to cheat and check the Search Terms in my statcounter and I found my inspiration.

Now most of the search terms I get- for the most part. But ( and no pun intended here..OK, maybe) one search term in particular leaves me scratching my head and wondering W.T.F?

1. Dr. Oz on Oprah about diabetes: OK, we need to talk, BIG TIME
2. Diabetesaliciousness: Why hello there, welcome to the diabetesaliciousness of it all~
3. Roche Diabetes Blogger: I don't blog for Roche, but I did attend the New Media Summit
4. Diabetesaliciousness: See above
5. Dear mom and Dad thank you letter: I don't know how they did it, but I'm grateful!
6. Kelly Kunik: GUILTY~
7. Gym Locker rooms: Oh no she didn’t! YES, she really did.
8. Kelly blog insulin pump: Are you talking to me?
9. Brother caresses buttocks of sister: Yes, REALLY. Can I just say Pirate Girls get a bad rap and this would be where the W.T.F came into play.
10. Dr Oz and diabetes: Dr. Oz, we need to talk~
11. Pirate girls kick butt: Why yes indeed, pirate girls absolutely kick butt!
12. Platypus pictures: God bless the platypus!

SHould I Waste The Insulin, Or Play It Safe?

Last night about a an hour before I went to bed, the alarm on my pump went off, reminding me that I had 10 units of insulin left in my insulin pump. I knew that I wouldn't use all the insulin in the pump by 6:40 a.m when the alarm went off.

I'd have enough to last until breakfast and I could change my infusion set right after I showered. I hate wasting insulin and was annoyed about the the timing of my insulin's rapidly depleting status. I could save the insulin reservoir (which of done in the past,) it was 10 units after all.

Mondays are tough, and I'm usually rushing to get out the door by 8ish. Did I really want to take the chance that I'd forget to change my reservoir? I could and do carry the supplies with me, but I had a meeting first thing, so If I did forget, I'd have to excuse myself mid way through-which was something I didn't want to be bothered with.

I had a heart to heart with my insulin pump and we decided it was best to "eat' the remaining insulin in said reservoir and play it safe.

I put in a new infusion set and reservoir and that was that. it was over in less than two minutes, but I was still annoyed. This time I'd have to let the aggravation go, because:
A. it wasn't worth it
B. I was REALLY tired.

Cut too this morning - when I was all types of foggy and groggy, but SO happy that there was one less thing I didn't HAVE to do this morning. But I still felt guilty, BIG TIME.

The Whole D Chicken & The Egg Scenario

'Atlas never would have been able to carry the weight of the world if he'd stopped and thought about how heavy it was." Unknown

"It is no use saying, "We are doing our best." You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary." Winston Churchill

'Life ain't a track meet, NO it's a marathon~" Ice Cube

So I was on the phone yesterday evening talking with a friend and fellow PWD (person with Diabetes), when the following words came out of my mouth: People with diabetes are the strongest people I know, because we have no choice but to be strong- we HAVE to be strong in order to survive. Sometimes I wonder if it's the diabetes that makes us strong, or were we picked by some unseen diabetes force to be diagnosed with the "Big D" because of the strength we already possess? Dude, It's like the diabetes version of the whole 'Chicken or the egg scenario.' Well,at least their both low carb~

Now I absolutely believe that being a PWD makes us stronger people because of all the crap that's thrown our way and that strength is indeed a diabetes gift. But sometimes....I wonder about the whole D chicken and egg scenario - because I'm weird like that~

The Roadside Craptacular Expansion Project Continues

Heaven or Hell? - Photo via my iPhone

Photographic evidence taken by yours truly that that New jersey/America's Roadside Craptacular project is indeed in it's expansion stage. The above photograph was taken at the Atlantic City Frank S. Farley Service Plaza located on the Garden State Parkway, Eastbound Side, Mile Marker 20.4 on 3/10/2010

Part of me wanted to genuflect in front of this alter to the High Fructose Corn Syrup Conglomerate Gods and the other part (the rational, healthy, High Fructose Corn Syrup hating part,)was thoroughly disgusted.

Several people stopped as I took pics of the alter of HFCS and one person asked if I had a candy fetish, but I digress.

The photograph below was taken at the same service plaza, Westbound side, on November 18th, and posted on this blog Diabetesaliciousness on the same day.

Nobody loves Reese's peanut Butter Cups more than I do, but this is absolutely ridiculous!

No need to wonder why Americans have problems with obesity & clogged arteries, and type 2 Diabetes in young people.

What are your thoughts?

Photo via my iPhone

Dear Health Insurance Companies

Dear Insurance Companies:

How do you sleep at night?

I’m being serious-How do you sleep at night knowing that your literally and figuratively screwing your clients out of good health and peace of mind?

You continually raise your premiums and change your coverage and deductibles at whim because you know the American public (your clients) won’t (can’t) leave.

And if a small percentage of your clients do leave- you don’t give a shit- because you know that you can raise your premiums and NOBODY will stop you.

And shame on investment companies like Goldman -Sachs who use that fact to sell your stock and sing your praises.

The mental stress of your astronomical price and spotty coverage causes is enough to put me into therapy- except therapy costs extra and you’d most likely use it against me in the future- so I'm S-O-L.

As a type 1 PWD (person with diabetes) I work hard to maintain my health. I’m required to see my Endo 4 times a year and do so religiously. That fact that I need to see a specialist in order to live a great life, you’ve decided to increase my specialist fee from $15 dollars a co-pay to $50.

I test my blood sugar between 10 and 15 times a day and have the A1C’s to prove it- but you nickel and dime me for every single test strip.

I work out, count carbs religiously, I don’t smoke, and I’m not a big drinker. I am a woman who takes her health very seriously.

But in your eyes, I am woman with the scarlet letter D emblazoned on my chest –and you continually hold it against me.

I pay the price because my pancreas decided to stop producing insulin when I was all of 8 years old.

I am penalized because insulin, the drug I take to literally save my life, (not to grow stronger and thicker eyelashes- though that would be nice-except for the whole changing eye color thing) is not made in a generic form, so you will only cover 50%.

And you make me pay out of pocket and reimburse me the 50% four to six weeks later. Not convenient when one has bills to pay.

While I should be grateful for the fact that my new policy covers 50% of generic drugs verses the 40% my old insurance covered, that fact brings me little comfort -just read the next paragraph and you'll see (or maybe not) why

Because of a 1 in a million occurrence that had nothing to do with my diabetes (and most likely will never happen again,) you threatened to drop me if I didn’t switch to a sister carrier. A carrier with a monthly premium that’s 60 percent higher than what I used to pay and whose specialist co-pays are now 45% higher.

Instead of saving money on a down payment for a house- I have to save my money for a monthly insurance premium that is higher then most peoples car and car insurance payments combined.

I say no to vacations and outings with friends because I have to pay for my health insurance.

I find it ironic, sad, and extremely telling that Sarah Palin (a woman I have no time or respect for,) actually admitted to crossing the boarder to Canada to get her family healthcare rein a speech she gave in Calgary on March 7^th, 2010. Palin said: “We used to hustle over the border for health care we received in Canada, And I think now, isn't that ironic?”

This from a woman who thinks U.S Healthcare reform would result in death panels. I Guess she thought the Canadian death panel doctors would be kinder- maybe just give her a good old fashion talking too. I wonder if she winked at them and said "You Betcha!" ;)

Healthcare Death Panels in the U.S. already exist, and their weapons of choice and are in the form of insurance companies continually raising their premiums and dropping clients for no reason except for the fact that they can.

Insurance companies, what’s wrong with insurance reform and having both a public and private option? So you’d have to actually hustle to get clients like the rest of us, SO WHAT? This country was built on competition - it's the American way.

With real competion you'd be required to have great customer service- which would increase customer loyalty five-fold.

Listen insurance companies, most businesses have to answer to the government on some level, why shouldn’t you?

Something has to be done to even the playing field - because our lives literally depend on it!

And while we may be tired - we won't stop fighting, because when it comes right down to it, we can't afford not to ~

Sincerely,

Kelly Kunik

Insurance Craptacular

The past two days my stress level has been at CODE RED level status due to insurance craptacular insurance company issues and major FAILS on every level.

First, my mother was in a car accident on Wednesday morning and totaled her 1992 Cadillac De Ville, which only had 45,000 miles and was her dream car. She's fine and so is the other person who was involved in the accident, (thank GOD) but the car insurance company craziness has made us both crazy.

I'm fielding calls from her company and reporting the info back to her while trying to work. She's sad she lost her car, frustrated about the accident and what it will do to her premiums, and nervous about learning the ins and outs of another car.

Second: My own health insurance company is putting me through the mill so to speak. Since the whole "1 in a million" incident, my insurance company has audited and made me switch policies.

I did and am now paying twice as much per month for the premium, and a specialist co-pay of $50 verses my old policy rate of $15. As of Monday they still hadn't issued me a new policy number, and I was forced to cancel my follow up eye appointment that had been scheduled for today.
I rescheduled for Tuesday and will go whether I have a policy I.D. or not.

My Insurance Rep called me this morning and told me that the reason it was taking so long- it's been 3 weeks since the check was written & and the application filled out and sent via registered letter.

The letter was signed for and then forwarded to the wrong office - YES, I'm serious. Then said registered letter had to be sent back (via snail mail) to the original address it had been originally sent to.

It arrived (and the check was cashed) and the application was left sitting on a desk of the only person (apparently at Horizon Blue Cross, only 1 person in the entire north east can process the application and issue an insurance I.D number) and she happens to be at a seminar all week.
My insurance rep has been great. he's driving to Newark on Monday and come hell or high water, will have a new insurance I.D for me.

Why am I telling you all this? The reasons are simple. I'm angry, frustrated, stressed, and annoyed and wish this country could get their proverbial sh*t together as far as insurance was concerned. I payed my bill 3 weeks early, my policy started on March 1, and I still don't have an insurance I.D. number. Insurance companies need to be held accountable for their mistakes and errors instead of doing whatever they want, whenever it suits them.

They make us pay a HUGE penalty for being a person with diabetes and hold us accountable on every level because of our faulty pancreas. Insurance companies need to held accountable for their faults as well - and they need to start paying the price!

BUT there are silver linings folks, you just have to look for them.
A. My mom is OK
B. My insurance rep will have an insurance I.D number for me by Monday - he even gave me his home number in case I needed it
C. Diabetes has been playing extremely nice as of late. My blood sugar numbers have been great all week- even during the most stressful of moments. I am so GRATEFUL For that!

Did I mention the fact that I'm SO HAPPY it's Friday?

And a big shout out to Bennet at Your Diabetes May Vary, for taking all of our insurance frustrations to heart after listening to my complients via twitter yesterday! http://www.ydmv.net/2010/03/declaration-of-reauthorized.html

D-Meet Up With The Fabulous Elizabeth Arnold

D-Friends In Real Life~

I was in Princeton on Tuesday evening (more on that tomorrow) and had the chance to meet up with my fellow PWD (Person With Diabetes) friend, twitter buddy, pirate woman, and authoress extraordinaire, Elizabeth Arnold.

Elizabeth and I became friends on Twitter. Her tweets and emails always make me laugh, and through our emails and tweets, she’s become a supportive friend who I’d never actually met in real life.

Princeton initially made it's way onto my radar a few weeks ago, but plans hadn't been confirmed until the end of last week, which was when I emailed Elisabeth & told her I’d be in her neck of the woods.

A flurry of emails ensued and we decided to meet at my hotel (The Westin) for dinner.

Elizabeth told me that she’d be the short woman with a big smile on her face.

I told her to look for an average sized brunette with brown boots and a huge smile.

I have to tell you, I was nervous and excited and couldn’t wait to meet my friend face to face!

Our plan was to meet in the lobby at 6:30. But I was late due to train and black car logistics, so by the time I checked in and made it to my room, it was past 6:30.

Cut to 6:43 and me practically running (OK, walking ridiculously fast - I know people must have thought I needed to find a bathroom) across the lobby to see Elizabeth sitting there waiting patiently for yours truly by the fireplace.

I went up to her and said “Hey Shorty, sorry I’m late!” We both laughed and gave one another a huge hug and started chatting immediately and none stop. W continued chatting as we made our way to the hotel restaurant and sat down at our table.

The waiter came back to our table 3 different times before we’d even looked at the menu. Finally, on his fourth visit, we ordered our food and continued to chat about EVERYTHING including but not limited to; life, diabetes, life with diabetes & growing up with diabetes, our shared love of cheese,Twitter, bacon, the DOC, boys, blood sugars, CGMS, growing up, writing, diabetes, life, life with diabetes, etc.

OK, I have to tell you before I continue - ELIZABETH IS OUTSTANDINGLY AWESOME!

We discussed our own diabetes idiosyncrasies. For example, I have a horrible time with pastas but I’m ok with potatoes. Elisabeth is fine with pasta (as long as she uses a scale,) but she finds white potatoes a real challenge and red potatoes doable.

We compared pumps (she has an Omnipod, I have a minimed,) and discussed other pumps we were interested in looking into. We tried guesstimating our dinner carbs before the meal, and we both agreed that we always did better with visual guesstimating as opposed to meal unseen guesstimating.

During and after the meal we tested our blood sugars with out meters and Elisabeth’s CGM. What was wonderful about the blood sugar testing was that our conversation continued seamlessly and we never skipped beat. Our banter didn’t stop just because we had to lance our fingers. We both understood having to test without ever having to excuse ourselves and that fact was not only wonderful, but also incredibly comforting.

When you’re with another person who understands and speaks the unspoken diabetes language, it creates both a bonding and an understanding that words can’t describe.

Diabetes meet-ups are amazing, validating and empowering and I hope everyone has the experience to connect with other PWDs, be it through DOC meet-ups or support organizations like ACTIDIABETES .

We sat at the table for hours, and finally we said goodbye sometime after 10:30 pm.

We talked and laughed for a good four hours and could have easily talked for another five, but I had early morning and had to attempt sleep.

I miss Elisabeth and appreciate her friendship so much. I know that we will continue to get together and I’m looking forward to it!

D Is For.....

D is for Diabetes - and everything that goes along with it~

I is for I - As in: “I'm a PWD (Person With Diabetes) and I don’t resemble Wilfred Brimley in the slightest."

(I also stands for INTELLECT -As in being a person with diabetes requires a certain degree of intellect on my part regarding my diabetes care. I’m acutely aware of that fact.

Medical professionals, drug companies, and John Q. Public, please make note of my intellect and that I am an exert on the subject of living with diabetes and I will do the same for you.

A is for the asinine things people say to me regarding diabetes. Examples include but are not limited too: “Your not allowed to eat cupcakes.” “Your parents fed you too much sugar as a child,” or "You take insulin? You must have the betes really bad!'

Some people are idiots.

B is for Bullsh*t: As in dealing with Bullsh*t on a daily basis. As PWDs, we deal with so much B.S including, but not limited to; dealing with the crazy insurance rules and regulations that no man, woman or child should ever have to encounter, continually being watched by the Diabetes Police, crazy blood sugars for no reason and at usually at the most inopportune off moments, and doorknobs and their magnetic attraction to insulin pumps are just brief glimpses of the continual crap storm we encounter.

E is Extra, as in EXTRA Everything. As PWDs, we must continually carry extras of absolutely everything regarding our diabetes. Test strips, lancets, insulin, infusion sets, pump batteries, and patience. Lots and lots of extra patience.

T is for Type. As in Type 1, Type 1.5, Type 2, Type 3, and Gestational.

(T also stands for tough- because all PWDs are tough)

E is for ENERGY. As in diabetes requires and takes a lot of energy. So as PWDs, we are required to have extra- see the E above the T for details

S is for STRONG and being strong requires STRENGTH. Diabetes forces us to be stronger every single day, whether we feel like it or not. And I’m incredibly grateful for the strength that being strong requires.