Health care (insurance) and Diabetes

 Let me start off by saying I truly believe EVERY single person should have healthcare insurance, NO EXCUSE!  I don't think anyone needs a pre-existing condition or anything "WRONG" with them to think they need health care ( I say this, because before my husband met me he could care less about healthcare insurance and that blew me away---It is my life, I don't care that you are healthy, you should always be prepared).

 Having said that...I don't know how survival is possible without health insurance having diabetes -LITERALLY!  I still spend over $100 a month on diabetic supplies WITH insurance ( and we have pretty good coverage)-- imagine without! YIKES!

 There was a time in my life where my insurance was unbelievably amazing.  I was working in Arizona, and they covered 100% of my supplies.  It was really hard when we moved and had to start paying for stuff.  Such a shocker to the system. 

 Then, we found ourselves in job transitions ( and with this economy, of course something like that would happen), which means insurance transitions ( we were also in school, so that complicated things a bit).  And if you are diabetic, transferring insurance coverage when you have a pre-existing condition feels almost impossible!  That is a concept I never  understood--Why people who have pre-existing conditions, the people who need insurance MORE THAN ANYONE who doesn't have a condition ( again, I still think everyone should have it as I first stated, it is just obvious that people with conditions will be using it) struggle to get it.

 This topic is being debated among everyone; politicians, working class, everyone alike.  No one seems to be able to find a solution to the problem...And even in this post I don't have a solution to offer.  I don't think anything that has been presented to date has been working yet.  Why have we always had the people who need it be the ones without it?  Can someone answer that for me please?

 Also, we are now moving states so my husband can start medical school.  I will be at home with my children while he goes to school and the top concern is--you guessed it---HEALTH INSURANCE!  We can get some through his school for an arm and a leg, and they don't even let us do office visits , just use the school hospital, and barely cover medical supplies.  Almost feels better to not have insurance.

 Then, there is the other catch, that if I go without insurance for more than 30 days, than I can't get ANY insurance to cover my diabetes ( sometimes there is a waiting period for like 18 months before you can be covered, again, WHAT IS THE POINT if you have to wait that long?)

 Another option is doing Cobra from his work (which would cost over $1000 a month) and get minimal coverage in our new state and pay more out of pocket.  Whatever route we decide NOT having Health Insurance is NOT and option.

 So, we are at a crossroads.  I am stressed in ways I have never felt before trying to figure this out ( not to mention having insurance to cover my children's well baby visits which his SCHOOL insurance won't do--they need insurance as well).  I may have opened a can of worms by bringing this subject up, or also may have just frustrated myself more as there seems to be NO SOLUTION WHATSOEVER that anyone has come up with in the past (why would it be diff now).  So, I would like to hear what someone else has to offer or say about it cause at this point--I GOT NOTHING!

Where is it?

 Ok, the truth of the matter is, I misplace things all the time.  I drive my husband crazy with the many times I say something like "where did I put my keys?" Or "where is the diaper bag, I need something from it."  There is no reason for it, I just get distracting by something like my kids being cute and forget where I put things, or my brain goes somewhere else. Or maybe, I really am not that organized at all and never will be. 

  It is one thing to misplace your keys, or even your wallet for some matter...But when it is your meter (in our house we actually call it "momma's medicine-"--for some reason when we call it medicine, my daughter understands that we don't play with it, and it is JUST FOR MOMMA), or any kind of thing that has to do with helping your diabetes, it is just a whole other level. 

 This isn't something that just happened today or yesterday, it happens EVERY SINGLE DAY. Sometimes, more than once a day.  The worst is when you are feeling sick (either knowing you are hi or low and just need to know exactly how much so you can fix it, and fix it NOW).  (ps...the picture of the meter cracks me up, (that is my actual meter btw) the counts are ALWAYS perfect, as if that's what a diabetic is EVERY TIME they test their blood ---I don't know about fellow diabetics, but when I test my blood, I am ALWAYS 102 (yeah right)).

 What is truly great is that I have a very patient fam who always helps me find it.  Even my little 3 year old knows how to look for "mom's  medicine in her black case."  Even the times (and I mean time(s) with a big fat S) when we have been out of our house and lost it.

 One time several years ago I was in Chicago and we went out to Giordanos.  Our group was walking all over town when I realized my meter was missing?  Our whole group split up and backtracked all over the city, and we luckily found it back at the restaurant ( I still feel bad for making our day end early for our little hunt to begin).

 Another favorite is when I was 14 years old and I was at Classic Roller Skating and Slides.  I hid my meter in my towel ( everyone lays their towels on the grass) .  I come to look for it (back then, I put everything in my meter, my money, my id's and EVERYTHING), and it is GONE. Now I know it was there. I tell a manager, and LONG STORY SHORT---someone had stolen it! 

 I actually laughed--and hard.  What a surprise they are about to get when they open it up and find medicine they can't use!  What a disappointment.  We actually ended up finding the thief, and he had it open and had a look of shock on his face.  So funny to me!

 I think it is funny that I am even posting about how upset I get about losing my meter cause years ago (child and teenage years) I would give anything to lose my meter.  I didn't care about testing my blood (it actually did take a lot longer and a much bigger process instead of just five seconds--in fact, when we first found a meter that did it in 30 seconds by just pricking your finger and putting it in, I thought I was in heaven).

 I have since learned the importance of testing your blood, and come to appreciate the leaps forward in technology with this.  It really does make life simpler.  I mean, nowadays, you can actually have your insulin just connected to you (my pump) instead of several injections ( I still have FUN times with that one every day---another post another day).  So I will leave this post on a positive note of gratitude for all those people in my life who have helped me look for me meter!  Some of you have devoted several hours of your life to this task and I appreciate it!

Doctor says I am "SWEET."

 How it all began---

 --I was 6 years old and I will never forget--That was the year that changed my life forever!  I have type 1 diabetes, and here is my story....

                                                                      --Pre-Diagnosis--
 --I started out living a pretty normal life like any other child...Nothing to worry about, and I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted (as long as my parents thought it was ok of course), and EAT what I WANTED! 

 One summer day, I came down with some form of the flu.  I was in bed being sick for a week.  After my little "spout" it felt like my body was different.  I was so hungry, so very very hungry all the time...People would watch me eat and say I sure ate alot for a 6 year old, rivaling my dad who was a BIG EATER (he now has type 2 diabetes).

 My mom was so upset because I was ALWAYS using the bathroom, it seemed like that was all I ever was doing really.  I barely slept cause I was using the bathroom ALL night long.  I almost got afraid to tell people when I had to go, cause I knew they were talking about it.

 I never noticed this one myself, but my mother relates to me that everyone said I was very thin--especially for a girl who ate so much, it seemed like I was losing weight.  My mom didn't seem to notice and chalked it up to good metabolism (if only).

  It was nearing the end of July and my family wanted to  hike Mt. Timpanogas with all of our relatives.  I remember being very very very thirsty and very very very tired.  I didn't understand why I couldn't really keep up with all of the other kids.

                      --Deciding there was a problem & diagnosis---
   most of this is from my mom's perspective of what she told me, but I will relate m own vivid memories

 My Aunt was a nurse and pulled my mom aside and told her I looked sickly and bad and needed to be checked out!  My mom didn't really want to think that anything was wrong with her daughter, but thought that at least she could take me in to my dad's lab (my dad is a medical technologist and did a LOT of blood work). 

 All I remember is my daddy drew my blood because they thought I was sick ...I had no clue what was going on, just did what I was told.

 I remember it was the middle of the day and I was in the bathtub getting clean and ready for a parade my mom had promised me, when I heard the phone ring.  I don't know what happened, but I heard my mom scream and yell "get Jamie out of the bathtub."

 From this point, I just remember being yanked out of the tub, hearing a prayer or two and being whisked in a car (later on in life I learn that my dad had called my mom and said to rush me to the hospital since my blood glucose level was 755).

 Everything was a rush of a blur for me from that point.  There just seemed like so much was happening and so many people around me and I didn't understand what was going on.  The next thing I remember was a doctor coming in and telling me that I had something called DIE---A- BEEE--Tees!

 All I heard was the word DIE!  I was really confused.  Am I going to die?  The next thing I know I am being put in a hospital gown, hooked up to some machine.  Later, who knows how long, I remember they say I can eat and they will bring me some food.  It just happened to be FISH.  I was thinking " Fish is not my favorite food, and that's what they are giving me to eat as my last meal ( I really did think this and to this day I won't eat FISH).

 I stayed in the hospital for a week being trained on how much my life was going to change.  Being taught to test my blood, recognize when I had low blood sugars, and that I was just going to live a completely different life from now on.  Told over and over again that I was still me and nothing had changed, I just had to be responsible.


                            --Moving on....Why I am starting this blog--

That was a week before my 7th birthday.  I am now 2 months from my 31st birthday.  I am married and I have 2 children and would love to have some more.  That day 24 years ago truly changed my life forever.  There have been times where I have let diabetes control my life and get me down, and other times where I truly have seen a blessing in disguise.

 Living with diabetes has not been easy, not at all...It also has not been that horrible.  It just is a life adjustment, a change, and alot of love, patience and understanding from me and from those who encircle my life.  There have been many trial and errors along this path.

 The truth is, like any life threatening disease ( and I am not even going to pretend that this is the hardest thing anyone can have and there aren't far worse things out there, there are plenty!), it cannot be ignored and changes how you run your day and your life.  It makes you view things differently.

 I have learned that there is a LOT of life to live.  One thing that inspired me as a child was finding a fellow diabetic who had five children of her own.  It gave me hope that diabetes wouldn't stop me from living my dreams and getting all my desires (yes, I may have to work a little harder for them and go about them in a different way, but I can still do it).

 That is how I started this blog...I want to use it as an outlet mainly for myself, and hopefully for some others to show how to get what I want out of life with diabetes, and maybe not only give myself a pat on the back and a boost, but hopefully another as well.

 I might do some venting of my own as I start on this adventure, but that is part of the personality of this blog.  Get out of the system.  I invite you to read along with me, and comment openly with ANY words of encouragement, suggestions, or anything someone has to offer!