Re: some questions please.

March 9, 2012

You're a piece of work, Mark! LOL

I don't know how you maintain a sense of humor with all you've been through.

Hang in there!

Now, to address some of your questions.

Insulin pens aren't $300 per pen. They're around that for a box of 5. You said

something about drawing your insulin, which is the term used if you were using a

regular old syringe and a vial of insulin. Forget what he said about throwing

the pen tip away after one use. Nonsense. You're exactly right, at $33 per box

of 100, you want to get your monies worth! I use a pen tip around 4 times before

chucking it. Basically, I change it every morning--one tip per day, so the box

of tips will last 100 days.

The reason you're still on an oral med is because you are a type 2, meaning your

pancreas is still producing insulin, but your body is not receiving it. This is

the difference between a t1 and a t2. And why a t1 will be able to use a smaller

dose , because his/her body is not rejecting the insulin. And with many t2's,

obesity is a lot of the problem with the insulin rejection.

By all means, call the doc and have them re-write your prescription for your

strips for the Prodigy. Only the Prodidgy strips will work in the Prodigy meter.

Are you on Medicare? You need to have your sister (I think you said sister) look

this up, and she'll want to look at what's called a Medicare advantage plan with

prescription drug coverage. Have her look specifically for plans that give you

the best deal on diabetic supplies, from your insulin pens to the tips to the

Prodigy strips. These plans can change each year, so by the time you find one

for this year and it's working, you may have to do the whole thing again for

next year.

I think that's it. Oh, one thing. I wouldn't recommend giving yourself

injections in your head!

Dave

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some questions please.

as you know I seen the diabetes specialist yesterday. he stopped my Glipizide,

but I still take my met Forman 1000 twice a day and now I'm on the 70, 30, mix

novalog flex pen. he has me on 20 units at breakfast and 20 units at dinner. I'm

to keep track of my sugar readings 4 times a day and fax it to him next Tuesday.

I found out from my drug store that these pens only cost right at $300 each. I

don't think my insurance is going to cover them from what I'm hearing right now.

he did say with my triglycerides being 1300, he would normally have me taking 50

units twice a day, but when he checked my sugar at his office my sugar was 140.

I've been eating better in the last 5 weeks then at any time in my adult life

and my triglycerides went up from last March of 500 to 1300 one year later. this

doc said only insulin will bring the 1300 down. now, a q I got is how long after

giving my self a shot do I have until I eat? home really isn't a problem, but

what about when I go out to eat? I hope I can continue using the flex pen

because they are just so easy, but at $300 a pen and they only hold 300 units,

well if I was on 100 units a day as he said a man my size normally will take,

then this means a $300 pen would last me 3 days! I would have to be a R N making

$40 per hour to afford this cost a month. I may have to go back to school.

another q is why do I always give my self a shot in my belly? I will admit this

is where most of my fat is, but in the hospital they always give you your

insulin in the arm just like a flue shot. well yesterday I was a blessed man

because the doc gave me 3 flex pens. to me this is a $900 gift. he did ask me if

I have to draw up my own shots using the bottles of insulin how would a totally

blind person do it? now you would think as long as I have been on this list and

all the times you guys have talked about doing it, why don't I know this answer?

I suppose unless it is something you need to do your self, then you won't pay

close attention to what is being said. I did tell him you guys do it and some of

you can't see a lick, so if you can then no reason why I can't. I like the flex

pen, but if I can't afford it then it is what it is. my sister does sell

insurance supplements for the older folks, so she is looking in to finding a way

I might go and get most of it payed fore. until then I have the 3 pens that if

he leaves me on 40 units a day each will last one week. ok, now got another q.

he wrote me a scrip for 360 test strips because he wants me to test more then I

have been doing, but I forgot to tell him I use the prodigy voice. I know the

information you get with the meter says to only use there strips, but will other

strips work? the date on the prodigy are out dated the end of March of this

year. sorry for so many different questions in one post, but if I don't put it

all down here I probably will forget and make a bad decision later. I trust you

guys all most as much and maybe more then a doctor. I know with my meter to test

with I will use the same needle more then one day. I use it until it won't give

me blood. what about the needles that I use in this flex pen? the doc said throw

it away after my shot and don't use it again. he said they were cheap, but I

paid $33 for 100. this isn't a lot but when you start adding all the rest in the

price for everything does go up. I know that a high triglyceride can cause

pancreatitis and I wish no part of that. he did say if I continue eating right

and being careful, then he may not have to put me on 50 units twice a day. he

did say I got some other issues with my hormons that he needs to address but

plans to do that later. I did like the man even if he is hard to understand. I

call him doc E. because no way I can wrap my tongue around his name. ok, no more

questions right now. you know where I am at this moment and if up the road I

have to do my shots by drawing up my own units, then we will cross that bridge

when we get there. appreciate all you guys and I did tell him about you. he said

it was grate that I had a support group to help me with my questions. one good

thing is for more then a few weeks when I first woke up my reading was close to

300 and now for more then a week it is now under 200. probably the glipizide was

doing it, but he took me off it. I do wonder why he would leave me on 1000 mg of

met Forman twice a day as well as the insulin? well suppose he knows what he is

about and from my numbers at my last blood test I have no clue or I'm just

thinking bad things happen to others and never me! what a stupid thing to think,

but I've had this attitude for at least 9 years and 5 months. to many trips to

the hospital has finally got through to my thick head that this is serious

business! maybe I should use my head to give my shots? it does seem to be the

fattest part and not my belly. thanks.

March 9, 2012

To draw up a dose from a vile a blind person would need two things:a

count-a-dose and 50cc syringes.At one time I had two count-a-dose, bvut I gave

one to Wayne. I will look to see if I can find the other. If I do, I will send

it to you.

March 9, 2012

I'm all ready on a pretty good Medicare advantage plan that has the best

coverage of the rest. I figured I could use the needle all day. he wishes me to

test four times and this should work fine. glad to hear there is 5 pens in a

box. could be the simple boxes he gave me holds only one per box. my sister did

say I can go directly through the drug company and get help, but my doc has to

fill out some kind of request every month. he acted like he actually cared about

the money I may have to spend each month. ok I won't shoot my fat head! seems

like it is bigger in fat then my belly though. as far as my attitude still being

good? well most of where my health is right now isn't no fault of those who

tried to tell me and worn me. this puppy belongs all to just big old me! we make

our beds through life and we must sleep in them our self. having a bad attitude

and crying about what is done and gone isn't going to help me or any one else

who is watching what happens with me. I've heard that a positive attitude is

half of the battle of getting well. I strongly believe this is so. I have found

through my 55 years of life that the pity pot is for those who have bad

attitudes and blame others for everything that is wrong in there life or with

there health. I know where the blame lies and I'm the first place it has to

start in order to change all for the better for my self and for those who are

watching. A fine Christian man once told me that we all go through trials and

tribulations in life for our own growth as well as for others who are watching

how we react and deal with it all. this was some of the best information I ever

heard and I've tried hard all my life to remember it. just like we always hear

and I believe it is true. life is ten percent of what happens to us and 90% is

how we deal with it. some of us and I'm talking about my self now, try to ignore

things in life that may cause us to pay close attention to what is happening in

our bodies. I never wanted to change my bad eating habits because eating what I

liked and enjoyed made me happy I thought. I didn't really stop to think that

it, being health problems would or could happen to me! who me? no way! I figured

I was above all that and I could worry about it and be concerned about it later.

like why do to day, what I can put off until to morrow. so put it off is what I

done just so I could continue the bad eating habits and not exercise no more

then I had to. lots of doctors told me I would get in trouble health wise if I

didn't change. people like you guys on this list told me, folks who done it

right also told me, but I had to do it my way and my way wasn't the best choice.

infact, my way was a selfish way and very unfair to those that love me and enjoy

having me around. I can't change what is all ready done from poor sugar control,

but I can most certainly stop it from messing me up any more. I all most bought

the farm with my last A fib trip over a week ago and to be honest with you, it

scared the hell out of me this time! Some people have to be kicked in the head

right between the eyes more then once before you can get there attention and I'm

one of those people. I suppose there is a stubborn part of me that wants to do

it the hard way and struggle swimming up the river instead of floating nice and

easy down stream. I hear of all kinds of folks that have the operation that ties

there belly up in a small knot and they drop over 100 pounds in six months! well

it may work for them, but I know it wouldn't work for me. I would look at it is

being to easy and it wouldn't be to long when I put that weight back on and more

with it. I have to do it the hard way or the lessons learned won't stay with me.

I do love you guys on this list and you really have helped me a lot. the doc

yesterday was impressed that I had all the right answers to most of the

questions he ask me about my diabetes. I learned it all from this list. I told

him the truth was simple. I can talk the talk, but I haven't proved to any one

yet that I can walk the walk. some call it practice what you preach!