Guest guest Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Playing God Marple Aug 25, 2012 Marple Recently, while scrolling through discussions posted on an online diabetes <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/> forum, I came across one from a man in his thirties who wrote about how paramedics had found his twin brother face down in a sauna, in an insulin <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/medications/insulin/> shock coma. How did he end up in such a state? The appalling answer is, he didn't have enough glucose strips to test before he got into the hot tub. A few weeks before the sauna incident, his insurance company had limited his glucose strips to just four per day. For anyone with insulin-dependent diabetes, that is just asking for trouble. Testing at meals alone (breakfast, lunch <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/food/lunch/> , dinner <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/food/dinner/> , and the recommended bedtime snack) would eat up his entire allotment. What about the days when, no matter what you do, your glucose levels just aren't cooperating? You're also supposed to test before you drive, before you exercise <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/fitness/exercise/> , after you exercise, and even more often when you're sick. I personally test about ten times per day, even at 3 a.m. These tests are necessary in order to achieve the beautiful A1C <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/monitoring/a1c-test/> results that doctors and insurance companies are always touting. So why do insurance companies play God by limiting our supplies? If we're not testing, our odds of going into shock or ketoacidosis are much higher, and the cost of keeping us in an intensive care unit to recover is more expensive than a few more strips per day. A few years ago, my former insurance company put a limit on my diabetes supplies. There is nothing quite like the terror that you feel as you watch your medication supply dwindling down to nothing, and you know that you've got a full week to go before your insurance will authorize a refill. We need these things to survive, so it's more than horror-movie scary: It's a real life fear of imminent death. You stand paralyzed, watching the Grim Reaper slowly drag his scythe up the road toward you. Every month you watch him coming, and it's on your last breath, when he's staring you right in the face, that you dodge him and buy yourself one more month--just to do it again the next month. I'm in a better place with a larger insurance company these days, but I will never forget that fear. Insurance companies should not have that power. No one should have the authority to put our lives on the line. That control belongs to each one of us, and us alone. So, I have a message for the insurance companies. Please take a moment to chew on this: You can't make money off of a dead person. _____ Categories: A1C <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/complications-and-care/a1c/> , Diabetes <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/community/diabetes/> , Diabetes <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/community/diabetes-health/> Health, Diabetes <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/community/diabetes-health-magazine/> Health Magazine, Diabetic <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/health-care/diabetic/> , Insulin <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/medications/insulin/> , <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/complications-and-care/insulin-depende nt/> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Well, as many of you know, I've been pushing checking blood sugar more than the suggested amount for years. This lady is right on. Although, this is much more relevant for type 1 insulin diabetics whose blood sugars are prone to huge swings from one hour to the next. If you are a t1, and want more strips than your doctor prescribes, it is up to you to raise a stink. Threaten to find another doctor, but get the strips you need, as the article points out in so many words, to survive. Thanks for the article, Pat. Dave Visit 's web site at: http://www.authordavidbond.com " Like " at his Facebook author page: <http://www.facebook.com/pages/-Bond/161496407291957> Bond From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of LaFrance-Wolf Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2012 11:39 PM To: 'Discussion list for diabetics and/or ACB issues' Subject: Don't play God Playing God Marple Aug 25, 2012 Marple Recently, while scrolling through discussions posted on an online diabetes <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/> forum, I came across one from a man in his thirties who wrote about how paramedics had found his twin brother face down in a sauna, in an insulin <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/medications/insulin/> shock coma. How did he end up in such a state? The appalling answer is, he didn't have enough glucose strips to test before he got into the hot tub. A few weeks before the sauna incident, his insurance company had limited his glucose strips to just four per day. For anyone with insulin-dependent diabetes, that is just asking for trouble. Testing at meals alone (breakfast, lunch <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/food/lunch/> , dinner <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/food/dinner/> , and the recommended bedtime snack) would eat up his entire allotment. What about the days when, no matter what you do, your glucose levels just aren't cooperating? You're also supposed to test before you drive, before you exercise <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/fitness/exercise/> , after you exercise, and even more often when you're sick. I personally test about ten times per day, even at 3 a.m. These tests are necessary in order to achieve the beautiful A1C <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/monitoring/a1c-test/> results that doctors and insurance companies are always touting. So why do insurance companies play God by limiting our supplies? If we're not testing, our odds of going into shock or ketoacidosis are much higher, and the cost of keeping us in an intensive care unit to recover is more expensive than a few more strips per day. A few years ago, my former insurance company put a limit on my diabetes supplies. There is nothing quite like the terror that you feel as you watch your medication supply dwindling down to nothing, and you know that you've got a full week to go before your insurance will authorize a refill. We need these things to survive, so it's more than horror-movie scary: It's a real life fear of imminent death. You stand paralyzed, watching the Grim Reaper slowly drag his scythe up the road toward you. Every month you watch him coming, and it's on your last breath, when he's staring you right in the face, that you dodge him and buy yourself one more month--just to do it again the next month. I'm in a better place with a larger insurance company these days, but I will never forget that fear. Insurance companies should not have that power. No one should have the authority to put our lives on the line. That control belongs to each one of us, and us alone. So, I have a message for the insurance companies. Please take a moment to chew on this: You can't make money off of a dead person. _____ Categories: A1C <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/complications-and-care/a1c/> , Diabetes <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/community/diabetes/> , Diabetes <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/community/diabetes-health/> Health, Diabetes <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/community/diabetes-health-magazine/> Health Magazine, Diabetic <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/health-care/diabetic/> , Insulin <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/medications/insulin/> , <http://www.diabeteshealth.com/browse/complications-and-care/insulin-depende nt/> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Hello, Dave and all, And if you are a tuype 2, you still must do those same things to get the number of strips you need if it is more than the doctor has prescribed. Our error rate tends to be higher than the rate of sighted people at comparable levels of experience, and what's more, it's not the doctor or the insurance company who has to suffer with complications that arise when we could not keep our sugar in control, but us. The number of strips a type 2 needs may be lower than the number needed by a type 1, but we still need that number, whatever it is. I'm preparing for an opera, and I still have to check before and after long coaching sessions, along with my usual checks. Dotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 You are exactly right, Dorothea! Indeed, t2's need to ask for more strips, as I believe the " recommended " daily allotment is 1. Even as I type this, I'm shaking my head. This can't be right. Anyway, be bold, and check, check, check!! Dave Visit 's web site at: http://www.authordavidbond.com " Like " at his Facebook author page: <http://www.facebook.com/pages/-Bond/161496407291957> Bond From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf of Dorothea Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 12:36 PM To: blind-diabetics Subject: Re: don't play God Hello, Dave and all, And if you are a tuype 2, you still must do those same things to get the number of strips you need if it is more than the doctor has prescribed. Our error rate tends to be higher than the rate of sighted people at comparable levels of experience, and what's more, it's not the doctor or the insurance company who has to suffer with complications that arise when we could not keep our sugar in control, but us. The number of strips a type 2 needs may be lower than the number needed by a type 1, but we still need that number, whatever it is. I'm preparing for an opera, and I still have to check before and after long coaching sessions, along with my usual checks. Dotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Dorothea, with a snap of my finger <snap> you got that right! Harry Ridiculous!Who needs a budget? Simple solutions work every time they are tried. No congressional budget, no congressional pay. I'll bet that such a law would work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 iI get 100 strips per month. I am on medicare Betty Re: don't play God Hello, Dave and all, And if you are a tuype 2, you still must do those same things to get the number of strips you need if it is more than the doctor has prescribed. Our error rate tends to be higher than the rate of sighted people at comparable levels of experience, and what's more, it's not the doctor or the insurance company who has to suffer with complications that arise when we could not keep our sugar in control, but us. The number of strips a type 2 needs may be lower than the number needed by a type 1, but we still need that number, whatever it is. I'm preparing for an opera, and I still have to check before and after long coaching sessions, along with my usual checks. Dotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 That's around 3 times per day. If you are a t2, you can make it work if you have to. I would strongly recommend insisting your doctor prescribe a higher number, and you'll need to determine what you need. Allow for some wasted strips also. Remember, the sighted medical community, including our doctors, does not understand what it's like for us. With only 3 strips per day, vary the times you check your blood sugars. Sometimes fasting, sometimes 2 hours aftrer a meal, and sometimes just before a meal. Dave Visit 's web site at: http://www.authordavidbond.com " Like " at his Facebook author page: <http://www.facebook.com/pages/-Bond/161496407291957> Bond From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Betty Emmons Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 8:00 PM To: blind-diabetics Subject: Re: Don't play God iI get 100 strips per month. I am on medicare Betty Re: don't play God Hello, Dave and all, And if you are a tuype 2, you still must do those same things to get the number of strips you need if it is more than the doctor has prescribed. Our error rate tends to be higher than the rate of sighted people at comparable levels of experience, and what's more, it's not the doctor or the insurance company who has to suffer with complications that arise when we could not keep our sugar in control, but us. The number of strips a type 2 needs may be lower than the number needed by a type 1, but we still need that number, whatever it is. I'm preparing for an opera, and I still have to check before and after long coaching sessions, along with my usual checks. Dotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 Hello, Dave and everyone, I buy extra strips on Ebay when I have to. Dotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 How do you buy strips through Ebay? I'm thinking it's illegal, but I really don't know. Probably not, since the only real purpose for a prescription is for insurance purposes. Dave Visit 's web site at: http://www.authordavidbond.com " Like " at his Facebook author page: <http://www.facebook.com/pages/-Bond/161496407291957> Bond From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Dorothea Sent: Friday, August 31, 2012 4:31 AM To: blind-diabetics Subject: Re: Don't play God Hello, Dave and everyone, I buy extra strips on Ebay when I have to. Dotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 Have these strips worked out for you? They are not out of date or partially used? What is the average cost per bottle? _____ From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Dorothea Sent: Friday, August 31, 2012 1:31 AM To: blind-diabetics Subject: Re: Don't play God Hello, Dave and everyone, I buy extra strips on Ebay when I have to. Dotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 My insurance gets me 500 strips and lancets every 90 days at no cost. In a pinch I will buy strips on Amazon.com. Today they are listed for $16.79 per bottle of 50 strips. Anyone who is willing to pay out-of-pocket can buy them there. I also recently bought a Prodigy Voice meter on Amazon when I left mine in a hotel room while on a road trip. Think I paid about $25 for the meter and an extra $28 for overnight shipping. Mark Re: Don't play God Hello, Dave and everyone, I buy extra strips on Ebay when I have to. Dotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Hello, Pat, The strips I just received expire in December, 2013, and they will be long gone by then. They are all new, sealed containers still in their boxes. I bought them through Amazon, so they more or less guarantee the Ebay seller. I'm about to try buying from an Ebay seller directly. I pay about $7 for a bottle of 50 strips. Dotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 That is really cheap. I wonder how people can sell them for that meager price and still make a profit. Do you think they are giving you accurate readings. I suppose the only way you would know that is if you did a test at the same time you had a test done in a lab. _____ From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Dorothea Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2012 4:21 AM To: blind-diabetics Subject: Re: Don't play God Hello, Pat, The strips I just received expire in December, 2013, and they will be long gone by then. They are all new, sealed containers still in their boxes. I bought them through Amazon, so they more or less guarantee the Ebay seller. I'm about to try buying from an Ebay seller directly. I pay about $7 for a bottle of 50 strips. Dotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Hello, Pat, I'm getting these strips for a meter I hadn't used before, the FORA Care V30A. It is not fully audible, no date and time information, just the memory speaks without date and time and the testing function is fully audible. I tried this meter because the Fora company told me I should be able to get strips in Albania and Kosovo. My first tests show a 4 or 5-point-higher reading consistently than the reading gotten with the meter I'm used to, the Sensolite Nova Plus, made by 77 Electronics in Hungary. I figure that a consistent difference is one I can live with. If future bottles give something very different, I'll check again with my remaining strips of the Sensolite Nova Plus. By the way, the Sensolite Nova Plus is the best audible meter I have tried. It is the same electronically as the Sensocard Plus, though not the same physical shape. All the functions speak fully and insufficient blood on the strip gets a " false reading, error " message rather than a low number. This meter is temporarily discontinued, as it requires coding, and the company is coming out with a no-code meter soon. By the way, I have never had trouble coding this meter. I just swipe the little cardboard code strip that comes with the vial of strips in and out of the code slot on the meter and the meter speaks the new code. Unfortunately, this company's talking meters are not available in the US. If they were, I believe they would put Prodigy and Biosense out of the talking meter business. Dotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Dorothea, excellent post. Keep up the good stuff,Harry promote incompetence vote Democrat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 3, 2012 Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 I did not realize you do not live in the US. I thought you were buying Prodigy meter strips off the internet and I wondered how safe they would be. I have heard of the meter you use and I think you are right; if it was hearer we would be using it. _____ From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Dorothea Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2012 9:44 AM To: blind-diabetics Subject: Re: Don't play God Hello, Pat, I'm getting these strips for a meter I hadn't used before, the FORA Care V30A. It is not fully audible, no date and time information, just the memory speaks without date and time and the testing function is fully audible. I tried this meter because the Fora company told me I should be able to get strips in Albania and Kosovo. My first tests show a 4 or 5-point-higher reading consistently than the reading gotten with the meter I'm used to, the Sensolite Nova Plus, made by 77 Electronics in Hungary. I figure that a consistent difference is one I can live with. If future bottles give something very different, I'll check again with my remaining strips of the Sensolite Nova Plus. By the way, the Sensolite Nova Plus is the best audible meter I have tried. It is the same electronically as the Sensocard Plus, though not the same physical shape. All the functions speak fully and insufficient blood on the strip gets a " false reading, error " message rather than a low number. This meter is temporarily discontinued, as it requires coding, and the company is coming out with a no-code meter soon. By the way, I have never had trouble coding this meter. I just swipe the little cardboard code strip that comes with the vial of strips in and out of the code slot on the meter and the meter speaks the new code. Unfortunately, this company's talking meters are not available in the US. If they were, I believe they would put Prodigy and Biosense out of the talking meter business. Dotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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