Diabetes Community

I just read Digm's post in VJsmart's thread and the words are those of someone who is deeply depressed and either unwilling or unable to tackle his disease like a fighter should. Diabetes is a 100% controllable disease and I have been battling mine using ONLY regular insulin. Although I can readily afford to purchase basal insulin, pen insulin analogs, and even an insulin pump and CGM device, many of the people that I try to help cannot. As a result, I intentionally emulated their example and stuck to the use of vial insulin (R) and 0.3cc syringes to see if it was possible to get tight control over BG levels without incurring serious hypo episodes. The bottom line? It required lots of experimenting (trial and error) gauging my insulin doses as well as the frequency of those doses but I was successful in getting very tight control over my BG levels (last A1c test in December was 4..

So what's it going to be digm? I have already proven to my own endocrinologist that the path to BG normalization can be achieved using ONLY regular vial insulin. Are you willing to tackle the challenge or just pay it lip service and throw in the towel? We "less reliable" forum members can help provide some guidance but the responsibility for adapting it to fit your own situation requires your active, not passive, participation.

I have been trying and not just giving it lip service.My resources arent there,I can only get 50 test strips per month with state assit health insurance even purchasing the sidekick from walmart I would need to buy 4-5 of them to get the min 250 strips that a brittle diabetic whose control is outta wack needs thats 80-100 dollars I dont have.I know excuses are like.....but I had/have know idea of what I am doing,no insurance until this month and everything has been guess work up till then,Having to bounce from job to job no set lifestyle pattern,sure poor choices in eating habits didnt help,frankly I think the Drs' were as surprised as me that I was still kickin.Yeah you can say now I'VE GIVIN UP.I had just set up appointments with the eye surgeon,endo/nutr,nurologist,plus two appointments for disability I had to cancel when I found out that I had to leave(I would have to travel over 30 miles in two counties with no transportation the bus will only take me so far)my residence,look I've tried to talk to different friends,my family is either deceased or outta state,cant afford a taxi the appointments I made dont have a delivery service I will have no more phone service.The state either wont help or cant(for christ sake everytime my doc puts through a prescript the state wont cover it I'm lucky I got 50 strips and "R")Living outside in the cold,rain,heat,wind,snow thats not good for anyone esp a diabetic I still need to buy a tent or tarp to make a lean-to,sleepingbag plus you have drunks,druggies and who knows felons/rapist.No showers,all it is,is a plot of land with tents,tarps and people maybe if you lucky a porta-potty.I mean what do I do?Its midnight here and I've spent all day either talking to people or packing.Everyone keeps telling me to get my numbers down get in control I've tried now I'm crashing and everyones pissed the way I look at it I would rather be high in my numbers if I cant control it cause at least I wont crash sure I'm doing damage but at least it will be later in life that right now.I have always said live for the moment cause when you get hit by the bus tomorrow you'll wish you had.I would maybe have 6 crashes a year with my BSL high,now I've had 6 and the month isnt even over yet.My doc conceded and said keep my numbers elevated backed my lantus down to 10( from 25-30)1/20 on the "R" now my seizures are there and the roomies thought it was because of low sugars when I had my seizure my bsl was 204,the doc at the hospital said it wasnt from my sugars.So if I'm gonna die I'll do it on my terms.Thanks for your concern I really do appreciate it and everyone elses input.Derrek

Digm70, according to the brilliant minds at Medicare, we Type2s only need 30 strips per month. In some circumstances, they will allow more, but you and your doctor have to justify the increase.

Nancy

Any type II diabetic who is insulin dependent is eligible to receive more test strips each month at no additional cost if they are on Medicare.t. I am provided four strips per day since I use HumulinN.

Your doctor simply has to fill out a form and send it to the Medicare folks.

This is not the case for folks who do not use insulin.