@Sparrow yes! there's continuous prescriptions for other things, why not for diabetes? and insulin is not... harmful or gives you a high or anything (lol, the opposite) so i don't understand why it has to be treated like this. wait, i do. health care doesn't want to pay for one drop of insulin or test strip more than they have to. they'll also limit the amount of test strips i can have per 3 months and not let me get more than two bottles (per 10ml) of insulin in one go.

I'm sorry about your situation :< i hope you can you get enough test strips and insulin prescribed to make it for 1-2 months. are you using pens or a pump?

@mimtschan

Totally! Well, insulin is potentially dangerous- anyone whose had a low episode knows that. So that might be why it's a controlled substance? Even so, it's not like low episodes are especially fun or desired. I can't imagine why a diabetic would induce that state on purpose.

I use pens. I actually have a really nice stockpile of insulin right now because I had good insurance over the summer, so I should be okay. But my test strip supply is more limited.

@mimtschan

& that's more infuriating, in a way. Because while insulin *could potentially* be harmful, you're not going to hurt yourself by monitoring your blood too carefully. I mean, seriously??

They currently provide me with enough test strips to test 4 times/day, when I generally prefer to test 6-7 times.

At some point I want to get a continuous blood glucose monitor, though.

Do you use pens or a pump yourself?

@Sparrow 4 times 😫 that's really uncomfortable, for me def not enough. they provided a bit more for me until i got my cgm, i think also 6-7, but even that is... idk. they're just unnecessarily limiting it because it costs them. i ended up buying test strips a couple times and that just pisses me off, i don't get those for fun ya know.
though at least you can usually order test strips online - they're expensive ofc but affordable for a couple months I'd say...

@mimtschan

It's absolutely not enough. Ideally I'd test @ wakeup and bedtime, and then before/after each meal I have... So up to 9 times if it's a long day.

Once I get in a better position with more stable healthcare, I'll talk to my doctor and see if I can double the test strip prescription. It's possible they'll do it if I make a complaint.

How much did ordering test strips online cost? I had to purchase test strips out of pocket once on vacation and it was $300 USD

@Sparrow OK, i hope there's that option for you! i tried to have them raise the prescription too, but they were so annoying about it i just didn't have the spoons to keep begging, luckily i got my libre then.

hmm, well... the ones i used to have before, the prices seem ok (i just looked for them on amazon). but i think it heavily depends.

@mimtschan

WHAT

@mimtschan

is that amazon?

@mimtschan

oh I would need to get a different monitor tho

@Sparrow hmmmm. i think i could send you my old one, if you wanna. not using it anymore.

@Sparrow
its just so upsetting, its 2017 and we're supposed to check our blood sugar 7 times max a day? how tf are you supposed to optimize like that? :<

I've been on pump therapy for over 10 years now, but for a year now I've had the omnipod which is a patch pump, which is definitely my thing. also cgm on and off, but freestyle libre is really really amazing. they also send me free test strips whenever i request. I'm beyond happy with them.

@mimtschan

Yeah, it's ridiculous. I often end up keeping my BG higher than I would like to so I can limit the # of times I test and do things like exercise throughout my day without worrying about going low. Being able to test > frequently would give me a lot > freedom there.

I haven't tried a pump yet. Weirdly I have t1d but I was diagnosed at age 23, so I've only had it 3 years. I'd like to try a pump eventually, but I dance and I worry about it getting in the way.

@Sparrow ooh okay! we'll I'll have my 25 year diabetes anniversary next year, so ice tried around a fair bit 😂

i had a normal pump with a tube before, and I'd put it on my bra, but that was severely limiting. maybe if you can look into patch pumps, i think that might be more practical if you exercise. check out the omnipod, but there might be a bigger choice in the US.

@mimtschan

Oh wow! Happy early Diaversary!

Ooh okay, I'll look into that. Can you take them out temporarily? For most of the dance I do the patch pumps look ideal, but for pole dance I often need to make direct skin contact with the pole around the belly/hips, and that would be difficult with a pump.

Also, thanks so much, that's a really generous offer! I looked up the price for the monitor and they're under $10, so I can just order one as a backup. Thanks though!

@Sparrow thank you haha, its still a while till then tho 😄😄

oh wooow you pole dance? that's sooooo cool!
well i think most patch pumps you can't take off, though you could also put then on your arms. but with tube pumps, you could clip them off temporarily (or at least with minimed), so maybe that would be an advantage.
here they let you try out pumps at the clinic, maybe you have that option too?

ohh, I'm glad they're so cheap :3

@mimtschan

Yeah! It's really difficult, fun, and rewarding in this satisfyingly linear way. By which I mean, the more work I put into training and learning moves, the more I get out of it.

Ah okay, good to know. I use my arms just as much if not more. xD

Either way I'll look into it. I'm not sure what my provider will even offer once my healthcare plan stabilizes, but I'm sure with the right combination of research and patience I'll find something that works.

Thanks!