Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kristin on August 29, 2008 at 1:01pm

Hey Steve! You might find some helpful tips in this discussion. We all know that diabetes is no fun, but without insurance it can be much harder! You might also check out ipump.org. Hope these help!

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Permalink Reply by Steve Manwaring on August 29, 2008 at 1:29pm

thanks, i'm mainly scared to death of running out of insulin so I will be checking out the ReliOn...we all know what happens to a type1 with no insulin...and i have quite the brittle case, my life expectancy would not be good...realisticallly i could die in a very short period of time.

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on August 29, 2008 at 1:37pm

Yes, I can understand why this is really scary.. please make sure you always have enough insulin!! Many of the insulin companies have programs...

Take care of yourself and keep us posted on how you are doing!

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Permalink Reply by Steve Manwaring on August 29, 2008 at 1:37pm

why do you have to practically die before you can get assistance

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Permalink Reply by Doris D on August 29, 2008 at 3:22pm

Bless you Steve! I don't know the answer but dosen't that seem like what they want you to do? In the "they" I mean those insurance company's out there! Also when you almost die here in the good old US then they stick you on Medicade and they won't do what is needed to keep us ticking . I'm on that and Medicare!!! Discusting!! I've always said that they wanted me dead so I wouldn't have to spend money on me!!!

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Permalink Reply by Steve Manwaring on August 29, 2008 at 3:48pm

yeah i would like to see some medicaid statistics, i'm going to search them out just out of curiosity. Pregnant women are shoe-ins. Type 1 diabetics should be too. No matter what you do, if you have type 1 you can't make it go away by eating right and reaching your target heart rate for twenty minutes three times a week. In fact, the exercise bit is misleading because type 1 cripples the body's ability to recover and manage energy. It's ***ked up man, and nobody really knows except the few that have it. Face it type1 is harder the manage than type2, I would trade ANY DAY. I'm almost 6'3" and weigh between 200 adn 210 (it fluctuates weekly according to my diet and insulin intake. I can lose ten pounds in a matter of two or three days and it's muscle and stored fat weight so I'm weaker too.) I appear to be a strapping young lad. My weight is good and I have a very athletic frame. I wouldn't have type 2. Type 1 beats you down and you cant' tell me otherwise. Don't try either.

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Permalink Reply by Doris D on August 29, 2008 at 4:58pm

That's true Steve! Everything you just said! I've always wanted to trade with the Type 2's for years!!! My dad really got me a few years back when he was diagnosed with Type 2 at the hearty age of 59 (he's 69 now) He told me that Type 2 was worse than Tpe 1 and I HAD to argue him back that he got Type 2 after he was able to work and live his life and only had to start watching what he ate at that age, but after my mom died and he got with this new woman he decided that he didn't have Type2 and started eating what he wanted when he wanted!! He was only managing it by diet and as far as I know still is in total denial!

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Permalink Reply by Steve Manwaring on August 30, 2008 at 8:51am

i stand corrected, either type can be very difficult to manage. sorry to anybody i offended

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Permalink Reply by Cara on August 29, 2008 at 5:15pm

Check out www.pparx.org. When I was unemployed and had no insurance I was able to get a year of my Lantus (I was still on MDIs) for free. They have all kinds of assistance that you can apply for. The worst they would do is say no.

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Permalink Reply by Ryan on February 11, 2009 at 6:26am

wow thanks for the info! i just downloaded the forms and will be taking them to my next appointment on the 26th here's to hoping my $600-700/month medication bills go away for a bit :)

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Permalink Reply by THERESA KIRKLAND on August 29, 2008 at 6:35pm

Yes I know about that no insurance thing. I had insurance but my Husband died and now im up a creek. I agree with you about the preg. women being able to get medicaid and we cant. I was told I could if i have a child under 18 living in my home. At 43 Im not going to have a Child just to treat my diabetes

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Permalink Reply by Melissa Padilla on August 29, 2008 at 11:31pm

Hi Steve,

Sorry to hear of your dilemma, but know EXACTLY where you are at! I've not had insurance since LONG before I was Dx'ed. ReliOn is the way to go!! If you've previously been on Lantus and Humalog (or whatever, that's just what I've known most people to be on) , you'll have to learn how to re-adjust your dosages, but, it's workable!

As for the T1 and T2 thing, I've got an issue about that. There ARE some of us that have been Dx'ed T2, and no amount of "diet" and pills worked in keeping our BG's down! I know, I'm one of them! I MAY be a T1.5, but yanno, I don't have insurance, and I can't afford the testing to determine that!

Not that my treatment would change at this point, it would only be for "knowings" sake. But, as it is, my "regular" tests every 3 or 4 months or so, cost me about $350 alone, not including any "extra" tests! As it is, I can't go to see my Endo unless my previous tests have been paid off! (the lab won't do the "new" set of tests, if my previous ones aren't paid off yet!) Sometimes that takes me longer than the usual 3 or 4 months between Doc visits. If only money grew on trees, I'd be a VERY rich woman!! *giggles* (I gots lots of trees in my yard!)

There always seems to be this issue between T1's and T2's and it comes across as T1's being "superior" in some stupid way, to T2's. We each have our own issues. Not to mention the different "levels", for lack of a better term (pre-D, T2, T1.5, LADA, MODY, etc) . Again, as I stated above, NO amount of "dieting" was going to help me, short of eating NO carbs. Which, I was well on my way to! I don't think consuming 30 to 50 carbs a DAY is healthy, at all! Sometimes even less than that! IF that would of even helped! So I was put on insulin, and it was a tremendous benefit, for me! I went from spiraling way out of control, straight to in control in a matter of a week! But, because my diagnosis is "Type 2", I'm looked "down" upon by the Type 1 community. That's just not fair!

I remember MANY times, with my BG sitting at close to or above 300 (this is after Dx and yes, I KNOW that T1's deal with MUCH higher BG's than that, on a regular basis, for random unknown reasons), just having to sit and wait it out. Then, once I was started on insulin, I realized that there were many times I could have fixed that situation immediately, and not risked my health for an extended period of time (retinopathy, neuropathy, etc), if only I had insulin to take!

Now, I DO realize that there are T1's who have issues, no matter what they do! The BG rises for no apparent reason, and it seems that nothing you do brings it down! The body just seems to go absolutely CRAZY for some unknown reason.

But, to take the stance that "I'm T1, and I have it SO much harder than you do" (referring to T2's), just isn't right, at all! As a T2, especially ones who CAN control it with diet alone, do you realize what we/they give up?? A LOT!!! A whole hell of a lot!! Those of us taking insulin (Diabetics of ANY kind), have a MAJOR advantage over those Diabetics who do not!! I've been on BOTH sides of the fence! Having insulin was a GOD send to me! We (those of us who take insulin), can pretty much eat what we want, as long as we dose our fast acting correctly!

Even though I now take insulin, I STILL watch my carbs (I don't like taking LOTS of shots, nor taking LOTS of insulin). I guess it's (restricted carbs) instilled into me now? Oh yea, I "splurge" on occasion, but at least now I know I can take some insulin to counteract it! Either before, or after! Before insulin, I had NO recourse! I just had to sit and wait it out. And, that was with OUT the splurging part!! And, that was severely limiting those carbs!!

So, please think before you belittle us T2's! No, we may not die in a matter of weeks, like a T1 would, but, we WILL die eventually! It would just be a slower, more torturous death.

Now, go to Walmart, and be healthy! *wink* Remember the ReliOn brand!!! It is SUCH a help, for those of us who are uninsured!!!!

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