Sunday, May 22, 2016

Weekly Warriors - Everyday is a T1D Day

Recently I read a Pinterest article advising how to manage a clean home.  Days of the week were provided with clear cut tasks designed to maximize effectiveness of maintaining perfection.  

The article made me laugh.  As a mom within a busy household, there is not an exact science to managing T1d.  

Each day brings out our inner 'MacGyver' as we fly by the seat of our pants in a world that can be unpredictable, weird and even scary at times.  

So tongue in cheek...  Here is my Betty Crocker look at T1D - Pinterest Style. 

On Sundays, I secretly change lancets. 


On Mondays, I use my ninja skills to add extra fruit snacks to their purses, so as not to be yelled at for invading their privacy.  


On Tuesdays, I make sure we have enough juice to power a NFL team to a winning Super Bowl.  


On Wednesdays, I sift through the endless paperwork and make sure we aren't missing homework, appointments or projects so I can write apology notes for being absent-minded after sleeping only four hours over three days. 


On Thursdays, I restock the kitchen drawer and add in a vial of Motrin for my migraine and a bottle of Tums for the over-stressed Naturally Sweet dad. 


On Fridays, I prep for weekend sports by creating a careful balance of sugar, protein and foods that may actually be eaten with less of a frown when one goes  'low' and needs to stop playing. 


On Saturdays, I download numbers and check for adjustments.  I also enjoy a cocktail. 😍







Thursday, May 12, 2016

She Ordered Her Own Insulin: Her Own Life




Something that I have realized through the years is that when the elusive and often, unpredictable business of growing up happens, as a parent, you are never fully prepared.  

Shaking my head later in the day as I reflect, "And to think, it seemed like any other Tuesday afternoon." 

That day, after entering our beloved Tar-Jay, oldest daughter proceeded to walk around me, over to the prescription counter and calmly, yet carefully, place a request for a refill on her fast-acting insulin.  

Slightly surprised, I quietly watched and then, as she turned around, gave her a thumbs up in my dorky, mother.loves.what.you. just.did, way.  This promptly earned me an eye roll with a look that said, "My mother is such a dork."  

Ignoring the look, we pushed the cart away from the pharmacy, and I repeated the instructions to return for pick-up in about 15 minutes.  Oldest daughter patiently replied, "I know mom. 15 minutes."  She then distracted me with her chatter about the upcoming class council election, her friends and their current dilemma of how to manage the competitive campaigns.  Loving the inclusion into her world, I happily listened while pretending to shop.  

We rounded another aisle, with cute home items, and again, I was immersed in her world with chatter about her future apartment and how fun it would be to decorate the space, which of course included dreams of a New York City loft.  

Pausing as we passed grocery, I veered the cart towards canned items while glancing at my watch.  Fifteen minutes had turned into 20 and with the fear of the pharmacy closing, I teetered on forgoing the things I needed and running back to pick up the script.  

"Mom.  I got this.  Why don't I leave you here and go back to pick up the insulin?"  She smiled brightly as though it was part of a daily routine that we established.  The truth of the matter was that she had never completed this task, nor had she left me somewhere to shop.

Hesitating for only a moment, I agreed and off she went.  I watched her gracefully walk back through the multitude of product-filled aisles and brightly colored displays in search of the pharmacy.  
Collecting my items, I eagerly walked her same route, arriving just as she was signing her name on the electronic keypad with consent for having received her six vials of insulin; roughly three months of life.  

Her life.

Squinting my eyes a bit, it was almost like watching a younger version of myself.  She smiled, made small talk and nodded her head enthusiastically to whatever the pharmacist shared.  

She was clearly establishing her life. 

As a mother, I am not sure if I was ever fully prepared to see how quickly the days of childhood would recede.  For so long, it felt as though it was me and only me with the endless tasks of managing T1D.  This moment, so long in it's arrival, suddenly filled me with a sweet sadness at the subtle change of management.  We are supposed to teach, to let go and to quietly watch the transition of the childhood metamorphose into adulthood.

Which I will.  

I will because the beauty is seeing her accept, manage and own her life.  

What a wonderful moment to witness. 


Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Take A Stand Against United HealthCare and Medtronic: Diabetes Collusion Is NOT Acceptable - My Pump, My Choice!



Recently announced by United HealthCare is a unfathomable restriction that forces patients into using ONLY a Medtronic Insulin pump.  

This type of competitive bidding to earn insurance favoritism is akin to medical malpractice.  Since when did insurance earn the right to play the role of medical doctor.  


“Having diabetes isn’t a choice. How people manage it should be,” said Kim Blickenstaff, president and CEO of Tandem Diabetes Care. “Insulin pumps are not a one-size fits all solution. Selecting which pump is the best fit for a person to manage their therapy needs should be a decision made between a person and their healthcare provider.”


The diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes arrives without a choice.  

However, the means in which Type 1 Diabetes is managed is all about choice.


From Melissa Lee at A Sweet Life; "We stand with the community in renouncing this kind of competitive bidding and high stakes collusion. We stand for choice, for precision medicine, for tailored care. This has been coming at us for years and now it’s here. If you’re not a UHC member, please realize that your payer is next on the list."


Taking away that freedom will result in a potentially life-threatening 'one-size-fits-all' approach that reduces patients to care that may not have been prescribed or tailored to their own personal health needs.  

"Our sense is that industry -- from manufacturers to physicians and patients -- will aggressively pushback on this policy change that allows no options for the patient in what is a very personal decision," wrote Danielle Antalffy, an analyst with Leerink Partners, in a research following the Tandem announcement. "We estimate that UnitedHealthcare represents 15% of total covered lives in the U.S."


United HealthCare Needs to Know that together we support the freedom of choice in our medical care. Contact information for the state of Michigan is provided below.  

Provider Relations 

Toll Free Phone: (877) 842-3210
Email: mi_pr_team@uhc.com
All other states may be found HERE.  United we stand with the DOC.   #MyPumpMyChoice.