#t1problems

[bigwands]

Good news: My insurance might pay for a new pump so I can be free of Medtronic.

Bad news: The one I want hasn’t actually been released in Canada yet so I’ve got a few months yet. I may have to pay the $7000 up front. And it’s up to the company if they want to cover it.

[bigwands]

My morning so far

Lost the battery cap for my pump recently. It’s my own fault. Since then I’ve been trying to locate it/a method to purchase a new one without a credit card. First day I tried the website was down. So I’ve been trying to manage shit with with injections since then.

Today I try to order one first through the website via my phone but it didn’t like the card number. Tried again from a computer (now at work before my shift) and this time it took the number but declined the card. Go buy a MC gift card. Also declined. Definitely activated properly, I have the receipt.

Call the Order desk. Informed by call center that they’re closed on weekends and they “don’t really know what to tell me” because the website is the only option on the weekend. They suggest checking my local pharmacy, but the pharmacy doesn’t carry anything but the disposable supplies for the pump. They put me on hold and ask around only to tell me that it’s generally recommended I have a back-up plan and maybe I should check the pharmacy more carefully. In the meantime they’ll take my name and have the order desk call me when they open on Monday. It’s clear the call center knows absolutely nothing abut diabetes or the product they’re representing.

I still don’t have a functioning pump.

I’m transferred to the “24 hour tech line”. Am now in tears in back room. Kick safe once to vent some of the jittery feeling I’m getting.

Canadian office is closed on weekends. Transferred to American line. I know from past experiences they’re limited in what they can do for me as an international customer now. Wait on hold, paying for every minute of airtime. Very nice dude answers and does everything he can considering the database is apparently down today so he’s working with a static spreadsheet of Canadian customer’s information from a few months ago. Takes my information and puts in a request for a new battery cap to the Canadian branch for when they open tomorrow. Will take 2 days to ship, but I didn’t have to pay for it.

I still don’t have a functioning pump.

If you’re making your millions by manufacturing essential medical devices and supplies you don’t get to close on weekends. This is a company that asks what your last BG reading was when you call the tech line so they can recommend you go to the hospital immediately if it’s too high. Who can and will courier a new pump that same day if it malfunctions. They understand the stakes.

Oh right, this is Medtronic.

[bigwands]

Spent $15 on the new version of the lancets I was using (because I figure I should probably FINALLY change it now that I’m testing more than once a damn year) had to justify myself to miss “so, 3 years? we’re you just not checking?” (’scuse me, you’re not my doctor. you’re not even the pharmacist. you’re a cashier. give me my shift and fuck off) and

they don’t fit. So I don’t know if I can buy just the new version of my poker, or if I should use the one that comes with my meter (ew) or just never change the lancet. It’s probably going o be the last one, lbr.

[bigwands]

Welp.  Definitely not going with anything from Dexcom or Animas.  Jesus.  I’m being transfered a third time here.

[bigwands]

Walked all the way home from my appointment only to discover the new CGM they set me up with (and that I have to wear for the next two weeks for this study) isn’t working properly.  So I’m assuming I’ll have to go back in and get a new one.  But Kyle’s out of town and my feet hurt ad it’s so damn far away.

And I don’t have a response yet so idek.

[sweet-diabetic-blog]

Has anyone ever been fired for being diabetic?

As many of you will know, I’m starting university in September so I decided to get a summer job to save money to pay for all the expenses that comes along with university. All was going well: I started a job a week after I finished college, I was doing really well but a couple of weeks in I went to a diabetes clinic appointment and I hadn’t been feeling well so they tested my ketones and they were significantly high. My consultant told me to take the next day off or face going to hospital (probably should mention that this job consisted of me being on my feet for anywhere between 7 and 15 hours a day so it wasn’t safe for me to go in). A few weeks later I woke up and parts of my feet were numb, others were tingling and I was having the most excruciating cramps in my feet and legs. This obviously was worrying so I visited my GP (who was TERRIBLE but that’s another story) and she told me to take the rest of the day off, to soak my feet and rest, so I did. Then last Thursday I vomited. I went to my manager, told him that I had been sick to which he replied “can’t you just stay on for the last few hours?” I explained how dangerous diabetes and vomiting can be and the complications of the two combined and so he fired me. I felt this was unfair as he said it was because I had too much time off but I explained that when I called to say I wasn’t going to be in that I said that it was diabetes related and that I was under medical advice. I soon found that this information wasn’t recorded so I explained why I took each day off and that I could get notes but he said that wasn’t good enough and dismissed me. I believe this to be an unfair dismissal because I explained that I am diabetic when I was hired; explained that I may have needed extra days off and the reasons why and they did not do all they could do to help my diabetes (which is what they were legally supposed to do) as I asked them if I could train in a role (which was within my role) which allowed me to sit down during my shifts but they didn’t take it any further. Currently I’m wondering how I’m supposed to pay for everything and then be able to enjoy myself at Fresher’s week but I’ll think of something. But yeah, Has anything like this ever happened to you? How did you deal with it? 

[lifewithoutmypancreas]

Vacations please?!

I wish vacations existed with this disease, maybe then I wouldn't be so damn tired all the time.

[lifewithoutmypancreas]

Diabetes and crossfit

I started crossfit about a month and a half ago, and it's been great honestly, better control over my sugars and so much motivation to keep track of everything! However I still can't get the hang of adrenaline corrections or how to deal with adrenaline highs in general, does anyone have any advice? The only time they spike is right after, the rest of the day my sugars are pretty stable.