Who am I, why am I here, what is my goal?

 Read the whole page with some pictures here:  http://typeonediabeticwarrior.blogspot.com/p/why-am-i-here-on-blogger.html

My name is Megan, I am a type 1 Diabetic.  I'm here to share my life with Type 1 Diabetes while using a t:slim insulin pump (former Medtronic wearer and I am never looking back) and Dexcom glucose sensor. I am married to my wonderful husband and work full time as a Finance and Internet Manager at our family car dealership. We have an amazing daughter, two Boxers and five insane cats.  (I took in strays ok, I know I am crazy)  =D

Being on my pump and Dexcom has not only made my life easier in general but it has made my life at my JOB easier.  Going outside and taking pictures of cars and showing them to customers is a very on the spot kind of thing, I dont have time to set a temp basal 30 minutes before I have to get up and do something.  So my Dexcom has become my lifeline, I need to know when my blood glucose starts to drop because I drop FAST and sometimes so fast I don't notice until I am at 40.  I am extremely sensitive to physical activity, so much so that I hate it.  My Dexcom and pump have also made becoming a parent 1 million times easier.  I could not have gone through pregnancy without my pump and Dexcom.  My Dexcom helps me take better care of my daughter, because I need to be there for her and I need to know if my blood sugar is crashing.  Now, not when I am so low that I can't function.  I cannot imagine my life without my pump and Dexcom.  

I am a self proclaimed Diabetes Advocate, I have made one of my goals in life to help other people with Diabetes.  I like to try to help point people to the right medical team, show them resources online, show them about discount programs, or whatever it may be.  Nothing bothers more than to hear that someone is struggling to control their diabetes and their general practitioner doesn't seem to have any ideas of how to help them.  Its 2013 not 1950 and yet it seems a lot of us with type 1 are getting the same level of care as 1950. I want to yell from the rooftops that there are better options out there now, go get them!  

If you are a Diabetic yourself please join the Diabetic Warrior Facebook group that I started. I started this group mainly because all of the other groups were open groups and anyone in the world could read the things we post, our most private and stressful Diabetic moments. Some of them let anyone in, including spammers and people who were just being nosey.  I didn't like that, so I started a new group.   

https://www.facebook.com/groups/diabeticwarriors/

  
A good Endocrinologist and a good Certified Diabetes Educator will make your life so much easier, better and more educated! My CDE Calli is the most amazing person I know in the Diabetes field along with my amazing Endo Dr, Iverson! 

Calli helped me to save my life in 2008 by putting me on the pump and she pretty much held my hand thru the whole process and talked me into it. She is a former medtronic rep and knew the minimed pump inside and out and had my settings nailed down in a very short time period. My brother was on the pump before me so he cleared the path towards it. My control was day and night on the pump and I will NEVER look back to injections. I also tried the medtronic cgm sensor a few times and it was the worst experience in my life. The pain was more than i could bear on a day to day basis. The taping down process was horrible and it just grossed me out. I called Dexcom to send a rep out so I could try it and Tim Palmer met me at my cde's office and he put one on me, the first one failed.  I felt defeated, I actually cried.  Tim came back out and put a new one on me and if was 100% success and I said ok lets go to war with my insurance to get it covered. I had my endo and cde write letters and I wrote an 8 page letter to my case manager with my former health ins company. They read it all and she called me to tell me I was approved.  She said it was the most paperwork she had ever seen. It took me 5 months to get it approved and the day she called me to tell me I was approved I cried! 

The turning point for me was the week I had two lows in the 20s at night. It was two too many close calls, I didn't want to die in my sleep. Dexcom helped me to actually sleep at night without fear or worry.  I have been on Dexcom since December 2011. 

It's just the little things that some people just don't know about, if we all gather more information and share it with each other, hopefully we can help some Diabetic somewhere. 

You can contact Molly McElwee Malloy CDE, yourself on twitter at @mollymacT1D and she can help you find a CDE in your area! Molly is being very generous by offering to help everyone with Diabetes to find good quality care!