Darn Dexcom wire

I love my Dexcom, I really do but I hate it when it is poking/stabbing my arm muscle.  I just switched to arm sites for my dexcom again and due to the fact that I havent had it there in a long time I sort of forgot exactly where it needs to go to not hurt.  It has been stabbing me in the arm muscle now for 5 days.  I am trying hard to tough it out to day 7 then yank this damn thing off.  I dont think I am going to make it.  I never know exactly when its going to stab me and holy crap it hurts and I jump every time.  Its like getting an immunization shot into the muscle every time it pokes me.  I cant sleep on my left arm or pick things up or put my arm up.  I am left handed here people.  Its AWESOME to not be able to use it without being stabbed!  I cant ask for a replacement either because it is expired.  Major bummer.  Hopefully this arm stabbing isnt something I will have to deal with from now on because I have lost some weight but I know people whoms arms are all muscle and wear it there so there has got to be some way to use my arms this winter again without being stabbed.  One can hope right? 

JDRF-Funded Islet Encapsulation Program Reaches Historic Milestone

VERY EXCITING DIABETES NEWS TODAY!!

– First Ever Person with Type 1 Diabetes Receives Experimental Encapsulated Human Stem Cell-Derived Beta Cell Replacement Therapy –

New York, NY, October 29, 2014 — JDRF, the leading research and advocacy organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, announced today that JDRF-funded partner, ViaCyte, Inc., a leading regenerative medicine company, has for the first time ever implanted a person with type 1 diabetes (T1D) with an experimental encapsulated cell therapy product candidate, called VC-01TM, which is being developed for the treatment of T1D. This individual, and others to follow, is participating in a trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the VC-01 product candidate, a potential replacement source of insulin-producing cells.

Read the whole story here:

http://jdrf.org/press-releases/jdrf-funded-islet-encapsulation-program-reaches-historic-milestone/?utm_source=ViacyteImplantOct2014&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InsiderNews&s_src=email&s_subsrc=InsiderNews_ViacyteImplantOct2014

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois changes coverage of insulin! Imagine that.

So I got this wonderful gem in the mail last night.

You really really have to love it when an insurance giant like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois decides that it can force you to use which ever insulin they want.  NOT what your DOCTOR thinks is right for you but what they decide they want to cover.  Starting Jan 1 members who are currently taking Humalog or Humulin will be required to go through prior authorization before the drug will be covered at the non-preferred benefit level.  Your doctor will need to submit a request for coverage.

WHAT. A. JOKE.  They use to cover them both equally, what happened?!

No idea what to title this post other than this week has been terrible

This week has been really hard.  We put our 13 year old Boxer Levi to sleep on Saturday.  This is basically the last picture of him.  It has ripped my heart out to put him to rest.

 

His body and health just fell apart the last month and the whole year overall.  He was diagnosed with Diabetes in March 2013.  I tested his blood sugar, treated lows, and gave him insulin twice a day as damn near close to 6am and 6pm as I could.  Pretty much no one but my husband understood that he needed to be fed on time and on schedule, but I made damn sure to do the best I could even if I did piss off a lot of people because of my dog.  

We need to remind Congress to #Vote4DM by cosponsoring these bills. PLEASE TWEET TODAY!!

Those of you who have twitter, please help us get these bills voted on for Diabetes! 
We voted them into office.  Tell them to #Vote4DM.

There are three diabetes bills that are currently in play up on Capitol Hill.
  
S539/HR1074 – National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act (Coordinate)

S945/HR1274 – Access to Quality Diabetes Education Acts (Diabetes Education)

S2689/HR5644 – Medicare CGM Access Act of 2014 (Cover CGM)

PLEASE Go here to tweet!  http://www.stripsafely.com/the-twitter-page/

FDA approved Dexcom Share!! Very exciting news!

"SAN DIEGO, Oct 20, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Dexcom, Inc. DXCM, +1.16% a leader in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for patients with diabetes, announced today that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its CGM remote mobile communications device: Dexcom SHARE"

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fda-approves-dexcom-sharetm-the-first-remote-mobile-communications-device-used-for-continuous-glucose-monitoring-cgm-2014-10-20



Info live now on Dexcom's website!
http://www.dexcom.com/share

A dogs life

I may be a bit absent for a while as tomorrow we are putting our 13 yr old Boxer to rest. He has had Diabetes since March 2013 amongst some other health issues and due to his old age and partially Diabetes I think, his health has just crashed this past month, well really this past year. Im a total wreck over this and Ive cried all day for the most part, so if you leave me comments and I dont get them approved or message you back its because I cant read my phone screen while crying like a baby. I cant even talk about it anymore.

Novolog savings card

I recently took the leap and switched to Novolog from Humalog and am taking advantage of their savings card program.

I did the information online but it didnt work so I ended up calling them and they did everything over the phone with me, gave me all the numbers for the ID and the bins and all that jazz then mailed me the actual card in the mail. 

My co-pay for Humalog and Novolog are $50.00 for every refill.  Humalog/Eli Lilly doesnt offer any programs for people with Health Insurance/people who pay an arm and a leg to have health insurance.  Novolog/Novo Nordisk does offer a discount card and I think its wonderful that they are willing to help their customers out with their copays.  So now I pay $25.00 copay for every refill.  It may only seem like a small amount but when you add up a whole year, I save $300.00 After you pile that on the over $10,000 our family pays for health care every little bit saved helps.

So if you are on the fence about switching and need to save some money I highly recommend this program and their customer service has so far been really great!

Novolog savings card:  http://www.novolog.com/NovoLogSavings/NovoLogSavings.aspx

Interview with Harvard’s Professor Doug Melton, the Harvard scientist who discovered how to generate functioning beta-cells from stem cells (reported on last week). More hope for a type 1 Diabetes cure.

Interview with Harvard’s Professor Doug Melton

Scientific research is painfully slow and hard. Fifteen years ago we began our work in the lab with stem cells and a few weeks ago we finally discovered how to produce functioning beta-cells.

— Professor Doug Melton

Here is the link to the article:

http://diabetes247.org/2014/10/15/interview-professor-doug-melton/

NEW thinner DEXCOM transmitter!! I LOVE IT!

So this past Sunday my Dexcom transmitter (yeah the gray thing you clip into your sensor) decided to just die while grocery shopping.  Of course I was low, as that is always the case when I grocery shop.  It just kept saying out of range and the battery status said ---.   I was not a happy camper!  So I called Dexcom when we were on the way home from shopping and they said they could overnight me one ( for an additional $13 because my ins only pay for 3 day shipping) on Monday.   I was out of the 6 mo warranty by far, I think mine made it 8 months maybe. It was a horrible 2.5 day wait.  I felt so very lost without my Dexcom, I actually had Diabetes anxiey like I was just diagnosed or something.  It was a crazy experience to go without Dexcom.  I couldn't believe I was actually going to have to poke my finger to know where my blood sugar was.  Sunday night of course I went low, 55 low.  An eat the fridge low followed that little fiasco.  So after consuming a lot of carbs I finally stopped my shoving food into my face and decided, holy crap I just ate a TON of carbs!  I literally have no control over myself when I am 55 or lower and if my husband tries to stop me he usually gets yelled at because my brain doesnt want me to stop eating.  So I took a delayed bolus on my pump for 40 carbs in 40 minutes.  I woke up later on at 250, took a correction and woke up at 200.  Not so great but not terrible either, since I had no Dexcom.  I don't know how anyone can do Diabetes with no CGM. I know I cannot go without it.  I have had it for three years straight, not many breaks and those two days were torture!

A new and improved method of taping down my Dexcom

I have been experimenting with ways of keeping my Dexcom on better.  I am still using the smith and nephew opsite flexifix and loving it.  My new method has helped my sensors stay on even better and longer with more accuracy!

1. I cut a piece of smith and nephew opsite flexifix the same exact shape as the built in white tape except a little bit bigger all the way around.   I have yet to make a pattern for this but I will next time and post pictures.

2. I still wipe my skin with an alcohol wipe or two to get any sort of oil or lotion off my skin from bar soap or body wash or whatever product you use as it may leave a residue on your skin.

3. Apply this oval shaped tape to the skin and I personally hold my hand over it to help warm it up and adhere better.  I do not cut a hole in this tape for the sensor wire, I just poke right through it.

4.  Pull white paper off the built in adhesive off the Dexcom sensor applicator and put it over top the oval you just applied to your skin.  Push the plunger and apply your sensor as usual.

5.  Then I use my previous method of taping around the sensor.  You can find that post here: http://typeonediabeticwarrior.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-i-tape-down-my-dexcom-to-get-more.html