Hello, Trulicity; So long, Victoza!
So, yesterday I took my first dose of Trulicity. It’s a once a week medication, taken via injection, to help with the insulin resistance with which I struggle. This change comes due to my insurance company stopping coverage for the Victoza that I’ve used successfully for a number of years. I’ve been putting this change off for a while. Mostly because I’m stubborn and angry about having to give up a medication that works for me because some clueless jerk at the insurance company wants to play god with my health. And also because I had a stockpile of Victoza that I acquired from friends who no longer use it, samples from my doctor, and out of pocket purchases that…
Adding a Dexcom to my Diabetes Toolbox
So, back in December, I had a chance to test drive a Dexcom continuous glucose monitor (CGM) through my Endocrinologist’s office. I had been curious about the device and my Endo wanted to capture some data to get a better idea as to what adjustments we needed to make to my insulin dosages, etc… So, I met with the diabetes educator in the office, was trained and setup with the Dexcom, and then spent a week using it to track my numbers, insulin, carbs, exercise, etc… It was a good experience overall, and I definitely saw the potential benefits using a Dexcom on a regular basis. And I really wasn’t ready to give it back after a week. In early…
Keeping Watch
Last Thursday evening I was sitting at my desk at work when my cell phone started vibrating and dancing across the desk. Not recognizing the number, I dismissed the call and went back to what ever it was I was doing at the time. A couple of minutes later, another little buzz alerted me that there was a new voice-mail. Needing to get up and move around a bit anyway, I grabbed my phone, and my heart’s phone, and walked down the hall so I could check the message with some degree of privacy. To my surprise, the message was from the on-call doctor at my cardiologist’s office. My heart’s cellphone had alerted the folks at LifeWatch to the fact…
More than a little discomfort
My appointment at the urologist’s office this morning was interesting to say the least. Down right painful and unsettling if I’m being honest. I’m not going to share any great details, but I’ll say that prostate exams and catheters are not pleasant experiences at all. The problem, it appears, is my bladder is not emptying completely. The organ itself is functioning but not optimally. The NP doesn’t seem to think the problem is severe and wants me to try a medication for a couple of months to see if that will resolve the issue. I’m hopeful that it will. I’ll follow up with the office in a few months. As if the experience of that appointment wasn’t painful enough to…
Forced to Change Meters
Yesterday I spent a little time going through the stack of mail that was waiting for me when I got back from my trip to Louisville for Thanksgiving. While doing so, I found a letter from my insurance company that informed me that they will be dropping Contour and Breeze test strips from their formulary as of January 1, 2012. Guess which meter and strips I use. The insurance company will, however, still continue to offer OneTouch and Accu-Chek strips as alternatives on the formulary. What it boils down to is my insurance company is forcing me to change to a different meter if I want them to continue paying for my test strips. I know I should just be…