Category Archives: Advocacy

Spare a Rose, Save a Child 2015

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Spare a Rose 728x90tag

Laddie_Head SquareAll of my 2015 blogposts have been about #firstworldproblems such as the Animas Vibe, my Dexcom G4, an iPhone trick, and a recent experiment of using long-acting insulin along with my pump.

But children in developing nations are dying because they have no access to insulin of any type.

I can be a grouch when diabetes technology does not live up to my expectations. My biggest problem these days is whether I should keep my current insulin pump or upgrade to the newest model. I joke about the excitement of switching from a hot pink continuous glucose monitor to a blue one.

But children in developing nations are dying because they have no access to insulin of any type.

I am 62 years old and have lived with Type 1 diabetes since I was 24 years old. Last week my Fitbit says that I walked 105,292 steps or almost seven miles a day. I went out to lunch three days in a row. I have very few complications of diabetes. I am indeed blessed.

But children in developing nations are dying because they have no access to insulin of any type.

I am writing this blogpost on my laptop computer at my kitchen table with an iPhone and iPad sitting next to me. My refrigerator is full of food and most importantly, there is a 3-month supply of insulin in the deli drawer.

But children in developing nations are dying because they have no access to insulin of any type.

What if there was something that you could do to make a difference for these children? There is and you can by supporting the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign sponsored by the Diabetes Online Community.

The message is simple, but powerful. Buy one less rose this Valentine’s Day and donate that $5 to the Life for a Child program sponsored by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Your gift of $5 will provide a month of insulin and diabetes supplies for a child in parts of the world where these life-saving medications and supplies are desperately needed. Consider donating $60, the equivalent of a dozen roses, and giving a year of life to a child with diabetes. Even more generously, make a pledge for a continuing monthly gift.

If you need motivation to donate, please watch this short vlog by my online friend Kelly Kunik at her blog Diabetesaliciousness©.  (To my contemporaries who might not be as hip as I am, a vlog is a video blogpost. I am trendy enough to know what a vlog is, but not so cool that I have ever done one….)

As we approach Valentine’s Day 2015, let us be generous in sharing our bounty with children all over the world. To us, a rose is small. To a child with diabetes, that rose represents another day, another month, another year of life.

I made a donation today and hope that you will too. To donate using PayPal, click here.

To Donate, Click on the Image

To Donate, Click on the Image

Musings on Approaching Medicare

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Sue_HeadSquare2I will turn 65 in May, which means I will be Medicare eligible. I have several friends and family members who thought going on Medicare was a wonderful blessing, because they now had affordable health insurance that also covered extras like well exams and gym memberships. Of course I think that Medicare is a blessing for seniors. However, for Type 1 diabetics who have had use of a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to give them a continuous readout of their blood sugars, thus minimizing hypo and hyperglycemic episodes, this often meant that they lost whatever health insurance plan they were on, and were forced to go on Medicare. Unfortunately, Medicare presently does not cover CGM’s because they consider it “precautionary equipment”.

Anyone who regularly reads Test Guess and Go and has read Sue from Pennsylvania’s blogs about her husband losing his CGM coverage and his numerous appeals to get it reinstated already knows what a futile effort that is. Thankfully, Sue’s husband was able to get CGM coverage through the Veterans Administration. There is presently a House bill (H.R. 5644: Medicare CGM Access Act of 2014) and a companion Senate bill (S. 2689) that would facilitate Medicare coverage of CGM’s. If you haven’t already done so, please ask your representative and senator to co-sponsor these important bills.

I am somewhat apprehensive as I approach Medicare. I say somewhat, because I am lucky to have retiree health insurance through the school district I worked for, and will be able to continue with this insurance after I go on Medicare. I presently have excellent coverage of my CGM, but at one time I received a denial of coverage, appealed the decision and won my appeal. I am concerned that my insurance plan will follow Medicare guidelines and deny coverage. I will not know until I go on Medicare, so I will have to wait and see what happens, but I am hoping that they will continue to cover my Dexcom CGM. I am continually thankful that I have it, and am amazed at how much my quality of life has improved despite sometimes annoying beeps that warn me of impending high and low blood sugars.

I have been using the Omnipod pump since 2007, my one and only pump. I know that Medicare does not cover this pump, so if my retiree insurance won’t continue to cover this pump I will be forced to use a tubed pump. This is not such a big deal to me as continuing to use the Dexcom.Medicare Questions

If I am unlucky and my insurance plan won’t continue to cover my Dexcom, I will join the hundreds of other senior Type 1’s who can’t benefit from CGM coverage, putting their lives  in danger every day. I pray that we can get more momentum for these bills and get them both signed into law.

If you have not previously contacted your Senators and U.S.
Representative to support CGM Coverage by Medicare, please
click here to go to the JDRF page that contains links and
easy-to-follow instructions to have your voice heard.

A Chance to be Heard

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Laddie_Head SquareOver the weekend I was asked by fellow Minnesotan Scott Johnson to write a statement about the value of continuous glucose monitors (CGM) for senior citizens, most specifically as it relates to  Medicare and CGM coverage. Rather than recreate the wheel for why he asked me, here is an excerpt from Scott’s email:

Scott Email Paulsen

Erik Paulsen (R-MN3) represents the Third District of Minnesota. He is a champion of fiscal responsibility and technical innovation when it comes to healthcare. Paulsen is a member of the diabetes caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives and is a supporter of “bipartisan, common sense solutions” for our healthcare crisis. Although Scott did not know this, I live in Erik Paulsen’s district and have previously contacted him by letter, email, and Twitter regarding diabetes issues such as federal funding for diabetes research and the need for Medicare coverage for CGMS. (I also voted for him in the recent November election.)

Luckily for Scott, I had an unfinished blogpost about growing old with Type 1 diabetes and it didn’t take long to draft a statement to be shared at the JDRF advocacy meet-up with Congressman Paulsen. This is my statement as submitted to Scott and shared with The Honorable Erik Paulsen, United States House of Representatives:

Paulsen Statement by Me

Thank you to Scott for sharing this photo from Monday, November 17, 2014. Left to right: Camille Nash, Debbie Evans, Scott Johnson, Rep. Erik Paulsen, Chelsea Grimes.  Camille, Debbie, and Chelsia are mothers of children with Type 1 diabetes and along with Scott, represented the MinnDakotas Chapter of JDRF to advocate for Medicare coverage of Continuous Glucose Monitoring.

2014-11-17 10.51.00

 

          Oh yes, I am awesome, Scott. And so are you!

Postscript:  The day after this meeting, Representative Erik Paulsen signed on as a Co-Sponsor of H.R. 5644: Medicare CGM Access Act of 2014.  Talk about concrete proof that our advocacy efforts can make a difference!  Thank you to Camille, Debbie, Scott, and Chelsea for representing JDRF and sharing your stories and my story with Rep. Paulsen.  And thank-you to Erik Paulsen for going on record as supporting Medicare coverage for CGMS.

A Thank-you Note to Laura C.

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Laddie_Head SquareDear Laura,

We’ve never met in person or crossed paths in the diabetes online community (DOC). I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1976 at the age of 24. When my children were born 30+ years ago, I naively never worried about them getting Type 1. When I became involved in the DOC over 10 years ago, I quickly became a supporter of parents of children with Type 1. At the same time I gave thanks every day that I had diabetes instead of my children. Most of the parents whom I’ve met in the DOC would happily live with Type 1 if they could take the burden away from their children. I suspect that you feel the same way.

I recently listened to you and your husband talk on the Oct. 20 DSMA ‘Rents podcast about CGM in the Cloud. I have read many blogposts and listened to multiple interviews about the Nightscout system and am amazed by the #wearenotwaiting project. The technological support and peace of mind it provides for people with diabetes and their parents/families is wonderful. Although some adults with diabetes are using the system, I personally don’t need it at this time. As a diabetes tech junkie, I’ve been tempted to buy the gear and set it up, but so far I’ve resisted.

But Nightscout is not what this letter is about.

I am 62 years old and will be on Medicare in 2.5 years. I have used continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for over five years and have found the Dexcom G4 to be a life-changing device for me. I am safer, my blood sugars are more tightly controlled, and I feel better both physically and mentally. When I reach Medicare age, I will have used a CGM for almost 8 years with full insurance coverage. I am terrified of the day that current Medicare policy will deny me that coverage. I am befuddled by decision makers who label CGM as “precautionary and without proven value” while this still-improving technology has a proven track record, can save money by reducing hypoglycemia-related ER visits/hospitalizations for seniors, and is a fundamental technology of the Bionic Pancreas.

Today I write to thank you for your closing remarks on DSMA ‘Rents:

“And the other thing I’ll add real quick as the Advocacy Team Chair for our Rochester Chapter of JDRF-  None of this would be possible without the CGM technology and there’s a bill currently going through Congress right now to allow seniors on Medicare access to CGM. Most, I think it’s like 95% of private insurance, covers CGM’s whereas our seniors don’t have access to them. And I feel like just because our son [name withheld] is 6 and not 66 doesn’t mean he is any more or less deserving of this technology. So all these great things that we have because we have access to it, I think our seniors deserve as well. So I’ll just put that pitch in there.”   (Loc. 55:07)

In the last year and a half, the issue of Medicare CGM coverage has moved to the front page Dear Laura Cof DOC advocacy. (One of the leading champions of this issue is my co-blogger Sue from Pennsylvania.) Those of us with insulin-dependent diabetes on Medicare or approaching age 65 have appreciated the support of parents, families, friends, medical professionals, and people with all types of diabetes. With the whole diabetes community supporting us, we have had and will continue to have a louder voice than we would otherwise.

But the fact that you took the time to conclude your interview concerning your project and your son with the importance of my issue is incredibly heart-warming.

So I thank you, Laura. If I ever had doubts that those of us affected by diabetes can be a united and supportive community, your eloquent remarks smashed them. I will sleep better knowing that you are on my team.

Sincerely yours,

Laddie Lindahl

Test Guess and Go

If you have not previously contacted your Senators
and U.S. Representative to support CGM Coverage
by Medicare, please click here to go to the
JDRF page that contains links and easy-to-
follow instructions to have your voice heard.

Monday Miscellany

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Laddie_Head SquareThis post is a mixture of important and not-very-important stuff.  If you’re like me and getting tired of ‘heavy” and “try to change the world” issues, you might want to just read the last section which deals with autumn colors and burned-out lightbulbs. November is coming soon and I need to re-energize myself when it comes to diabetes advocacy.  I will — because diabetes never takes a vacation.

Diabetes Related:

Big Blue Test LogoThe Big Blue Test begins today and continues until November 19.  This is a program of the Diabetes Hands Foundation where people are encouraged to exercise for at least 14-20 minutes and log the results at the Big Blue Test website. People with diabetes need to test their blood sugar before and after the exercise session. Those without diabetes just log their exercise session. Each logged test raises $1 to support diabetes programs in the US and the Dominican Republic (Learn about the 2014 grant recipients.)  The Big Blue Test is an easy and meaningful way to advocate for people with diabetes. Join me and start participating!  (BTW-If you use mySugr, you can participate in the Big Blue Test as one of the challenges. My monster is hyped and ready to go!)

FDA Blue CircleThe hashtag #DOCASKSFDA has been everywhere in the diabetes online community recently. On November 3, 1-4pm EST, the FDA will host a live webcast that will feature a panel of people with Type 1/Type 2 diabetes along with representatives from ADA, JDRF, and diaTribe.  Please fill out the short survey created by diaTribe to share your thoughts on important concerns for people with diabetes.  The survey deadline is tomorrow, Oct. 21, so don’t delay.  Your voice is important!  You can learn more about the virtual conference at diaTribe.

Medical Not Diabetes:

CupcakeMost of us try to live a healthy life. Yeah, we make some bad decisions but we also do a lot of things right.  I always think that it is funny how many of us share photos of post-doctor appointment cupcakes.  Why do we work hard to prepare for medical appointments and then revel in “forbidden” treats afterwards?  Are we just being healthy to impress our medical professionals?  Beats me, but I always feel the need to “reward” myself after a stressful appointment or lab test.

I missed the cupcake craze so my reward used to be chocolate-covered donuts. I always swoon over these tasty treats as I walk past the donut case at my local Holiday Stationstore, but I have learned to resist them. (I have tons of other things that I can’t resist, so I’m not being overly virtuous here.)

On Friday morning I had a lab test as a follow-up to my annual physical in September. Internet searches indicated that the rogue result in September could range from meaningless to cancer. I was worried. I stopped at Holiday on the way home from the test and purchased a Diet Coke instead of donuts. I have been working hard to reduce the presence of dark sodas in my life, so Diet Coke is on my try-to-avoid list.  (Can you believe that I am still friends with Scott Johnson!!!)  I have to admit that I don’t like Diet Coke all that much any more, but I still buy it because it has such happy and friendly memories for me.

I got a call from my doctor’s office in the afternoon and fortunately my test was completely normal.  The nurse who phoned indicated that they didn’t want me to worry about the results all weekend.  My doctor earns an A+ grade for understanding how long a weekend can be when you’re worrying about medical issues.

Life Stuff:

Lamp to Repair_SquareSo far I have not had a great experience with long-lasting power-saving lightbulbs.  My latest glitch was the rattling and sizzling demise of a $15 lightbulb.  I put in another bulb and it died in a day or two. Being the electrical whiz that I am, I determined that I needed to replace the burned out socket in the lamp.  A trip to the hardware store, a new socket, and a $20 LED bulb solved the problem. The new bulb is advertised to last 22.8 years and ultimately save me $231. I’ll be 84 years old when it bites the dust (unless it’s like the old one which only lasted a month).

Autumn Colors SquareMid-October is a colorful time in Minnesota.  This photo was taken late last week on an early morning dog walk.  Unfortunately strong winds and cold temperatures have resulted in a blanket of beautiful leaves in my yard. But one good thing: Raking counts as exercise for the Big Blue Test!

JDRF One Walk Manhattan 2014

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This post is a little dated because I have been on the road and decided to wait until I got home to add the photos and publish my story.  Last Sunday I got the opportunity to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge while supporting JDRF.

My youngest son lives in New York City with his wife and almost one-year-old daughter.  In general I hate New York because I am a suburban girl at heart and get claustrophobic being around all the people and crammed-together buildings. But one night in early summer I saw a post by Alecia of Surface Fine mentioning the JDRF One Walk Manhattan 2014. Before I knew it, I had signed up and pledged to raise a certain amount of money and walk with Alecia’s Stem Cells team.

A little background here. I grew up on the East Coast and have been in and out of NYC most of my life.  But I have never really liked it.  I hate the crowds, I hate the filth, and most especially I hate the smells.  Somehow I managed to have a child who loves New York, moved there after college, and has never left.  Usually we see him when he comes to Minneapolis for family visits, holidays, and friends’ weddings. My husband occasionally has business in NYC and meets him for dinner.  Now that my son is a father, I have pledged to visit him and his family occasionally rather than always make them come to my part of the world.

More background. When my darling granddaughter was born last October, I flew out to NYC to do my best to be helpful. Previously I had “met” Alecia online through Twitter and then her blog. I had also purchased one of her 2013 Alecia’s Stem Cells T-shirts because it was such a great design. So with no fear I emailed her to see if she would like to meet for lunch or a drink. In typical Alecia-style, she replied quickly and suggested Saturday brunch.  We enjoyed our visit and found that we had a lot in common.  Although I am a generation older than Alecia, we have both had Type 1 for over 35 years and we use Animas pumps and Dexcom G4 CGM’s.  Since our first meeting a year ago, we have continued to keep up with each other in typical DOC-style with occasional Tweets, emails, and blog comments.

Alecia is an avid JDRF supporter and this was her 15th Walk. Alecia’s Stem Cells team raised over $37,500 this year. Rather than recreate the wheel, I’ll share Alecia’s summary of the fantastic 2014 walk:

We had Walkers this year from NY, NJ, PA, IL, and MN.  We had our largest Walk team ever. We had friends and family from the very first Alecia’s Stem Cells team in 2001 and first time walkers who’d never been across the Brooklyn Bridge.  We had a grandmother who’s T1D, a 40-something T1D (me), a 20-something T1D and a 8-year old T1D.  The team may carry my name, but we were walking for ALL of us. Alecia’s Stem Cells was announced as one of the top 5 fundraising teams for the JDRF NYC.  We ran out of yellow ASC team ONE to NONE shirts and even had some walkers in the grey shirts from our online fundraising sale last month. Simply put, it was AMAZING adventure this year. 

I am especially glad that I joined Alecia’s walk this year because on Sunday afternoon she announced that this was the last walk for Alecia’s Stem Cells.  She has decided to challenge herself by joining the JDRF’s endurance sports program and begin training for one of the 100-mile bike rides in 2015.

One thing that I know about Alecia is that whenever she tackles a project, she always gives 110% and doesn’t quit until she succeeds.  I look forward to seeing which ride she chooses and I promise to support her with a donation.  Although I was happy to cross the Brooklyn Bridge with Alecia, I can say with absolute certainty that I will neither accompany her on training rides around Manhattan nor join her for a 100-mile ride!

Here are a couple of photos:

With Alecia at JDRF One Walk Manhattan 2014

With Alecia at JDRF One Walk Manhattan 2014

JDRF One Walk Manhattan 2014 is a family affair

JDRF One Walk Manhattan 2014 is a family affair

The Road to a CGM

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Sue B_Head SquareIf you have been reading my blogs, you will already know who I am. If you have not, here is what I have been doing for the past two years. In June of 2012 my husband Marc became eligible for Medicare. He is a type 1 diabetic with hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia unawareness. Prior to entering the Medicare system, his Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) was covered by his private insurance company. Once he went on Medicare, this was no longer true. He was denied coverage of a new CGM when his old one stopped functioning.

We decided to fight Medicare because we really believed that the guideline should be changed for this piece of equipment. There are four levels to Medicare’s appeals system. Levels 1 and 2 are basically rejection letters from the insurance company and an independent company hired by the insurance company to review the insurance company decision. Level 3 is a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). I blogged about the 9-month wait for his decision in a mid-March 2014 blogpost. Unfortunately, that decision was UNFAVORABLE.

We decided to go on to Level 4 which is a hearing with the Medicare Appeals Council (MAC). Sadly, after a 5 month wait, we got a decision on Saturday, September 20 and the MAC upheld the ALJ decision. Previously we had thought that we would go to the next Level which is an appeal to the Federal Court System. Fortunately this was unnecessary because three weeks ago, the Veteran’s Administration (VA) supplied Marc with a CGM and sensors. My blogpost titled He Finally Got One! give the details of that wonderful milestone.

The Road to Getting a CGMBecause of Marc’s new situation with the VA supplying the CGM and sensors, even had the MAC given us a favorable decision, we would not have been able to accept the CGM though Medicare. But that doesn’t mean that I’m done with my advocacy. I am now going in a different direction and am going to do whatever I can to encourage everyone I know (and don’t know) to please sign the letter urging their Senators to support the Senate bill S. 2689 introduced by Senators Susan Collins and Jeanne Sheehan and the new companion bill H.R. 5644 introduced to Congress by Representatives Tom Reed, Diana DeGette and Ed Whitfield urging support from their colleagues in the Congress. Both of these bills are called the Medicare CGM Access Act of 2014. At the same time, please sign the Petition put forth by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) that will go directly to Medicare. Currently there are over 57,000 signatures but we need many more.

Please check out Laddie’s recent blogpost which gives links to easily contact your Senators and Representative and to sign the petition.

Over the past two years that I’ve been advocating for the CGM, I have met many wonderful people. It is because of them (Janice, Mig, Debbie, Dan, Judy, just to name a few) that I have continued on despite being so frustrated at times that I literally felt as if I could not go on any further. I would be totally remiss if I didn’t thank Laddie and Sue for their support as well. Both of them have been my teachers since as I’ve often said “I am not the diabetic”, and I had a lot to learn. I will keep on advocating and doing whatever is necessary until we collectively reach the goal of getting Medicare to change their guideline. I knew this wasn’t going to be a sprint. I knew this was going to be a marathon. And I knew I was in it for the long run. And I will continue to keep on blogging and working to get the guideline changed until the day that I can finally say WE GOT IT DONE.

More News on Medicare and CGM’s

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Laddie_Head SquareOn Friday I received a copy of an email from a Medtronic spokesperson announcing an important development in the battle to have continuous glucose monitors (CGM) covered by Medicare.  This is an excerpt from her email:

We have some great news to share on the Medicare CGM Access Act! Late yesterday, Representatives Tom Reed, Dianne DeGette and Ed Whitfield introduced companion legislation into the House of Representatives.

As you’ll likely remember, back in July Senators Susan Collins and Jeanne Shaheen introduced nearly identical legislation to ensure access to CGM technology for people on Medicare. We can’t thank you enough for all the wonderful social media activity you’ve created to drive the community to urge their Senators to co-sponsor the bill. However, as you likely know, in order for a bill to become a law, it must be passed in both the Senate and the House before going to the President to sign or veto. So, this “companion bill”, which is nearly identical in content with a new number (HR 5644), is a key step in the legislative process.

Of course, this means it’s time to rally the community again, urging people with diabetes along with their friends and family to encourage their local Representatives  (as well as their Senators) co-sponsor the legislation.

Once again, JDRF has provided great resources where people can read about the issue as well as identify and easily contact their own Representatives and Senators.

You can find these resources here. You can also feel free to share our blog post.

For those on Medicare and those of us soon to be there, this is hugely important.  My CGM has been life-changing and I believe that it keeps me safe and improves my blood glucose profile on a daily basis.  My co-blogger Sue from Pennsylvania has repeatedly shared the nightmare that she lives in because of the non-coverage of her husband’s CGM by Medicare.

What can you do?

    1. Contact your U.S. Representative to ask him/her to co-sponsor H.R. 5644 and advocate for seniors with diabetes who require a CGM.
    2. If you have not already done so, contact your Senators to co-sponsor S. 2689 and advocate for seniors with diabetes who require a CGM.
    3. Sign the JDRF petition: Tell Medicare to Cover Continuous Glucose Monitors for People with Diabetes.  As of 9/21/14 the petition has 56,618 signatures and we hope to reach 100,000 signatures.
    4. Forward my blog to your friends and family urging them to take action.
    5. If you are a blogger, please share this with your readers.  If you would like to copy my blogpost word for word, please do so!

The links provided by JDRF make it simple to contact your Senators and Representative.  By filling in your name and address, your appeal is automatically sent to the correct government officials.  You are able to personalize your message by adding a few sentences to explain why this is important to you.  I used to be worried about trying to be an advocate.  JDRF has streamlined the process and made it “easy-peasy.”  You can complete Steps 1-3 in about 5 minutes.

I thank you for reading this.  More importantly, I thank you for contacting your elected officials to help ensure that your fellow Americans on Medicare have access to continuous glucose monitors.

If there is anyway that I can help you, please contact me.

HE FINALLY GOT ONE!

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Sue B_Head SquareI have been advocating for over two years for Medicare to cover a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) for my husband Marc. Synopsis – he had been covered for the CGM when he had private insurance through his employer, but when he turned 65 and became Medicare eligible, and needed a replacement CGM, it was denied. Medicare considers the CGM precautionary and therefore, in their opinion, not necessary. Of course, those who desperately need one disagree with this. The first denial came in August of 2012 and shortly thereafter, we started the long and exhausting appeals process. When we got to Level 3, a hearing by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), it took almost nine months after our June 26, 2013 hearing for the Judge to render an UNFAVORABLE decision. We decided to go on to Level 4 which is a hearing with the Medicare Appeals Council (MAC). They have the power to overturn the Judge’s decision. This Appeal was submitted to them in April of 2014. We are now in the 5th month of waiting for the Council to make a decision. The Appeals process is almost like watching a tortoise cross the road. It’s very, very slow.

In the meantime, Marc, after 45 years, decided to apply for VA benefits. He had served in the United States Air Force for four years but had never thought of getting any benefits through the VA. From the time he submitted his first application to when they processed him in took almost two years (nothing we do happens quickly). Finally, in May of this year, he became a part of the VA. He had to go through all types of exams, one of which was with the VA endocrinologist. In checking his A1c and hearing about his problem with hypoglycemia unawareness, she definitely thought that he needed a CGM and prescribed one for him. However, as with Medicare, we were told that the wait to get one was 1 – 2 years. For some reason, and I can only guess it was because he had so many instances of blacking out, she went to bat for him and I can finally say, HE HAS A CGM! Two weeks after speaking to her, he received an email from Dexcom that his CGM was on its way. Four days later it came.

To say that we are thrilled is putting it mildly. Our two years without a CGM are finally over. For myself, I can now be at peace during the day when Marc at work knowing that if his sugar starts to drop rapidly, he’ll get those warning beeps. And I welcome those beeps at night (which used to drive me crazy) because now I can sleep better (in between the beeping) knowing that we’ll have time to correct the situation before I have to go running for the Glucagon.

Dex Box Hooray

When I became an advocate for his CGM, I made a commitment to continue to fight for Medicare to make a change in their guideline even if Marc did eventually get a CGM, whether through Medicare or some other source. I intend to keep that commitment and will continue to work towards that goal. To that end, we are letting the Level 4 Appeal play out even though, if we are fortunate enough to get a FAVORABLE decision, we can no longer get a CGM through Medicare. It is our hope that if anyone who is thinking of going through the process will see that it is possible (I hope) to get a good decision and soldier on. No one should have to go through what we’ve gone through in the past two years to get a piece of equipment that is so life-saving.

If you are a Veteran and have not joined the VA, you might want to consider applying for benefits whether you are a diabetic or not. In the past four months, not only have they covered Marc’s CGM and sensors, but also Symlin, which is a synthetic aid in lowering blood sugar and is quite costly, his cholesterol medication, syringes, etc. In a future blog, I will give you a few hints about joining that might make it easier to navigate the VA, one of which is to contact your local County Veterans Service Officers. They are most helpful.