Type 2 Diabetes has been in the news quite a bit lately. We have an epidemic so it seems. It's all over the news -- surely you've heard. Obesity! Obesity! It's a scourge upon our society! Oh, wait, I digress. That's a topic for another post.
Whether you have Type 2 or Type 1 (insulin dependent) Diabetes there are some tools of the trade that you'll need to keep on hand:
A blood glucose monitor
Test strips
Lancets
Medication
These are the very basic items. The monitor itself is not that expensive. My first monitor was given to me by my doctor. It was a Freestyle. My insurance at the time wouldn't cover the strips that work with that meter, so I had to go buy a One Touch meter, the accompanying strips and lancets. The lancets are the little needles that poke your finger to draw your blood for testing. They need to be replaced often because when they are dull it hurts.
Those meters run anywhere between $20 and $80 depending on the type of meter. The test strips run $35.99 for 25 strips. That, my non-mathematical friends equals $1.44 (take or leave a half-penny) per strip. When I was first diagnosed I only had to test twice a day -- before breakfast (fasting reading) and two hours after my largest meal (usually after dinner). Now I test before I eat carbs — and that means a lot more testing. Type 1 diabetics have to test a ton.
When I increased my testing, I was running out of test strips faster than my insurance company would let me refill them. So, I switched meters and now don't run these purchases through insurance. Kroger has a $4 meter and 50 test strips only cost $20. My endocrinologist suggested this, and it works just peachy.
My sugars have always been wacky, and so quickly I went from just Metformin, which is the first drug you are put on when you're diagnosed as Type 2, to additional oral medications. For awhile I was on a drug called Byetta -- a twice a day injection from a pen. This drug costs around $230 a month. In 2008 I was unemployed and could no longer afford to take it. When I became employed again and had insurance, went on insulin (Lantus). I now take two types of insulin. At bedtime I take Lantus, a slow-acting insulin and during the day I take Novolog, a fast-acting insulin.
Both come in pen form and I use a little tiny needle and inject myself in my stomach. I know that sounds ooey, but it really doesn't hurt, nor is it difficult to do. They come in packs of five and both cost more than $200 per prescription. I have to refill them every couple of months or so.
My insurance does not have a co-pay. My company offers a Health Savings Account, where money is taken deducted out of my check, pre-tax and put into this account specifically for medical supplies. I did meet my deductible this year -- $5,600. Yikes!
So, there you go. This is not intended to be a tale of woe, as there are tons of diseases out there that cost much, much more. It's just that I went from a person who hated to take an aspirin, to a person that has one of those little pill dispenser things with the days of the week on them. I always made fun of my brother for having one of those and now look at me. I wear a medical alert bracelet, have a list of medications in my purse along with glucose tabs and a glucagon shot.
The whole thing just kind of makes me shake my head in disbelief.
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