Oooh, I found a generic version of the insulin Dr. Reaume wants me to take for only $18! ^____^ And it’s right at Wal-Mart! *dances* So now it’s decision time on where I want to fill my prescription.
Now this is the type of decision I like. ^_^
Posts Tagged ‘Diabetes’
In Addendum
Sunday, October 3rd, 2004Ah, the glory of Insulin
Saturday, October 2nd, 2004Diabetes: 2, Sally: 1
The work of getting my bloodsugar lower is still an ongoing battle. No matter how lightly I eat or how much I exercise, I still can’t achieve anything consistently lower than 160 mg/dL – and then only when I eat a minimum of carbs. (Basically modest salads and meat for each meal.) Wednesday, I had an appointment with Dr. Reaume and informed him I was game for whatever he’d like to try with me. So, he’s decided to begin weaning me onto insulin. He’s prescribed injections of Humulin 20/30, 20cc in the morning and 10 in the evening. He’s advised me to stop taking those horse pills they call a glipizide (Yay! No more gagging! ^__^) since those lower bloodsugar too. Crashing (getting my bloodsugar dangerously low) isn’t something we want happening!
So that brings me to a new challenge: Giving myself injections.
The good thing is that I’m less afraid of the cost of insulin after checking on my Avandamet and then comparing cost. ($267 for a month’s supply versus $30-something for insulin.)
I was pretty devastated after discovering that cost. I spoke with my caseworker with the FIA about my Medicaid and discovered that basically I have a choice to make: Get a job and loose Medicaid – thus having to pay for that ridiculous prescription out of pocket. OR I stay on Medicaid and remain unproductive. Now that I’ve begun checking up on the cost of insulin, I’m gung-ho to fully wean myself onto insulin and off Avandamet. I can swing $30 something for Insulin and then whatever the syringes cost; yes, it’d add up quickly, but I’d be able to claim that on my taxes.
Anyway, back to injections. They originally wanted me to sign up to take my Diabetes class again, but I don’t need to be told what I can and can’t eat and how to read labels again. Knowing there had to be other ways to learn how to give myself injections, I told them to hold off and I’d call them if I had to schedule. I ended up asking my friend, Jodi, who’s a nurse for Spectrum Hospital here in Grand Rapids when she came over for dinner today and she said I could give a jingle when I was ready. *happy dances* So that’s all good. Tomorrow I’m planning on visiting Wal-Mart and getting a price quote from them on my supplies. While I know they tend to have more price fluctuations, they’re closer to me than most everything else. Anyroad – Maybe once I can get myself entirely on Insulin, I can safely work on the job situation. ^_^
New Kitten Status Report
Tuesday, April 20th, 2004*hugs* Thank you so much, Kate! I’ll have to take you up on the offer. In case you read here first, I’ll be dropping you an e-mail in the morning or tomorrow afternoon.
End of Day 3 with my new kitten, Echo.
I found out some information about little Echo after the fact. First off, her mother was a feral or semi-feral cat who had the babies in the cab of a truck belonging to the family who owns the property – which happens to be under construction. They only noticed the kittens two weeks before I was given the call. >_> Three days before they called me, the queen moved the kittens into the actual construction site and into harms’ way. The kittens (3 females, 1 male) were found in a dangerous area and were promptly removed for the own safety. I was given the smallest kitten of the litter, supposedly.
Fast forward to this weekend. Lets just say it’s been… fun. Baths after each and every meal, stimulation so she’ll go potty before and immediately after meals, making certain she’s properly hydrated, and kept warm at all times. Saturday was really rough for me; I ended up calling Mom in tears and telling her I couldn’t handle kitten and my diabetes at once. A couple days with plenty of help from her and Jass have really helped my outlook, fortunately. Well, that and the moments where she takes a nap on my chest or plays with my fingers. Now that I have her, I do think she’s a bit older than the two weeks I was quoted. I think she’s closer to 3 1/2 to 4 weeks old, possibly slightly more. Her ears are mostly standing up, all her baby incisors and canine teeth are in, she’s washing her face, legs, and paws on her own, but she’s still uncertain on her feet, though she has been trying a wobbly run from time to time. She’s also beginning to use the litter (shoe)box. Her aim could use some work, but she’s trying. XD While she still wants to nurse, she’s eating her wet-food really well – though always smearing it all over herself. The owners had been giving her regular cow’s milk, so I picked up a feline milk replacer, which I’ve been giving to her on a very shallow, stable dish or mixed in with her food for extra moisture. Today, I offered her that same container with some room-temperature water in it to see what she’d do. I almost cheered when she took a few hesitant laps. *smiles*
Through this all, Luna has been a huge help. While she has never had a litter of her own, she promptly adopted Echo. She hears Echo meow and she’s right there to nuzzle or lick her. (Though she hasn’t been letting Echo snuggle since she tried nursing from her that one time! XD) She even insists on checking on her before she does anything else in the morning and before she’ll go to bed. For her part, the kitten doesn’t seem at all threatened by that huge monster I call a dog, in fact she tries following her around whenever possible.
After all this, I’ve decided not to pursue kitten #2, though. One baby at a time is enough for me.