[Jill-O]

Woohoo!!!

I'd asked my doctor previously to increase my test strip prescription from 4x a day to 7x a day but he said it wasn't necessary. I'd been buying strips myself to supplement my prescription that the insurance covers.

On Friday I gave it another shot at left a message that I'd had several lows and it's important that I can check the number before I eat / take insulin and a couple hours later if I'm ever going to get the dosing to carbs right.

Didn't hear back but called the pharmacy and he increased it to 200 a month. It feels like Christmas!!!!

(Only other diabetics would understand!!!)

[UpNorth]

Yay! That's great news

[ant hill]

Hey that's good news Jill, I guess that you have to genarate some regular tests and get that on your computer and print this to your doctor or get them to get that from your meter. and prove that you are going too low.
At the moment you are just useing Lantus so can you lessen your dose by 1U?

[Jill-O]

Hi, Peter --

I take him reports but I haven't seen him since I've had the lows (will be seeing him soon).

But, I take Humalog before meals. That's the biggest issue I think. A lot of times, I'm not hungry enough to eat much of a dinner and the main problem I'm having is trying to decide how much insulin to take compared to what I think I can eat. Then sometimes I can't eat as much as I thought so try to balance it out with juice so I don't go low (because when I took the shot, I thought I was hungry enough to eat more).

It's been frustrating and I was just BURNING through my stock of strips big time. So, now I should be good to test the way I have been, w/o feeling like I need to be more conservative with the stupid strips.

Jill

[ant hill]

Originally Posted by Jill-O

But, I take Humalog before meals. That's the biggest issue I think.

OK I see. and this is where you need to be careful Jill. I would get a book on how to count carbs and find out how many carbs to a unit of Humalog to your count.
I am surprised that you have this Jill as normally is for type 1's and being a type 2 is that you still have a pancreas that works!! I would be looking for a second opinion to an endo??

[Jill-O]

I do have a book on counting carbs and using insulin. It's hard for me to catch on I guess though I do good when I eat a normal dinner. It's when I try to adjust for less that I don't get it right yet all the time. I usually do, but I've had a 44, and two 60's. So, probably not "severely low" but regardless feel that it's important to test before and after meals nd 4 strips a day's not enough.

I am type 2 but based on my eye problems, and a history of unexplained miscarriages, my current doctor thinks I have had diabetes undiagnosed for years and years.

Initially I was on oral meds with reasonable control (improved numbers anyway), but because I wanted better control and was thinking about trying to get pregnant again, we went on and started insulin about a year ago. At first it was a pre-mix and maybe 3 mos ago got on humalog / lantus, which I like way more than the premix.

[pegasus]

Originally Posted by Jill-O

Woohoo!!!

I'd asked my doctor previously to increase my test strip prescription from 4x a day to 7x a day but he said it wasn't necessary.

The idea that a doc would try to tell a patient that it's not necessary to monitor herself better and take better care of herself is utterly bizarre; sounds like the doc has control or patient-trusting issues. It's good that he finally came around, but maybe it would be worth talking to him about why he felt his opinion mattered more than yours in something like this. I'd be quite nervouse w/a doc like this if there weren't anything else to recommend him!!

[Penny]

MY doctor has no problem with me testing as much as I think I need to...it is the insurance co. that gives me a hard time. I get 200 strips a month, but I have to justify it every few months with a log. Not a big deal, I log it anyway, just frustrating that I have to do it.

[Jan B]

Good for you Jill. I haven't had to worry about that in a long time. However, a dear person gave me a lot of extra testing strips and I haven't refilled any through insurance since I started pumping. This is actually saving my insurance company money, but I'm a little worried that when I start getting my 200+ a month, a flag might be raised. I'll just keep the confidence it will all work out.

[notme]

Good for you Jill. We will just all have to keep fighting for what we know is right. People should not have to fight to test their blood sugar and try to stay healthy.

Good for you.

[Jill-O]

Thanks, everyone!

Yep, I'm happy for the strips!!!

It could be (I do not remember) that when I asked for more strips, I was on a premix not the humalog and lantus as now, and also was having no lows (not even anything under 90 or so). I've been pleased, completely, with my doctor and am not at all intimidated by other professions or anything of the kind.

[pokie]

I have been really lucky with my primary care physician especially lately when I need a script adjusted. All it takes now is a phone call to his office. I asked for more strips and he got the order in to the pharmacy. I have only one tiny worry that my insurance might have issues but so far they have been pretty reasonable. I have new insurance since january of this year and I am still trying to figure out all their policies; it's BCBS thru the fed. gov't. I will find out when I go pick up my new order of strips next week if it all went thru.

It is nice to have a doc who trusts my judgement. I don't have an endo but I do have access to my DE whenever I need her and she's great.

[davef]

Jill,

That's great, such a pity that Doctors don't always see that we don't test for fun and that we are actually working to keep things under control. Glad it worked out for you.

David