[Lizzy]

Originally Posted by cwathne

I can't believe people don't keep at least 30 days supply of everything.

Just think, what if there was some kind of catastrophe? A huge earthquake, a tsunami, a blizzard that made it impossible to get out of the house, you accidently break your bottle/pen of insulin, or even a war; seriously, this stuff happens.

I so totally agree. I have always had the doctor write my script for more then what I use. I also try to pick up an extra vial of insulin when I visit my Endo. I plan on never running low on insulin, pump supplies, or test strips, (unless something very major happens) they are my life-line.

[fairyblood]

Originally Posted by cwathne

I can't believe people don't keep at least 30 days supply of everything.

Some of us can't actually afford to have extra supplies. I can't afford my co-pays as they are and if I added more insulin then I wouldn't be able to to pay my rent or eat.

It is also near imposable to have extra test strips around unless you don't test much which isn't an option for me. I have a hard time as it is getting my perceptions written for the right amount of test strips without asking for more then I use which would never fly.

[sarahspins]

Originally Posted by cwathne

I can't believe people don't keep at least 30 days supply of everything.

I agree with this... on most RX plans you actually CAN refill your RX every 20 or 21 days.. or you can ask your Doctor to write your script for insulin to be a little generous (I do this, on the pump I use just about 2 vials a month.. but I get 3 just in case I need extra so I am not constantly refilling the RX early at $55 each time). You can ask even for samples from your doctor's office - most of them have insulin in the office to give away (mine gave me 2 vials of Apidra to try, then swapped out the Novolog vials I had for more). I don't feel bad getting "extra" with my RX because sometimes 2 vials is sometimes not a 30 day supply for me. If I only got 2 and dropped one or had a vial get hot, I'd be SOL.

I know that money is tight for almost everyone.. but I can't think of a time in the past 8 years when I hadn't had a small stockpile of supplies. It may not always be a full 30 days for everything, but it's never been less than a week's worth of whatever I need. I refill my cheaper RX's as often as I am allowed to... which is strips and lancets (I use the Renew system) so it's become fairly easy to have a small stockpile of those - as a result, I don't stress when I end up testing more than normal, because I have enough to absorb the difference.

I have definitely been in a place though where I used a vial of insulin until every last drop was gone before going to buy another, and I'd sometimes buy strips in boxes of 25 because I didn't have insurance and I was only able to buy what I could afford.. but with insurance, I really can't see how someone gets into a situation where they have to resort to that. If your "30 days" of supplies doesn't last 30 days, request more.

[CarrieJett]

Originally Posted by fairyblood

Some of us can't actually afford to have extra supplies. I can't afford my co-pays as they are and if I added more insulin then I wouldn't be able to to pay my rent or eat.

It is also near imposable to have extra test strips around unless you don't test much which isn't an option for me. I have a hard time as it is getting my perceptions written for the right amount of test strips without asking for more then I use which would never fly.

I feel ya, fairyblood. At one point when I had no insurance I broke a vial of lantus and had to bum an almost-used vial off of a diabetic accquaintance to get me through the days until my paycheck rolled around. ( I know it's kind of back-alley...) I also used to be in the drugstore at midnight when I realized I had no teststrips, ccalling my brother or someone to lend me money so I wouldn't die. It's a terribly expensive lifestyle. I am absolutely enslaved to having insurance now, and don't know what i would ever do if I didn't have it. I am stockpiling for that event.

Keep pushing your doctor for more test strips, though. My endo got mine up to 200 per month, even though the insurance only says it wil do 100. Good luck!