Life As A Continuous Glucose Monitor
It can't just be me. All parents of Type 1 diabetics must experience the same issues. There has to be a better way.
If we're diligent, and checking blood sugars every 2 hours, we are able to figure out, adapt, and maintain fairly consistent numbers and a good A1c using plain old fingersticks and the old standby Lantus + Humalog/Novolog combo. This means my kid (being a hungry teen) is getting about 5 injections a day. In addition to the 8 to 10 fingersticks. These all have an element of pain to them and therefore suck. There is technology out there that would enable me to sleep through the night (CGM) and pumps have proven to be better at maintaining good numbers, and therefore better health for him. But, if you're a super diligent, pain in the butt parent, like me, you're not eligible because the kid has "good control". So, let me get this straight... in order for my child to have the best care out there, we have to first demonstrate less competency, less effectiveness? Talk about broken healthcare! For my child to have the same advantages, I'd have to shell out of pocket roughly the same amount as a used car, punished for spending hours pouring over nutritional info and BG graphs unlocking what his particular quirks are and adjusting accordingly? How many parents give into this sick cycle and let their children suffer through a season of "poor control" just to get access to the latest technology, I wonder?
Anyone found a way around this madness?
-A frustrated Mom.
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