Every year, my endo has to fill out paperwork and "renew" my prescriptions for the medical company. The nice lady on the phone told me that someone in her office probably filled it out and the endo signed off without checking. And because she has so many of these to complete, mistakes like this happen. Well, my endo signed the paperwork so that I would get the amount of test strips I used to get--not the amount I currently get and have been getting for the last 6 months or more. GRRR. So I call and make sure my endo's office knows they will be getting paperwork from my medical company requesting to increase my prescription from 7x a day to 10x a day.
I know that sounds like a lot, BUT I don't always test that much AND it is nice to have a backup supply. And really, I think it is extremely easy to test that often and sometimes it is completely valid. If you test before every meal, that is at least 3-4 times a day already. Let's say you get a crazy high--test again to double check. Maybe you get a crazy low--well, you have to test again to make sure it comes up. Maybe it doesn't come up--test again. Maybe you're sick--test again. What if you work out a lot and your blood sugars drop easily? Test once mid-workout, then test again post-workout (especially before getting in a car). Maybe you got an "error" message and need another test. There are SO many things like that, so I have to laugh when people on the other line make subtle gasping noises when I tell them my prescription is for 10x a day. Really, I want to say to those people, come back to me when you have type 1 diabetes! I've also had to explain to them that I sometimes go through dizzy/low blood pressure phases, so sometimes I test to make sure I'm not low. But really, I shouldn't have to explain myself!
"Come back to me when you have type 1 diabetes!" Exactly!!! 10x/day is nothing out of the norm! As you said, you shouldn't have to explain yourself. Glad you got it all worked out though.
ReplyDeleteOMG that is completely frustrating. That system just SUCKS. I mean , who are they to question how many times a day you need to test. Just because some people use 3 strips a day, doesnt mean you dont need 10. argh. We somedays use about 12. Other days 5. Depends whats going on. If im strapping my son into a car seat, or hes about to begin or finish swimming/music class/an unscheduled snack/begin or finish a nap/or he just looks weird.... we need to test!!!
ReplyDeleteGlad you got it sorted. I would actually BEGIN listing the things to bore them senseless. I know peoples eyes are glazing over when I start talking diabetes, but I dont care. Im e d u c a t i n g them ! ahahah. xx.
Having 'more than enough' strips each month, whether you use them all or not, shouldn't be an issue!! Hate it when insurance and pharmacies give people a hard time about this crap! UGH!
ReplyDeleteOy, that had to have been stressful knowing you only had 7 alotted per day Val. 10 is our norm...many times, it can even be 12...if we are having an active or "off" day.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you got it worked out.
So glad you figured out where the error was made and I hope that it all works out now! It drives me nuts when people think I test my daughter too much...I would think that they would WANT her tested enough to ensure she is in a safe range?! Sheesh...some people!
ReplyDelete