[Diabetes-talk] Accessible insulin pumps

[cheryl echevarria]

I sent this to Wayne, I thought it went back to the list, but here is the information.





Hello Wayne:
I am Cheryl Echevarria, I have been diabetic since a kid about 12, with Juvenile Diabetes, I lost my  vision in 2001 at the age of 35, plus I was on dialysis for 3 1/2 years had a transplant in 2005.  The transplant team and my doctors wanted me to go on the pump then, but my insurance wouldn't cover it, since medicare will only pay for the insulin pumps, if you meet all the criterium, which is a lot, and my secondary insurance would pay for it, unless medicare paid the primary part.  Last year I was finally able to get an insulin, no medicare didn't cover the pump, but now then hmos are starting to pay for them only if Medicare is not, which my insurance company paid for, and medicare pays for the supplies, stupid but yeah, that is the may medicare is.
Now getting to using the pump, there is a learning curve to it, and you need someone to help a little bit, If you can fill your own syringes when you take your insulin, you really shouldn't have a problem with it, you have a person from the insulin pump company, or even the Diabetic Educator that works with your endocrinologist or if in my case, my primary care doctor specializes in diabetes, this person can train you to use the pump.
They start our with Saline, not the insulin, and you can take your time, doing the training, they let you wear the pump and practice.  Only you will know if it is right for you, and you just can't tell until you go through all the training.
It is not right for everyone, but I love it, I can fill my own insulin in the device, because you do this once every 3 days, and then normally when I eat, I take my meter reading and depending on how high or low my sugar is that is the amount I will take, but also, the pump drip continuously a certain amount all day and night long, which the doctor or the trainer will adjust, we are still adjusting mine, because I have been losing weight and exercising, and my sugars are going down.
Before being on my pump, my last A1C reading was a 10, a year later, and last week I just had my 3 month A1C blood work reading. it was 7.5, it took a lot of work with my doctor, and my diabetic educator, and the pump company trainer, but we are there. It is also always a work in progress when you are diabetic.
I hope this helps you and others thinking about it.

Leading the Way in Independent Travel!

Cheryl Echevarria
http://www.echevarriatravel.com
631-456-5394
reservations at echevarriatravel.com

For daily updates read our blog at
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> Date: Wed, 9 May 2012 14:18:14 -0500
> From: wcmerritt at gmail.com
> To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [Diabetes-talk] Accessible insulin pumps
> 
> Greetings. I have been on and off this list over the years. I am a
> blind type 2 diabetic that lives in Austin, TX. I have been having
> trouble keeping my blood sugars under control lately. So much that my
> doctor has mentioned the possibility of an insulin pump. Which leads
> me to ask the following: are today's insulin pumps usable by a totally
> blind guy? Do they talk or provide some sort of audio feedback? I have
> read references on the web to insulin pump accessibility, where most
> pumps issued a series of beeps and so forth. I know nothing about the
> insulin pumps, thinking that I would never need one and now it may be
> a possibility. Is an insulin pump surgicly implanted in your body, or
> is there a method by which you inject the needed insulin or send it
> through a tube into your body? Any and all info would be appreciated.
> And, for those that use iOS devices, are there pumps on the market
> that would let me monitor the pump activity through my iPhone?
> 
> Thanks,
> Wayne Merritt
> 
> -- 
> Follow me on Twitter at:
> www.twitter.com/wcmerritt
> My websites:
> www.wayneism.com
> www.whitecaneday.org
> 
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