Saturday, October 13, 2012

Diabetes is the pits!!

I don't talk much about my daughter's diabetes on this blog. You will find a few posts scattered here and there. But it is a big part of our day to day life....Well, obviously it's becoming less and less a part of my life, personally, because she is taking on more and more of the responsibility herself.

Still, there are times when it rises up and bites us both in the face, so to speak.

This year has thrown some financial hurdles at us! First of all, my ex dropped her off his insurance at the first of the year (approximately 5-6 months too early). Then Medicaid kicked her off the end of July, when she turned 19.

So, now in spite of having Type 1 Diabetes, she has no insurance. And we haven't enough finances to cover the cost of her insulin and other supplies!

We were able to have to pick up a month's worth of Lantus for her at the end of July, just before losing Medicaid coverage. But come the end of August, she was out.

Enter Hurricane Isaac!

The day before the storm was to hit, we went to McComb to pick up her meds. When we'd made the pickup the end of July, the pharmacy was short of Novalog and test strips. So they finished that order on August 27 when we were there to pick up the Lantus.

When they told us the cost of the Lantus, I just broke down and cried, literally, in front of them! I didn't have anywhere near that much money! It was the end of the month; I had nothing in my checking account.

We had this hurricane on its way! We didn't have time to make it to her regular medical care provider, to try to pick up samples, nor even for her to write a script for vials of insulin, rather than the pens!

The people at the pharmacy were very understanding, and tried to be helpful. They suggested I call Mississippi Diabetes Foundation, to see if they could help by covering the cost of the insulin. They could, only if it was vials rather than pens.

So the people at the pharmacy suggested going across the street to the emergency room and ask to speak to a social worker about getting samples, if they had any on hand, or getting a prescription written for vials and syringes.

We went in to the ER, to the front desk, to make our request....specifically stating we had no money! Even after they put a wrist band on Jen. I stated several times, we had no money: no money for insulin; no money for an ER bill, etc.

The ER nurse, or social worker, or whatever her position was, saw us, talked to us, disappeared for awhile, then returned, with a written prescription. We thanked her, then left after Jen signed some paperwork (which I told her to read carefully before signing...and I didn't read, because I didn't have my glasses with me).

We hurried back to the pharmacy. We had to call the Mississippi Diabetes Foundation, who in turn spoke with the pharmacist and worked out the billing arrangements. And, praise the Lord, we were able to walk out with one vial of Lantus, and a box of syringes.

That one vial lasted only a couple weeks, though!

In the mean time, we went to the clinic where her primary medical provider is, and picked up some samples, and a form to send in for a three months' supply of insulin and a money order for a fairly small amount.

What do we get in the mail a week or so ago? A huge bill from the emergency room! Hello! We told you we had no money! If we don't have money for the high cost of the insulin, how come you think we have money for your huge ER bill! Especially when we told you before hand we had no money; all we wanted were some samples, or a prescription written up! And it was an emergency situation, because there was a hurricane on the way!....And Jen never even saw a physician! ARGH!!

Well, as of yesterday, she had only one dose of Lantus left, from the samples we'd been given. And she still has not received the package with the 3 months' supply!

She's been praying the insulin would arrive! I didn't know she was so low until yesterday or the day before. If I'd known earlier, I may have been able to attempt picking up more samples when we were in the town where her medical care provider is, on Thursday when we were there for Tim to attempt to take his written test for his learner's permit...

Or maybe even attempt to pick up a vial in McComb when we were there later on Thursday!

Now it's early Sabbath morning. All I've done since she told me she had only one dose left (and maybe not even a full dose!), was pray that her package would arrive. Frankly, I think she's been praying that for a couple weeks now! She even called yesterday, to check  on the status, and only got an answering machine/voice mail. :p

No package arrived yesterday. She needs that package today.

God reminded me of this story:


Now Elijah the Tishbite was a prophet from the settlers in Gilead. "I serve the Lord, the God of Israel," Elijah said to Ahab. "As surely as the Lord lives, no rain or dew will fall during the next few years unless I command it."
Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: "Leave this place and go east and hide near Kerith Ravine east of the Jordan River. You may drink from the stream, and I have commanded ravens to bring you food there." So Elijah did what the Lord said; he went to Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and lived there. The birds brought Elijah bread and meat every morning and evening, and he drank water from the stream.

After a while the stream dried up because there was no rain. Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah, "Go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I have commanded a widow there to take care of you."

So Elijah went to Zarephath. When he reached the town gate, he saw a widow gathering wood for a fire. Elijah asked her, "Would you bring me a little water in a cup so I may have a drink?" As she was going to get his water, Elijah said, "Please bring me a piece of bread, too."

The woman answered, "As surely as the Lord your God lives, I have no bread. I have only a handful of flour in a jar and only a little olive oil in a jug. I came here to gather some wood so I could go home and cook our last meal. My son and I will eat it and then die from hunger." 

"Don't worry," Elijah said to her. "Go home and cook your food as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread from the flour you have, and bring it to me. Then cook something for yourself and your son. The Lord, the God of Israel, says, 'That jar of flour will never be empty, and the jug will always have oil in it, until the day the Lord sends rain to the land.' "

So the woman went home and did what Elijah told her to do. And the woman and her son and Elijah had enough food every day. The jar of flour and the jug of oil were never empty, just as the Lord, through Elijah, had promised.

Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. He grew worse and worse and finally stopped breathing. The woman said to Elijah, "Man of God, what have you done to me? Did you come here to remind me of my sin and to kill my son?"

Elijah said to her, "Give me your son." Elijah took the boy from her, carried him upstairs, and laid him on the bed in the room where he was staying. Then he prayed to the Lord: "Lord my God, this widow is letting me stay in her house. Why have you done this terrible thing to her and caused her son to die?" Then Elijah lay on top of the boy three times. He prayed to the Lord, "Lord my God, let this boy live again!"

The Lord answered Elijah's prayer; the boy began breathing again and was alive. Elijah carried the boy downstairs and gave him to his mother and said, "See! Your son is alive!"

"Now I know you really are a man from God," the woman said to Elijah. "I know that the Lord truly speaks through you!" ~1 Kings 17, NCV.

Praying God will extend Jen's insulin the same way He extended this widow's oil and flour! God is still a God of miracles!

Father, watch over my girl; strengthen her faith in You, in miraculous ways. Help her to be totally dependent on You, in everything! Thank You!

************
If you, my dear reader, have a mind to, please pray for my girl, and for the financial situation for her diabetes care and supplies. Pray for God's guidance in her life, too. Thank you!
Pin It Now!

2 comments:

  1. I am so praying...that is a HUGE LONG nightmare. I so don't understand the American medical system. In Australia none of this is a problem coz we all have access to medical care without needing insurance or any such thing and it would be a script covered mostly by government funds here! Praying heaps....PM me when the package arrives please.

    ReplyDelete

I love hearing from you! Please leave a comment. Thanks!