Today I got 3 major health things done:
1. My Levemir prescription was transferred from home and ready for pickup at Walmart. Yay for getting it before running out!
2. I heard back from the people at Byram and they got an account set up for me and Dexcom sensors ordered!
3. I got a physical therapy appointment scheduled for the day after we get home.
I also found a natural back pain reliever (kali carbonicum) at Whole Foods and it seems to be helping. I priced some CBD oil (Ananda and Charlotte's Web brands) and will be looking into those more.
I've been trying Swerve since my holistic doctor thinks stevia may be causing my bloating/gas. So far, things seem to be much better.
Friday, December 28, 2018
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Levemir Woes
Right before we left yesterday to spend the holidays with hubby's side, I was able to get my Armour thyroid refilled with a 3 month supply. However, I was not so fortunate with my Levemir refill. The pharmacy called me and told me that my doctor had denied to refill it due to the fact that they want me to try Tresiba. I have decided I am not interested in trying it for several reasons:
1. My blood sugars have been known to change on a dime and require a drop or increase in basal on a moment's notice. Having Levemir taken every 8 hours allows for more frequent changes as needed. Tresiba would be taken every 12 hours (I know the doctor thinks it's once a day but splitting provides more steady coverage. Insulin actually only lasts as much as the amount of insulin on board stays active, and the less you take, the shorter its life span).
2. I'm worried about negative reactions I've heard some people experience while on Tresiba. I don't have negative reactions to Levemir.
3. Levemir works when it's dialed in correctly. The problem I have is figuring out how to dial it in correctly. Once I do that, I won't have such issues. But that's no reason to switch to a new insulin.
4. Trying to push me to try a new insulin just because they may get paid more in bonus money really irks me. I hate that doctors don't consider the preferences of their patients because they're too focused on making money off of them. The MORE you PUSH me, the MORE I RESIST.
I now have a limited supply of Levemir because I was forced to leave without the RX. I contacted my doctor and requested the RX be refilled ASAP but it won't be responded to until after Christmas. I brought a Tresiba pen, as well as the Levemir pen I've had on hand for emergencies. I'm praying I won't run into any trouble, but I may have to find a TeleDoc to write me an RX in the meantime.
I managed to find an extra Dexcom sensor in my travel bag before we left, so it should last me the whole trip, but I'm still trying to get a medical supplier set up so I can order more.
1. My blood sugars have been known to change on a dime and require a drop or increase in basal on a moment's notice. Having Levemir taken every 8 hours allows for more frequent changes as needed. Tresiba would be taken every 12 hours (I know the doctor thinks it's once a day but splitting provides more steady coverage. Insulin actually only lasts as much as the amount of insulin on board stays active, and the less you take, the shorter its life span).
2. I'm worried about negative reactions I've heard some people experience while on Tresiba. I don't have negative reactions to Levemir.
3. Levemir works when it's dialed in correctly. The problem I have is figuring out how to dial it in correctly. Once I do that, I won't have such issues. But that's no reason to switch to a new insulin.
4. Trying to push me to try a new insulin just because they may get paid more in bonus money really irks me. I hate that doctors don't consider the preferences of their patients because they're too focused on making money off of them. The MORE you PUSH me, the MORE I RESIST.
I now have a limited supply of Levemir because I was forced to leave without the RX. I contacted my doctor and requested the RX be refilled ASAP but it won't be responded to until after Christmas. I brought a Tresiba pen, as well as the Levemir pen I've had on hand for emergencies. I'm praying I won't run into any trouble, but I may have to find a TeleDoc to write me an RX in the meantime.
I managed to find an extra Dexcom sensor in my travel bag before we left, so it should last me the whole trip, but I'm still trying to get a medical supplier set up so I can order more.
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
New DME Supplier and Lab Results
I placed an order for more Dexcom sensors over the weekend and got an email yesterday from Better Living Now saying that they are no longer contracted with my insurance as of November 1. I tried looking for another provider on my insurance company's website but it was less than helpful. I decided to ask other diabetics who they use and got a recommendation. I signed up with Byram and am hoping to hear from them in the next few days. In the meantime, I am ALL OUT of Dexcom sensors and am therefore Dex-less.
In other news, I got my lab results back from last week's blood work. Nan said everything looked good, just one of my thyroid levels was low, probably because I hadn't taken my dose before I got my blood drawn. She also said I could stop Vit D for a month if I wanted, as my level is in the 90s. I just ordered and received a new box of supplements though so I'll just continue taking them. She may tweak my order in a month to add things that will help with blood sugar management.
I also told her about how I seem to be bloated/gassy after eating Lily's chocolate bars. She said that's common but that it may not be the soy like I was thinking but rather the stevia. She suggested switching to Swerve and said she'd send me a recipe I can use to make my own chocolate bars. I'll see how that works!
I told her about my back pain, which has been continuing to bother me for the past week or two. This is longer than most flareups I've had in the past. She recommended trying CBD oil (Charlotte's Web or Ananda brand) for pain and inflammation relief and also said if I want to have a doctor look at my back, her son is a physical therapist who works with people who have sports injuries and back issues. So I have some things to research and look into. She wants to do follow-up labs in 8 weeks, and recommended coming in around noon so that my meds have time to work after I take them in the morning. She's not changing anything about the dose right now until we run them again. But I'm just happy my TSH levels are staying consistent. She said they are the same as last time! Just waiting for the results to be uploaded onto my patient portal so I can download them for my records.
In other news, I got my lab results back from last week's blood work. Nan said everything looked good, just one of my thyroid levels was low, probably because I hadn't taken my dose before I got my blood drawn. She also said I could stop Vit D for a month if I wanted, as my level is in the 90s. I just ordered and received a new box of supplements though so I'll just continue taking them. She may tweak my order in a month to add things that will help with blood sugar management.
I also told her about how I seem to be bloated/gassy after eating Lily's chocolate bars. She said that's common but that it may not be the soy like I was thinking but rather the stevia. She suggested switching to Swerve and said she'd send me a recipe I can use to make my own chocolate bars. I'll see how that works!
I told her about my back pain, which has been continuing to bother me for the past week or two. This is longer than most flareups I've had in the past. She recommended trying CBD oil (Charlotte's Web or Ananda brand) for pain and inflammation relief and also said if I want to have a doctor look at my back, her son is a physical therapist who works with people who have sports injuries and back issues. So I have some things to research and look into. She wants to do follow-up labs in 8 weeks, and recommended coming in around noon so that my meds have time to work after I take them in the morning. She's not changing anything about the dose right now until we run them again. But I'm just happy my TSH levels are staying consistent. She said they are the same as last time! Just waiting for the results to be uploaded onto my patient portal so I can download them for my records.
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