August comment contest

August was a bit of a light blogging month for me. As I thought about this post coming up, I realized that I hadn’t given you folks much to talk about and wasn’t sure if I could follow up. I feared that the monthly ritual that I began in July may end up being just a One-Hit Wonder.

Being a One-Hit Wonder may work for Tone the Chiefrocca, but not for me. (If you don’t understand my reference, you need to see this.)

Anyway, as I looked back on the comments left this month,  I have to say that you guys really pulled through. And I appreciate that. But sappy niceties have no place following that video to which I just linked, so I’ll just go on with the countdown.

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Sometimes, I’m just looking for someone to agree with me (even when a large part of me is convinced I’m wrong). It helps to boost my fragile ego. So, for that reason, I award the Bronze to Stephen S, who confessed in my August 27th post Primarily careless, to finding little use for his primary care doctor:

Scott, I’m right there with you. I have a primary doctor, but I hardly ever see her. We started off great, but she wanted to see me every three months, just like my endo. Why, I wondered, other than to bill me? So I had to be honest with her: I told her I couldn’t justify coming every three months. To her credit, she said she understood, but still wanted me to get a physical every year. I cancelled my last appointment for a physical.

It’s true, we need an “I’m sick” doctor sometimes. I probably need to go see her a little more often than I do, or at least more often than when I need an antibiotic.

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One of the topics I’ve periodically contemplating writing about was about the differences in having Type 1 Diabetes for a man and a woman. I never wrote it, partly because I didn’t want to appear to take sides, saying it is “easier” for one gender than another. (Though I’m inspired to give it a go, now!).  A comment from FifteenWaitFifteen on my August 7th semi-Wordless Wednesday post What it takes makes me think that, despite the tough stuff, there are some really nice perks to being a woman that could make emergency infusion-set changes….dare I say it…. luxurious. This comment earned the silver:

I hate site changes in the bathroom! It feels like eating food in the bathroom….I worry about all the smells and germs and stuff getting into things. And I know men’s bathrooms don’t have all the couches, lounge areas, and champagne service like women’s bathrooms do 

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The comment that wins the gold is neither witty, inspirational, nor comforting. This is not a feel-good comment; rather, it left a pit in my stomach after reading it. But this response to my own insurance battles, shared on August 8th in How an unexpected $1000 made me mad, brought up a brutal reality of a needed life-less for children with diabetes graduating to adulthood. Not diabetes-management, but insurance-management. It’s a topic I’ve never seen discussed in this context before, and I believe it should be — because getting life-saving medication and supplies is too important to learn in a trial-by-fire method. Thank you, Marcia, for bringing the issue to the forefront. I hope your daughter ultimately got the insulin she needs and has an enjoyable and fulfilling semester. I also hope the comment stimulates more discussion to follow.

My concern is that all I do for my daughter, she will have to do for herself some day. I know she can test her blood sugar, count carbs, bolus, correct, change her site, analyze how she feels (high or low?), change her settings… BUT fight the insurance company??? It is overwhelming! How will she manage? She is leaving for a semester abroad next week. Getting her enough insulin has taken 7 phone calls, 2 emails and a visit to my employer. My favorite part of the experience was when I was told there was NO WAY she could get insulin before the refill date to take along. HELLO! It is a life-saving medication. SHE NEEDS IT TO SURVIVE!

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The next comment contest winners post will come (duh) next month, so if you didn’t win this month, keep trying — and thanks for playing! Have a great September everyone!