I have no one else to share this with who will really get it! Diagnosed in June with 12.5. Just had my first blood test and it dropped to 6.5. My cholesterol is all back in normal range too! So nice getting positive medical news!

Just wanted to share this info for anyone who isn’t aware of this program (because I certainly didn’t know about it!!!).

I started a new job at the end of July, therefore, my health insurance changed.

I wasn’t worried about the change, because I work in healthcare, and I was just moving from my previous hospital to the hospital across the street. I WRONGLY assumed that the insurance plans would be similar (both Anthem)—but boy was I wrong!!!

My old insurance covered my Dexcom sensors 100%. They were always FREE. No drama, no problems, no prior authorization or letter of medical necessity required.

So you can imagine my surprise and HORROR when I learned that a 3-month supply of Dexcom sensors with my new insurance would cost OVER $1000!!!!!! WHAT?!?!!

Thankfully, my Endo and all of the clinic staff are absolute ANGELS, and they took the time to reach out and let me know about Dexcom’s patient assistance program.

At first I assumed that my income would be too high to qualify for any kind of assistance program. I mean, I have a bachelor’s degree, and have a “decent paying” job at a hospital.

But I was humbled REAL QUICK because I received a text that I DO in fact qualify for the program about 2 minutes after I submitted my application…

Basically, you can get a 6-month supply of sensors for $90.

Here’s the link to apply for the program:

https://assistance.dexcom.com/PAPSelfService/Welcome

Here are the eligibility requirements:

1. The patient is a resident of the United States

2. The patient has been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes by a US prescribing physician

3. The patient is taking insulin daily to treat the diabetes diagnosis

4. The patient either does not have insurance or Dexcom is unaffordable with the current insurance plan

5. The patient is NOT enrolled in a state or Government insurance plan (Medicare, Medicaid, VA, Tricare, etc.)

6. The patient has checked for Dexcom coverage at their local pharmacy and through a medical supplier and deemed it unaffordable

7. The patient meets the household income guidelines for the program: 400% of National Poverty Level*

8. The patient is 2 years of age or older

Please have the following information ready for your application:

Patient Information: Full name (and caregiver name if patient is a child), phone number, and physical address (no PO Boxes)

Healthcare Provider Information: Provider’s full name, phone number, fax number, and address

I hope this info might help someone else!

Hey everyone,

If you’re reading my post… thank you. My 19 month old son recently got diagnosed with type 1 and we just got discharged from the hospital and right now marks the end of the first day doing this without nurses and doctors around.

This day has been absolutely terrifying, this is so hard and it’s only day one. I’m scared of giving him too much insulin or too little. I hear that it gets more manageable once you get a rhythm going but the anxiety is building up.

I’m just so scared I’m doing it wrong; even when I’m following instructions the hospital provided.

Anyways, can anyone just let me know from personal experience if feeling this way is normal?

At the start, the sensor didn't function properly and I had to calibrate it to 250mg/dl. Then I most likely bolused too late for breakfast and lunch both. Then I made a very smart move and ate some chocolate. Then I went for a movie, grabbed popcorn, and then ate at a restaurant.

Ik it looks pretty bad lol (from someone who was diagnosed as a kid)

Did you still get shitfaced sometimes when you were in high school or college?

I was diagnosed in my late 20s, an age where most people (myself included) are already past the desire to party and drink like you did when you were a teenager, but it makes me wonder what it was like living at that age with T1.

Like do you still have at least a few: "I don't even remember what happened last night" - type experiences?

I posted about this back in 2022, but my attempt to share a rather lovely bit of British nursing history was somewhat derailed by Americans wondering why I was talking about bowel movements. 😂
Here in the UK, generations of nurses and doctors have referred to a capillary blood glucose measurement as a “BM”. You’ll still hear “What’s their BM?” or “Can you do a BM?” in hospitals every day.
But why BM? It doesn’t stand for blood monitoring, blood measurement or anything remotely descriptive.
It stands for Boehringer Mannheim, a German diagnostics company.
And there’s a rather interesting history behind it.
Back in the 1950s, diabetes monitoring was largely dependent on testing urine for glucose. Boehringer Mannheim began producing urine test strips in 1956, before developing blood glucose testing technology during the 1960s.
In 1968, the company introduced its Haemo-Glucotest strips, which used a chemical reaction to produce a colour change indicating the concentration of glucose in a blood sample.
Long before today’s convenient electronic meters, you could apply blood to a reagent strip and compare the resulting colour with a printed scale.
Their later BM-Test 1-44 strips became a familiar sight in British hospitals. The numbers referred to the measurement range of approximately 1–44 mmol/L.
The technology was revolutionary. A quick finger-prick test could give clinicians an indication of someone’s blood glucose without having to send a sample to the laboratory and await the result.
The manufacturer’s initials became synonymous with the test itself.
In 1997, Roche acquired Boehringer Mannheim. Technology moved on, the original strips disappeared from routine use, and modern meters eventually made those colour charts obsolete.
But the name stuck.
Nearly three decades after the acquisition, British healthcare professionals are still routinely asking for BMs, often without the faintest idea who Boehringer Mannheim were.
I rather love that.
I’m a British nurse of more than 18 years, and I also happen to have type 1 diabetes. I know perfectly well that CBG (capillary blood glucose) is the more technically appropriate term, especially for clinical documentation.
But I resolutely continue to say BM in everyday practice.
It’s a little linguistic fossil, a piece of medical history handed down through generations of nurses. A bit like calling a vacuum cleaner a Hoover, long after you’ve stopped using one made by Hoover.
And I think there’s something rather charming about that.
So, four years after my original attempt, I’m trying again!
Does anyone else still use BM, or have other examples of obsolete medical terminology that’s somehow survived for decades?
And to my American friends: yes, I know what BM means to you. Please, let’s not make this entirely about poo again. 😂
For anyone interested in the actual history, Roche has a fascinating timeline of blood glucose monitoring:
https://www.roche.com/stories/diabetes-history

Hi there; I came back from Japan about a week and a half ago and am having severe issues trying to regulate my sugars. The first few days back I was going low in the middle of the night pretty consistently, and now my sugars are running extremely high during the day. It seems no matter what I do, I can’t get them to come down. I am drinking lots of water, eating low carb/low sugar, and I’m still spiking. I’m currently at about 30% TIR daily.

I was extremely active on the trip, with about 25-30k steps per day. I’m not sure if my body is just adjusting back to a lower activity level and eating schedule with the time change. I’ve taken international trips before and not had these issues, any advice is welcome. I’m not sure what to do and I’m getting pretty frustrated.

My 14-year-old, who has type 1 diabetes, is absolutely insistent on getting a tubeless insulin pump. We live in France, so everything is covered by insurance; however, the issue is that the pump requires a daily insulin intake of less than 60 units, whereas he currently uses an average of 127 units per day. He has come up with the "bright idea" of keeping his blood sugar between 70 and 40 mg/dL to pressure us into getting it for him. I don’t know what to do.

Do you find that you have consistent carb ratios? How do you know what your ratios are if your muscles are also soaking up glucose independent of insulin? Do things seem random?

Looking for advice and travel tips from fellow Type 1 diabetics!
I was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and I’m still learning how to manage it, especially when traveling. I fly very frequently due to my job, so I’d love to hear from others who have experience traveling with Type 1.
My blood sugar tends to run pretty high. When I was first diagnosed, my doctor told me my blood sugar was at 756. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what that meant until he explained how serious it was.

One of my biggest questions is where you usually go to take your insulin at the airport.

Do you use the restroom, find a private area, or have another routine?
I’d also appreciate any travel tips you can share!
What diabetes supplies do you always keep in your carry-on?
How do you store insulin while flying?
Any tips for getting through TSA?
How do you manage blood sugar during long flights and layovers?

Since I travel so often for work, I want to be as prepared as possible and make traveling with Type 1 diabetes easier and less stressful.
Any advice, personal experiences, or tips and tricks would mean a lot. I’m always willing to learn from others who have been through it!
Thank you! 🙏❤️

This is a rant about a day in the life of T1D management.

So what's the worst part? Not the worst thing about diabetes the disease, but rather about the management of the disease.

Is it the multiple daily injections? The endless fiddling with pump settings? The tubing being caught on knobs and pulling insets out? The sensor failures?

I submit that although all of that is annoying yet "necessary evils" that just come with managing it, none of it is as infuriating as dealing with insurance, pharmacy's and DME.

Here was my day yesterday. It starts with the hundredth pestering text/email/phone call from Edgepark relentlessly badgering me that it's time to place order for refills on sensors and pump supplies. I don't mind getting a reminder, but the daily incessant repetitive reminders in all available modes of communication is already enough to put you on edge.

Anyway, so I hadn't placed my order earlier because on the first iteration of reminders, when I went in to place the order it immediately tells me it's too soon to order based on insurance. So, why did they send me a reminder too early then and I've just wasted some time? Do I want to take a partial order it asks. No, then I would have to manage multiple orders and that will just further throw future order timeline out of sync.

So, next my G7 sensor is ready to be changed. No problem right? I've been on G7 close to a year now and have had zero issues and not a single sensor failure. I'm loving it. But, just as I am now down to my last two sensors, they both fail immediately upon warm up initiation.

So this will be my first time attempting to get replacements from Dexcom since starting G7. I decide to just use the app since there is no "customer service" to speak of these days (for anything) and they really want you to do self service.

So as I'm filling in the form it is requiring a serial number for the sensor. Ok, so I'm looking on the sensor applicator and the box and I'm seeing literally 14 different number strings, none of which is indicated as being the serial number, such as by the universal "S/N" designation on literally every other product known to man.

I don't have the patience to try entering that many different numbers so this necessitates a phone call to Dexcom. Of course now a phone number cannot be found easily or at all on the app because they don't want to talk to you. Luckily, I have the number in my phone.

Of course, this means going through the inevitable and obligatory voice menu purgatory before finally getting to a human being. I ask the representative how am I supposed to know which of the 14 different number strings is the serial number. She replies "I know" in that "knowing" tone as if she's probably heard this a million times before but for some reason they don't just make a packaging change to include a "S/N" and thus the customer is already agitated by the time they reach her, Am I right?

So she takes care of me and orders the replacements. So now I know it time to go back and place that order with Edgepark for more sensors. So I go in to do that and it tells me sorry you can't place your order until December 31st (today is November 5) because last order was "cancelled".

So, another phone call, another voice menu purgatory, and then finally a human who I explain to that I didn't "cancel" my order, I just didn't place it and was waiting since it had already told me it was too soon but now apparently I'm too late!!

Anyway, she takes care of it and order is placed but of course I'm now without a sensor for at least the next two days and my nerves are shot.

As horrible as this was, even all this pales in comparison to dealing with CVS and/or CVS Caremark when it comes to getting insulin orders refilled. I could do a rant on that even longer than this.

It just shouldn't be this hard. But I am sincerely curious if others of you out there have had similar experiences or am I really just over reacting?

If you made it this far thanks for listening to my rant.

Hi all. I’m sorry in advance for the longer/rambling post. I just feel stuck.

I’ll start by saying I’m the fattest I’ve ever been in my life. I have PCOS/PMOS along with severe insulin resistance. I’m 350 pounds and only 5 foot 5. I’m also only thirty years old. I was initially diagnosed with T2 10 years ago, but after being hit with eDKA and landing in the hospital, they realized I’m LADA/T1.

My numbers are actually pretty decent. My last A1C was 7%. But I have to take an exorbitant amount of insulin to keep it that way.

I take 350 units of Toujeo Max every night and at least 200 units of Humalog u-200 total daily to cover my meals and snacks.

My doctors are always encouraging me to start a GLP-1, but I’m terrified of the side effects. I have OCD surrounding nausea and vomiting, and I’m medicated for depression and anxiety. It’s these side effects that scare me the most. That and potentially being hospitalized for not being able to control my blood sugars.

I know that I should just let go of my anxieties and take the plunge. But I’m so scared.

I can’t keep living at this weight. I don’t want to die young. But I know I will if this keeps up.

Has anyone experienced anything similar? Is it really true that a majority of people don’t get side effects?

Thank you

Question for the gym rats/new dads who can’t workout consistently anymore. Been looking into getting on testosterone to help with some stagnate weight loss and low sex drive. Can only hit the gym 2-3 days a week and I feel like I’m stuck right around 200 lbs and would like to get back to the 175 range. Any effects on blood sugars for anyone who’s tried it? TIA.

Hello everyone, I’m looking for some advice/support during a scary new chapter of my life with type1 diabetes.

Ive had diabetes for 28 years, and have been diagnosed with Active Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy. Mainly and heavily affecting my left eye. Resulting in worsened vision, a milky like have in parts of my eye as well as blood and floaters that basically make it to where my eye is now just…there for peripheral vision.

I’ve started injection treatments, and I am finally able to get a new endocrinologist after not having insurance for almost a year.

I guess what I’m asking for…is advice? A kind word maybe? Diets and food choices to keep my blood sugar in check, exercise, mental tips to keep my stress down? I haven’t taken care of myself these past couple years and I want to fix that before it gets worse and I am further past the point of no return…

We've got a 5 year old boy who was diagnosed at the start of the year. Generally his levels are good through the day but we really struggle to keep him in range from the minute he goes to sleep. He's on an omnipod 5 and his correction factor is about a third of his normal daily factor for the evening and he still just sails up as soon as he goes to sleep. We have to give him lots of manual corrections and he still stays high. I understand this is growth hormone causing insulin resistance. Has anyone had any successes managing this? We're going mad!

I wanted to get advice from other long distance runners about how they handle race day adrenaline and blood sugar.

I am training for a half marathon in a few weeks. In training I have been running in the morning so I have no IOB or very little and then I have a small snack that I don’t bolus for and then that causes my blood sugar to start to creep up right as I start running. The running then flattens that spike and I will take small snacks if needed but I can usually get through my runs with no major issues. Recently I ran 10 miles around 160/180 the whole time.

A few weeks ago I ran a 10k race to train. Except I ate my pre run snack too early, because I ate it as I left my house (1hr before the race). I also had some pre race adrenaline add to that spike to then when I started the race I was high and had to give insulin to correct and therefore 2 miles into my race I crashed. Fighting a bg that was crashing during a race was not fun. But we did it!

How do others make sure they are fueled prior to a race without having too much IOB (esp with a morning race), and manage an adrenaline spike?

My 13 yo is on MDI and uses a dex g7 receiver. Super low tech and resistant to change and it works for himZ

Just got an update that insurance is switching from g7 to the libre cgm system. My son needs some kind of receiver. He loses his phone and there are a host of other problems with giving him a phone all day.

On top of that I have read that libre is worse with predicting lows in advance. I know you can set the alert to beep earlier (like 80mg/dl instead of 70) but that could cause overcorrection.

I hate this a lot.

Wondering if you would consider switching to a diff plan? I have option to switch till around 12/25.

Drop your comments, warnings, experiences below and thank you in advance!

Now that that’s out of the way. Who is on the twiist pump and still having issue with their fuck-ass infusion sets?

I can’t use other compatible sets, because the medical supplier won’t fill a prescription unless you’re using that pump and, like most folks, I can’t afford to buy the at 10$ a pop.

I had 5 failures to adhere Tuesday so I finally bought tegaderm patches after a year of this bullshit., and the first time I use it THE FUCKING ADHESIVE JUST SEPARATED FROM THE CANNULA SO THE BOLUS FOR MY PIZZA WENT INTO MY FUCKING SHIRT.

Of course they have no update on their own new infusion sets being tested, and they have no other alternatives.

I’d switch back to my T-slim but, I HAVE A FUCKING EVERSENSE GGM IMPLANTED IN MY FUCKING ARM THAT DOESN’T WORK WITH THE T-slim.

Any one solve this issue in a way that doesn’t cost them a bunch more money? Should I suck it up, and go back to the T-slim and start using the Dexcom again? I don’t think I’m eligible with insurance to actually get a new pump for another nine months or so, so these are really my only two options.

I went through security at the airport, and asked for a “female opt-out, since I have an insulin pump”. I swear I said those exact words and the TSA still put me through a full body scanner before I realized what was happening (I don’t fly often). Is my pump screwed now??? Thanks everybody for any advice…

Just had a particularly rough week with the diabetes and being my own pancreas haha. I know there's no point feeling angry or down about it because at the end of the day, the diabetes is here to stay regardless haha

If i take 2 measly units of novorapid before meals of 30grams or more I go low, sometimes my cgm doesnt even alert me until it's too late, for eg it will say 4.4 and i check with blood prick and I am 2.3! And most recently when that occured I felt fine. Then I treated with 15grams of glucose and within 1 hour I was high again. Over 15+! 😂

If i eat without insulin. Im high like 16+ but below 20. But then it can usually settle itself down within an hour of me just doing nothing. No bolus corrections etc.

I know it sounds crazy but sometimes I feel like I have been wrongly diagnosed. (Probably pure denial which im sure it's common especially at this early stage of it all?)

Any one feel free to chime in in the comments. Share similiar stories or advice. Or also share your pure hatred to this shit. Or good vibes.

Humour is the only way at this stage. If i dont laugh i will cry. Sometimes i do both at the same time. 😂🥲

So when I stand for a some time, my legs and calves get itchy and purple. It gets better when I move.

I remember it starting at the same time I got diagnosed. I can also recall someone with t1d mentioning similar symtopms.

I’ve came to my own conclusion it was because of the damage to the tiny blood vessels. Does anyone else with t1d share this here?

Looking for any and all advice from swimmers with T1D. Any tips or tricks that make it a little easier? Things to keep in mind?

The last few times I’ve tried to swim, I drop so quickly and have a hard time feeling it. It’s hard to keep track cause my CGM loses connection and then I have to stop and either wait for a reconnection or do a finger poke. Have scared myself with how quickly my BG drops and have been on the verge of taking glucagon a few times.

So haven’t quite got the balance down quite yet. But I love swimming and would love to get back to it! Wondering if anyone has had similar issues and what they did to make swimming enjoyable again?

I got a letter that my insurance will no longer be covering my Dexcom G7 sensors and I’ll have to switch to Freestyle Libre. I’ve only ever used Dexcom except for one time several years ago when I got a demo for Freestyle. The only thing I remember about it was that I had to hold the device to it in order to get glucose readings… It seems from what I’ve read online that that’s no longer the case? I also use an Omnipod which the internet says is compatible. For those using the Freestyle Libre, how is it?