My insulin pump warranty has expired. I have been happy with my Cozmo, so I sent the form to Smith Medical to start the process of getting a new one. I thought it would be simple. Then I got a call from the rep handling my case. It turns out that my insurance company will not cover a new pump for another year.
What. The. Heck.?!?!
Has anyone else had to tackle this battle with their insurance company? I’m not sure if it’s even worth the effort after the glucagon fiasco this summer. The company never ended up covering that.
Dixie and I just spent the weekend in New Mexico, to visit a friend who was celebrating a birthday. The flight went as smoothly as it did when we traveled to Atlanta in June. This trip we flew coach. We sat in the bulkhead seat so we had more room than in a regular seat, but it is still pretty tight traveling with a 60 pound dog. I had an ear infection, so that made the flying part uncomfortable for me. (in addition to my big anxiety about flying anyway!)
Dixie had a great time on Halloween. She ended up just wearing a simple costume. I found a furry green collar that had little stuffed bats sewn on to it. She didn’t mind it, and it looked like a costume. At school, we called her the “bat-mobile.” It made the kids laugh.
I loved Halloween as a kid. I know, I know… it should have been my least favorite holiday celebration. But my mom made it special. I went out trick-or-treating with my friends. When I got home, I turned the candy over to my mom. In exchange, she gave me a basket full of surprises. She would find little toys, cool looking fruit, and lots of sugarless gum and fill the basket with them. I never minded giving up the candy. Some of it was saved, and used for low blood sugars. The rest was given to others. A few neighbors would give me money or pencils—things that were diabetic friendly.
I have an endo appointment in a couple weeks. I'm not sure why I schedule these appointments except to get my prescriptions filled and a lab slip for an A1c. Don't get me wrong... I really like my endo. She listens to me and gives me as much time as I need. Which, to be honest, isn't a lot. I'm a rule follower. I go because I'm supposed to go. I hope for an A1c under 6.0. (most likely isn't happening. A realistic hope is for 6.4 or less.) All these years living with diabetes and going to endo appointments, and I still get worried for weeks before my appointment.
DIXIE TIDBIT:
Dixie really loves looking out the window on the airplane, especially during the taxi part of the flight. This was a problem because I only like to travel in the aisle seat. Fortunately, the man sitting next to the window on the way back LOVED dogs and invited her (after asking for my approval) to put her front paws on his lap and look out of the window. She was in heaven.
Dixie and I met up with a woman that we know in New Mexico who has a service dog that alerts her to sounds. (she is hearing impaired) Dixie had fun meeting up with another working dog! I'm sure that they talked to each other about their jobs--comparing notes. :-)
(The picture above is of Dixie and her new friend. Notice how much harder it is to get a good picture of a black lab, versus a yellow lab!)
6 comments:
Sorry about that.
Great to hear you had a nice seat-ate on the flight.
And I also love hearing about parents and grandparents who worked heard to make Halloween fun for kids with db, particularly back in the days when dietary guidelines were stringent.
Last weekend I was talking to a visually impaired lady at Southdale. She said most service dogs do not do well at the Mall of America because the vibrations from Camp Snoopy distract them. Is this true for Dixie?
MN Nice--
I can honestly say that Dixie has never been to the Mall o' America. She does fine in most malls, etc.. but doesn't like being at Target. I'm not sure what that's about.
My sister ran in the Des Moines marathon a couple weeks ago, and at the finish line, Dixie alerted me. (and that was with hundreds of people cheering and yelling in a small amount of space)
I love Southdale. I've been going there since I was tiny. :-)
What ARE you going to do about the pump and insurance problem? Your Mom was really great in finding a solution for Halloween! And yeah a I know - taking pictures of black dogs is so difficult!
It IS difficult to get a good photo of a black dog. Four of our six dogs are black. If I want a good picture of any of them, I have to take it outside on a very sunny day where there's no shade. Not easy to do...
Good luck on your insurance woes. I understand your frustration. There are a lot of hoops to jump through & sometimes you feel like you'll be jumping forever. But don't give up hope. Hang in there & don't let them get you down.
Molly
That stinks about the insurance. I'm surprised that insurance won't cover it. Could you appeal to the attorney general in your state (that's what I'd do in Massachusetts)? I've never heard of a company who covers pumps that doesn't cover replacement when the warranty is up. That's essentially saying they want you to live with something that might fail and wouldn't be covered by the manufacturer. It constantly amazes me how idiotic insurance companies can be.
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