CGM woes
As I spent a few weeks struggling with my diabetes and low blood sugars, I have been thinking about CGMs a lot.
A CGM (continuous glucose monitor) is a device you wear that shows your blood sugar 24hrs a day. It is amazing because it can show you if you're going low and stop the pump to try and avoid it.
They last for around 6 days and connect to the pump, providing an effective management system and peace of mind overnight. It would mean I could sleep without worrying if I'm going to go low and not wake up. It would mean I could check my level a lot less.
It would stop bad hypos from happening.
Why don't I have it?
1 CGM is $75 (not including the transmitter you need to buy with it)
1 CGM lasts 6 days max.
Rounding it up that's ~$375 a month.
I don't have that kind of money. Because CGMs aren't covered by health insurance, people like me can't have them.
They're just not an option. Not when I have uni expenses, diabetes pump supplies, insulin, diabetes test strips, asthma medication, prescriptions, petrol, travel costs, textbooks, piano lessons and tap classes (because I need a hobby) to cover! Where am I supposed to pull out that kind of money each month!!
It's not fair that this kind of tech isn't available.
So, to those of you in Australia, I'm asking a big favour.
If you follow this link you can send a template email to your member of parliament, urging them to support the subsidisation of CGMs in the federal budget. They would be given to type 1s who need them the most- those who can't feel their hypos.
I am sometimes hypo aware, but sometimes I'm not. I may not even qualify with this change, but this is a wonderful place to start. I sent a personalised message to my MP detailing this. I don't expect to hear back but at least I put it out there.
Please take a moment to send off this message to your MP to support this funding. Because I'm really tired of money being a barrier to accessing quality health care.
https://www.medtronic-diabetes.com.au/community/blog/2015/03/support-cgm-funding-in-the-federal-budget
A CGM (continuous glucose monitor) is a device you wear that shows your blood sugar 24hrs a day. It is amazing because it can show you if you're going low and stop the pump to try and avoid it.
They last for around 6 days and connect to the pump, providing an effective management system and peace of mind overnight. It would mean I could sleep without worrying if I'm going to go low and not wake up. It would mean I could check my level a lot less.
It would stop bad hypos from happening.
Why don't I have it?
1 CGM is $75 (not including the transmitter you need to buy with it)
1 CGM lasts 6 days max.
Rounding it up that's ~$375 a month.
I don't have that kind of money. Because CGMs aren't covered by health insurance, people like me can't have them.
They're just not an option. Not when I have uni expenses, diabetes pump supplies, insulin, diabetes test strips, asthma medication, prescriptions, petrol, travel costs, textbooks, piano lessons and tap classes (because I need a hobby) to cover! Where am I supposed to pull out that kind of money each month!!
It's not fair that this kind of tech isn't available.
So, to those of you in Australia, I'm asking a big favour.
If you follow this link you can send a template email to your member of parliament, urging them to support the subsidisation of CGMs in the federal budget. They would be given to type 1s who need them the most- those who can't feel their hypos.
I am sometimes hypo aware, but sometimes I'm not. I may not even qualify with this change, but this is a wonderful place to start. I sent a personalised message to my MP detailing this. I don't expect to hear back but at least I put it out there.
Please take a moment to send off this message to your MP to support this funding. Because I'm really tired of money being a barrier to accessing quality health care.
https://www.medtronic-diabetes.com.au/community/blog/2015/03/support-cgm-funding-in-the-federal-budget
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