D Supplies

January 4, 2012

This evening at 9:30, I ran down to the hospital pharmacy to pick up Seth’s prescriptions.  The pediatrician’s goal was to begin insulin injections tomorrow and they wanted us to use our own supplies so we would be comfortable with the process.  I went down to Denali Pharmacy and waited in line.  When it was my turn to approach the counter, they brought out two bags for Seth.  They contained:

2 One Touch Ultra Blood Glucose Monitors

200 Lancet Needles

2 Lancet Devices

200 Blood Glucose Testing Strips

5 preloaded pens of Humalog Insulin (Rapid Acting)

5 preloaded pens of Lantus Insulin (Long Acting)

2 Glucagon Pens (used in a diabetic emergency, when a patient is unconscious.  Glucagon is injected and causes the liver to release its stored sugar)

100 Pen Needles.

Ketostix used to test urine for ketones, a sign the body is breaking itself down to use for energy.

Not included, but still needed were:

Sharps Container:  When the nurse brought me one, I just kept thinking, how did we become a family who needed one of these?  Isn’t it weird what your mind fixates on?

Glucose Tablets

My legs may have trembled a little at the reality of this.  Because this wouldn’t even be enough testing strips or needles to last a month once I set up a kit at home and at school.  SCHOOL…oh my gosh.  I have to call into school tomorrow and tell them I won’t be in for my mandatory professional development days.  Oh yeah, the nurses told me to call the Seth’s school tomorrow and set up a meeting with the school nurse and we need to begin the 504 process.

We were pretty fortunate.  That day insurance covered everything  except the Ketostix and the needles.  Seriously?  You’ll cover the insulin, but you won’t cover the needles to get it into my son?  I don’t think so!!!  So I wrote a check for $44.00, lugged it all back to Seth’s room and decided to channel my inner Scarlett O’Hara: “Tomorrow I'll think of some way . . . after all, tomorrow is another day."

~B