An Update

Good news! I've been approved by my insurance for a CGM! I'm still waiting to hear back about insurance approval for my pump, but I'm assuming since they approved a CGM, they'll approve the pump too. I'm going with the Dexcom CGM and the Animas Ping pump.

I've actually already got my Dexcom in my hands! I can't believe how fast that process went! And everything with Animas seems to be going pretty smoothly, too! I always knew that I wanted the Dex instead of the Minimed CGM, because based on user reviews it is obviously the better, more accurate, longer lasting, easier to use CGM on the market out there. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go with a Ping or the latest MiniMed pump, though. In my past foray into pumping, I had a MiniMed 508, and had a really good experience, but after reviewing things on my own and hearing customer reviews of all the pumps currently available, I decided to give the Ping a try this time around. It has all the things I want in a pump, including a few extra bells and whistles that the Minimed doesn't have. And, after dealing with Animas customer service AND MiniMed customer service over the last couple of weeks, I definitely think I made the right choice. Eleven years ago, when I was on the MiniMed 508, they hadn't been bought by Medtronic yet, and from what I have heard from other patients over the past few years, which was confirmed by my recent experiences with their reps, their customer service has really taken a hit since the buy out.

So, I'm going to go with Animas, and hopefully it will all work out! I'm just waiting around for my insurance approval now. It should be coming in the next few days. Hopefully it will all get worked out in time for my CGM training/pump re-training appointment I have set up with my endo's office on April 1st!

I'm excited!

Pumping!

Did I mention that I'm officially going back on an insulin pump? No? Well, I totally am. I have been off of a pump for about 5 years now. I was on one from about 2000-2005. I went off the pump to go live in Ghana for a summer. I couldn't afford to be on one when I came back. I finally got good health insurance from about 2006-2007, so I went back on m y old MiniMed 508 then. I couldn't afford a new pump, but I could afford the insulin, and I had like a years worth of supplies left over from my first pumping stint. Then I started graduate school and had to go off the pump at the end of 2007 and have since stayed off the pump because of cost.

But, we have GREAT insurance now (because we pay out our of our noses for it) and I am going to be starting pumping next month, if everything works out. In addition, I will be trying out CGM-ing too! I'm pretty excited about that, because I've never done it before. I'm most likely going to be using the Animas Ping and will definitely be using the Dexcom.

And I'm stoked. STOKED! (does anyone say that anymore? no? . . . anyone?)

But I'm nervous. I'm nervous about being connected to TWO things. I'm nervous about the cost, I'm not looking forward to basal testing, and all those other things that come with pumping.

But, I'm SO looking forward to having an easier time of getting my A1Cs to where I want them to be! I'm one of those people who absolutely needs a variable basal rate, and Lantus is just not cutting it.

So, that's what's up, these days. Woot!

Post Script: I was originally going to title this post "Big Pumpin". You know, as some witty word play. However, I just looked up the actual lyrics to the song "Big Pimpin" and I'm horrified! I don't think I've actually ever heard that song, just the title, and it seemed like a fun little play on words. Not so fun anymore! Just know, that I am horrified by how many times Jay-Z managed to fit the F-bomb in there! Not to mention the sheer amount of women-hating going on in that song! ! Yikes spikes! DON'T look up the lyrics! Your eyes might bleed when you read them!