Thank you!! This is great!
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Hello all,
To the founders of this site, thank you. Looking forward to reading post from the community. I have a list of other diabetes sites but most of those are heavily commercialized.
Iām 54 (almostā¦ 02/29), married and have 2 daughters. I was hit with LADDA when I turned 48. It was an awful experience physically and emotionally. I had no insurance and the first doctor I visited had diagnosed Type 2. I also lost 30 lbs over 4 weeks. Being really physically active ā running 5 miles 3x a week as well as 1.5 hours of strength training on those days, those 30lbs was all muscle. And I really had no info on what to do other than the crappy 10th generation copy of a 3 page general TD2 guidelines the doc gave me. It took another several months to get the right diagnosis from an Endo and then another 6 months to gain a bit of that weight back after he put me on the right course of action. That whole year I could not get insured as no one would insure me so the out of pocket was huge - bloodwork, insulin, other meds, test stripsā¦
Fast forward to 2018. Even though I gained decent insurance through the ACA over the last few years my wife and I are again without insurance for 2018. I could not afford the extra $1000 a month increase from BCBSofIL - going from $800 to $1800 a month. So, Iām looking for ways to survive sans insurance.
Discovering FUdiabetes Iām hoping to gain insight into how others cope. Seems thereās quite a big community here. Iāve not come across many LADDA communities, so looking forward to reading how others handle their LADDA.
[split into Is it OK to order insulin from Canada?]
-a
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@Arnolfo, welcome ot the site, so glad you found us!
So sorry to hear about your diagnosis 
My son is 13, and was diagnosed as a T1 2 years ago.
I know how difficult this must be for you and I am sorry. Have you explored your state insurance high-risk pool options?
I will split your thread on Markās Pharmacy as a separate one, as it is worth of its own 
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Welcome to the site!! Iām sorry that your diagnosis was incorrect the first time. Iāve heard of this happening too often unfortunately.
That premium increase is huge! I havenāt heard of Markās pharmacy before, but it sounds like a good option. There are a few posts from other members on this site who have found alternative options while not having insurance. Their posts contained some good suggestions.
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Welcome @arnolfo! You are in the right place to get answers from experience, and a variety of resources. Glad to have you!
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@Allison, welcome to the forum!
Maybe you can tell your husband that if you loop you are less likely to have bad lows at night. I think almost everyone ends up having bad lows at night some time or another. It happened to me once in sleepaway camp.
Iād like to loop before I go to college for that reason.
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Welcome @arnolfo, glad you found us. No commercialization, just community and advice. Thanks for joining, and I hope you are successfully able to negotiate your insulin purchases.
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Welcome to the group. Many folks here with a lot of great insights.
Are you in Illinois?
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Welcome @arnolfo! I feel your pain about your diagnosis, and like you am here for the wealth of information and camaraderie. This is a great blog to get information and suggestions and the people are super nice too!
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Yes. In the burbs just 30 odd miles west of Chicago.
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Thanks, looking forward to sharing and gaining new insights!
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Welcome @arnolfo! We have quite a few threads created where we discuss your concerns. Itās something that everyone is either going through, or fears going through at some point in their lives. Hereās one such thread.
Very nice to meet you and look forward to interacting with you in the future.
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Nice, Iām in the NW suburbs! Weāre practically āneighborsā.
Lisa
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Thanks! I havenāt had problems with lows at night, mostly running too high because I like to eat too soon before I go to bed. I just need to cut that out! I did have a seizure from a lowā¦ one timeā¦ at diabetes camp 
that was not a pleasant time. I hope you can do it if you want to! I saw thereās an extra dongle to carry around so Iāll probably put it on hold for now anyway.
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Hi! Just joined this week. Love reading so many of the topics that I can relate to as well!
Iām from Glen Burnie, Maryland - near BWI Airport. I was diagnosed as a T1D in June 2001 at 35yo. Iām almost 17 years in (really?!?) and have learned so much along the way.
In 2015 I had achieved Hypoglycemic Unawareness status, something I didnāt even know existed. Over the last two years I have experienced some pretty bad lows. A couple while I was home (luckily?), but I do live alone. There were several occasions where I ācame back to awarenessā sitting on the floor in front of the fridge just shoving food in my mouth. There were also several occasions where I was driving. Bad, just bad. I managed to avoid hitting anyone or anything but did get pulled over once. I vaguely remember the officer asking me if I was drinking and I think I said something like, āI was trying to get my dinner.ā I do remember him asking if I was diabetic. He gave me that liquid gel stuff (YUK) and next thing Iām in an ambulance. Thank God for Uber so I could retrieve my car at 3am from where they parked it for me. And the time I was in my car shoving Christmas leftovers from Mom in my faceā¦that was so scary. I had a flat tire, and had no idea where I was (not the first time the lost thing happened). I didnāt recognize the roads on the Google map but the roadside hazard guy had me āpinā my location so he could find me. UGH. Also in that time period managed to break my foot, probably in one of the falls I took trying to get to the fridge. And once I had a seizure while trying to get to the fridge. THAT my folks, is damn scary. You know exactly what is happening and you canāt do anything about it.
Thatās when I asked my doctor about a pump and CGM. Had a year long fight with the insurance company, but I won. And since they dragged it out so long I had exhausted my out-of-pocket so they had to pay for 100% of the pump, CGM and start-up supplies.
I have had these devices in my life for a year now, and my life 1,000,000% better. I am so much better equipped and because of the way my trainer and I discussed my settings and when to change them, my awareness of my lows is returning. Starting to feel them again.
It costs me more, but for me, itās totally worth it. Besides, I exhaust my company paid deductible and out-of-pocket much faster now and the rest of the year is 100% covered.
I donāt worry when Iām at the farm riding alone anymore. I am back to being happy I live alone. If Iām driving and a low is happening fast I have time to pull over and treat it.
Glad to find this group. Thanks for being here!!
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Welcome, @PerfectHorse! Have you found your A1C also improving as a result of your CGM and pump or did you always have thought control?
Looking forward to our interactions in the future!
Again, welcome to FUD!
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Welcome @PerfectHorse! Sounds like you had a rough time for a few years. Serious lows can be really scary. Iām glad youāre able to avoid them better now! I also live alone, and the Dexcom has given me a lot of security because I know I can address lows before they get too bad.
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My A1c went from 10.2 to 6.3
Thanks for the welcome!
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Wow, what a testament to the power of Dexcom!! Really amazing story. So glad you were finally able to get the help you need in managing your dangerous lows. Did you always have such dramatic lows, or did they creep up eventually?
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