Living the Pantry Lifestyle - Stop Procrastinating!

Okay, I'm not late writing a post today because I procrastinated.  When I went to the pharmacy yesterday in the midst of pouring rain and storms, I was told (unfortunately) that they had not heard back from my insurance company.  Since I had taken my last shot of long term insulin before leaving, they suggested I go to the clinic to see if I could get help.

Once again in very bad weather, I drove to the clinic and thank God (literally!), they got me in to see the Nurse on Call for the the day.  Another answer to prayer was that my long time doctor was there, having recently returned from his leave of absence, so she could consult with him.  Their decision was to change my insulin to a "cousin" of what I have been taking and give me two sample pens to get me through as we find out if the insurance covered it.

I'm happy to say the prescription did go through and it was at my new pharmacy this morning, again getting out in the midst of storms and pouring rain.  If you remember, this chaos began when my long time pharmacy went out of business and all prescriptions had to be transferred to another pharmacy.  Why my insurance company decided in that transfer to stop paying for Levamir is a mystery to all of us.  I ended up in Intensive Care for two days before we moved to the house where we now live because I missed just one shot.  One. Shot.

I'm late because I took a chill yesterday morning in that cold rain and wasn't feeling well the rest of the day so I went to bed at 9:30.  Which caused me to wake up at 4:30.  Getting out in heavy rain again didn't help so I had to lay down when I arrived home and slept most of the day.  Here it is dinnertime and I'm just now feeling alert enough to write.  But the good news is that there appears to be no permanent illness caused by getting very wet and chilled.

So why that blog post title?  Well, I have found that God allows me to go through something to share with others so He can tell you all what to do.  Just in case.  I was praying about all of this when I wasn't stomping my feet and whining to Him about the state of health care in America.  That still small Voice seemed to be asking what I learned from all of this. 

That was easy.  Do not procrastinate.  I usually do not go to the pharmacy for a new box of insulin until I have one pen left because the insurance company doesn't allow it until two pens are left.  But this time I felt I should check if the transfer of prescriptions went as planned with two pens left.  Good thing I did.

For the pharmacy where all the prescriptions had been transferred informed me that they did not take my insurance.  Fortunately, they were very nice and looked up for me pharmacies which did.  Which ended up being everyone but them.  So I chose the one closest to me and had my prescriptions transferred.  There was a glitch in that transfer so my new pharmacy had to request new prescriptions from my doctor's office and that took an additional day.  That transfer went just fine except for the Levimer and you know that story.

I'm sharing this very long and drawn out story as a lesson that we have to learn to hear from God.  If I waited until the time I normally do, it may have ended with me going to the Emergency Room for insulin.  Instead everything fell into place, even if it took a lot of running around each day, and I had sample pens last night when my insulin alarm went off at 8:00 (this is the only shot I take not associated with a meal time so the alarm is set on my cell phone).

Oh, I was asked how much one box of the Levimer cost.  The box of pens that lasts me only thirteen days?  $460.00.  Which means that only one my insulins costs over $1,000 a month.  I know the HumaLog isn't that much but it isn't cheap.   This new insulin I'm taking is "kind of" a generic.  For there aren't suppose to be any generic insulin. (Insert rolled eyes happy face.)

When I was first diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic, both vials of insulin were in the $20.00 to $30.00 range.  A lot has changed since then.

I did procrastinate somewhat about finding a new eye doctor when mine moved away.  There were only a few places in town that took my insurance.  However, even though my prescription changed a few years ago, you are really not suppose to get new glasses when your blood sugar is way too high like mine was for a year or two.

So now that my blood sugar is stable, I chose a new eye doctor and I was able to get an appointment quickly.  My insurance covers a limited number of styles but they assured me I could pay out of pocket for something fancier.  I told him at my age, one realizes good is good enough!  I think the new frames look just fine even if they are not inscribed with a designer's name.

My reading glasses breaking was the reason I decided it was time to stop putting off going to a new eye doctor, for the reading part of my bifocals hadn't been all that clear for years.  No backup there.  It had been obvious for awhile that I needed new driving glasses, too.  Sometimes God has to practically hit me in the head (think Gibbs on NCIS) to get me to call for an appointment.  How like Him to know if I couldn't READ, that was all it took.

I think God is reminding us that we live in a time when one doesn't know what an insurance company will do next.  So if you have been procrastinating a much needed doctor's appointment, or getting new glasses, or seeing a dentist... call for an appointment Monday morning!

Trust me.  You will be very glad you did.  I now have to put "find new dentist" on next week's planner.