REQUEST FOR CGMS: DENIED BY INSURANCE

I didn't ask to have to worry about whether I will go low when I go for a run or even a walk, go to sleep, or God forbid, while I drive. I keep my blood sugars higher than recommended sometimes because there are so many unknown variables and the lows are debilitating. In case you are wondering, it's not a simple case of counting carbs and taking the right insulin doses. There are hormones, activity levels, and stress to try to "quantify", which is of course impossible. That is where a CGM could really help. Since we cannot account for everything, the best we can do sometimes is react to it. A CGM will help us to react faster, and to avoid the short term disaster of a severe low behind the wheel, as well as some of the long term damage that our bodies are racking up due to BG's that are too high as we try to avoid those lows based on as many test strips as we can afford. It would also help me to not lose heart in my battle to remain as healthy as I can.

My doctor suggested I look into getting a CGM, but so far I have found that I cannot afford it. Aside from the initial outlay for the device, the ongoing costs are roughly $400 per month. Trust me, I have no desire to wired up like a cyborg with my insulin pump and yet another device. But it is difficult to know that I cannot afford to come one step closer to a normal life. I don't know whether to address this to the insurance companies, the CGM manufacturers or our government, but I sincerely hope that all of them will hear our plea.