A Night Without Dexcom
Are Your Prescriptions Up to Date?
Don’t be like me. Keep track of when your prescriptions need to be filled!
At 8:00 tonight, Mary’s Dexcom sensor expired, which I was prepared for. I had her new sensor ready to go. But when I looked at her phone, I noticed the dreaded “Pair New Transmitter” message! I was not expecting that at all.
Usually, we get a warning a few weeks ahead of time, and then a reminder at the beginning of the last sensor session that the transmitter needs to be replaced soon. But neither Mary nor I remembered seeing that message.
No Refills Left
I knew our CVS pharmacy closes at 8:00 pm, so I quickly searched online for one that was open. I called the nearest CVS that was open an hour later. After giving the pharmacist our information, she informed me that she was able to pull up the prescription, but there are 0 refills left on her Dexcom transmitters! You gotta be kidding me. And, no, they do not sell transmitters without a prescription. I asked.
I don’t understand how prescription refills work. … Why will pharmacies not keep those necessary medical devices on auto refill and trigger a pharmacy call to the physician when those refills run out?
Although I was frustrated, I knew it wasn’t the pharmacist’s fault. I thanked her and hung up to see if I could reach our nurse practitioner who handles prescriptions at Mary’s endo office. But, alas, no luck.
Back to Finger Sticks
I told Mary what happened, and she said with a smile, “It’ll be just like the olden days, we’ll just have to do finger sticks!” I snapped, “Except you won’t be the one who has to wake up in the middle of the night!” Of course, I felt terrible for getting upset with her and apologized. Here she was, trying to lighten the mood when I was upset.
Truth is, we’re lucky. We have this incredible technology that not everyone has. And I don’t often stop to think about it. My heart goes out to every parent who doesn’t have access to a CGM and has to get up every night to check on their child. I remember how scary those first two months were after diagnosis, before we got our Dexcom, not knowing if I’d find a conscious child in the middle of the night. I was terrified of seizures. Aren’t we all?
Technology Is a Gift
We rarely have a night like this, where we don’t have Dexcom to rely on. It’s going to be one night. As I write that, I realize how spoiled I am. I know tonight I’ll be extra thankful for the many blessings we have, like access to technology and insurance and the funds to pay for prescriptions. Because as all T1D parents know, it’s not cheap being diabetic, even if you do have insurance. We’re able to manage her diabetes well because we have the tools to do so.
Our CGM-Free Night
Not surprisingly, Mary’s blood sugar was a bit too high before bed. When there’s no Dexcom, there’s also no automated mode on her Omnipod insulin pump to keep her blood sugar in check. I manually entered in her blood sugar for her pump to dose a bit extra, and I told Mary I’d see her in a few hours!
My alarm is set for 2:00 am. I’m a deep sleeper, so, as you can see, I have a few backup alarms set as well.
My Prayer Tonight
Tonight, I’m thankful for Dexcom, for Omnipod, for the technology that helps us sleep. For insulin, for insurance, and for a steady income to pay for all of this. I pray for all those who live without. No one should be without the necessities to take care of themselves or their children.
There Is Help Available
If you happen to be someone who can’t afford insulin, let alone technology to help you sleep at night, there is help available. You are not alone. There are a lot of people out there working to provide support for people with type 1 diabetes. Here is a helpful page of resources compiled by JDRF.
