So thanks for making me a fighter

Day 4! More! More! More!

Click for the The Healthcare Experience - Thursday 5/19 Link List.
Most people who live with a chronic illness end up with a lot of experience when it comes to dealing with healthcare. How would you improve or change your healthcare experience? What would you like to see happening during medical visits with your healthcare team? How about when dealing with your health insurance companies? What's your Healthcare Wish List or Biggest Frustration? Today is the day to share it all!

As I said in yesterday's blog,  I have a great deal of experience with doctors. I feel like I see the doctors I do because I appreciate them for something different. If I wasn't satisfied with my doctors, I would go elsewhere. You know what that's called? PRIVILEGE. Not everyone has it. But, I digress.

My biggest gripes with my healthcare team isn't my Endo. It's his stupid staff. When I started there, he had an AMAZING staff. They always got back to you the same day and were so friendly; even though I only saw them every three months, they always remembered me. There was even a familiar face of a sweet girl I went to school with as one of his nurses. Something happened, though. And I don't know what. But, I started seeing overturn. The only person that is still there from when i started five years ago (other than the two main doctors in the practice) is the beautiful Medtronic rep. No surprise there: Medtronic has AMAZING people working there. My Endo's assistant doesn't understand diabetes devices or that I need new supplies for my pump every three months. His nurse asked me in my last visit if I was still taking Contour Next Strips. Besides sounding hard to digest, it just baffled me that she didn't know what he was giving me. They need some education in that office. My doctor is so wonderful and advocates for me in ways that I could never imagine a physician doing. He even handed me tissues and counseled me through my divorce. He was on his way to the airport to get on a flight to lecture in Boston when  my denial came in. He almost missed his flight to write my appeal letter. And I'm not special. He's a great doctor and would do it for his other patients, I'm sure. But damn, his office staff sucks.

I wish they would stop asking if I was taking test strips orally. I wish they would do as much research as my boyfriend has done on diabetes. I wish they were friendlier and returned calls within 24 hours. My doctor set aside samples of Lantus in case anything happened to my pump. I got to the office two minutes after five and the nurse was getting on the elevator. I asked her to just grab the Lantus out of the fridge. SHE ROLLED HER EYES AT ME. So I stuck my foot in the elevator door and wouldn't let it shut. (Eye rolling drives me bonkers, btw.)

Health insurance companies? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. What a joke. I go through a denial before the approve anything. Which I think is cute. I have learned that I will get what I want if my doctor and I fight for it. They never say no. We just give them a better reason to say yes. I get it. It's expensive for them to provide the better product. It's more expensive for me, too. But you know what's even more expensive? Ketoacidosis. Hospital stays. Losing a limb. Comas. MY DAMN LIFE. It's all a business, I understand. But it's not my business. My business is making sure I get what I need to take care of myself.

On my Health care wish list? A cure.