Type 1 Wanna-Be

A couple days ago I was talking about how disappointed I was that I met my first real life pumper and she was very condescending and acted like I was stupid for being interested when I’m “only” a T2.

I tried to relate this story to a T1 that I know and was amazed at the response.  Since this was a fellow diabetic, I was expecting to hear something along the lines of disbelief... instead this person actually responded with a statement about how crazy it is when a T2 tries to compare themselves with a T1. 

I believe the line was "its not like they have REAL diabetes!". 

I hesitated, trying to put an actual sentence together in my head, and finally said that I was a T2, does that make me not a REAL diabetic?  Like counting carbs and trying to exercise, and watching what I eat, and taking meds... that's not REAL?  And she said, well, you're not REALLY a T2, you take insulin.  I doubt that there are very many T2's who take more than MAYBE Lantus. 

Well, that's probably true.  And I have no good answer for that.  I agree that its odd that I have to do MDI's to have controlled diabetes.  My doc initially put me on insulin because I really should have gone to the hospital.  I'm sure I was probably supposed to come off of it sometime.  And I think that's why my doc put me on the Metformin and Januvia too, to try and help me get off the insulin, or at least the Novolog.

But I guess it seems like the insulin is kinda doing the trick... the pills both help my own body's insulin actually do its thing, and that probably keeps the insulin amounts I inject down a little bit.  Which really is odd, thinking about it.  If my body IS creating insulin (c-pep test confirmed it), then why aren't the pills alone doing the trick?  I'm sure if I came off the insulin I'd skyrocket, even if I ate completely correctly.  Is it because I'm overweight?  I don't know!

But I digress... I've gone way off topic.  I was completely shocked at the response I got about T2's not being REAL diabetics!  Maybe as a T2 I'm not as much a part of the community as I thought.  I mean, I don't see very many T2 bloggers out there.  Its like its not a REAL disease, so why bother blogging about it? 

So I will just press on, and blog to my little hearts desire.  One day, a newly diagnosed T2 who gets shoved on insulin might need to read something, even if its just to know there is someone else out there.

But that's why sometimes I feel like a Type 1 Wanna-Be.  Its like, if I'm going to be stuck with this disease and having to take MDI's, then I'd like it to be for a darn good reason.  I want to be able to know that I take insulin shots for a reason, and not just because my doc put me on it because she didn't know any better.

Januvia update

I have not kept up on the blogging like I wanted to!!  I was hoping that I’d do it, but…. I’m slow…  :)  So…

Without wasting any MORE time, here is the update about my meds….

First, a quick recap…

Januvia is different than any of the other meds I take.  The Lantus and Novolog insulins I take provide me with insulin since my body’s own insulin isn’t doing its job or there isn’t enough of it.  Metformin helps my body make use of the insulin that it makes.  Januvia is supposed to help the insulin in my body react to food the way its supposed to.

I started taking 100 mg of Januvia once a day, per my doctor.  For the first week I felt a little bit sick to my stomach.  I’m still not sure if I just had a weird week or if it was the pill.  Since then I have no had any issues with it that I can see or feel. 

I have not miraculously lost any weight (bummer!), but I have also not gained any.  Again, I have no idea if this is because of the pill (doubtful).  In addition, I have been able to raise my insulin to carb ratio from 1:4 to 1:6, which means less insulin per injection, and longer time between prescription refills!

The interesting thing though, is that I really don’t know if the change in carb ratio is due to the Metformin or the Januvia.  I started the Metformin about a month and a half before the Januvia.  I don’t know how to really tell without removing one of them from the lineup though.

I will not be going back to the doc for another month, so I don’t know what the effect of the meds are having on my a1c.

After about a week I got a letter from my health insurance telling me that they allowed this prescription to be filled “to make things easier on me” but that they won’t be filling it again because it hasn’t been proven that Metformin doesn’t work for me.  Basically I felt like it was telling me that in order to allow me to take both of these medications I would have to stop taking the Metformin, get really sick for 3 months, and then that would prove it. I was like… well that just doesn’t make sense!  First, why would filling it once make my life easier?  All that’s making me do is have to talk to my doctor and possibly have a battle with my health insurance to allow me to continue with it.  What if my doc had really felt this was the ONLY thing that would work for me (instead of just wanting to see if it hells)?  Then I would be stuck without meds while they figure it out?  I would have rather they flat out say NO! and then I can fight it, without getting all excited that it seems like they’re working and then have it taken away from me!  I guess this would have been more of an issue if I was ONLY taking Metformin and it had actually failed and I didn’t have any backup plan.

I knew that that might happen though, because other people had noted that they had issues with it being covered.  And granted, its not covered WELL… its still not a generic, so it still costs me a lot of money to get it.  But if I can lower the amount of insulin I need to take and possibly even remove the NovoLog, that would be one less prescription to fill anyway!

So I contacted my doc and she contacted the insurance company and apparently everything went well, because she sent me a letter telling me that the Januvia is covered and they didn’t even have to battle! 

And I went and refilled the prescription and they refilled it without any questions.

And now, a week later, I got a letter from my health insurance telling me that they allowed this prescription but….... sigh … I guess I’ll be calling my doctor again…