Friday, January 11, 2008

teaching the teacher


Cadence had her first flu since she was diagnosed this week. Vomiting, diarrhea, the whole nine yards. Our laundry machine need a vacation.

We had been prepped and educated about how different illness management is with a diabetic child. I didn't realize how difficult it actually is. With insulin working in her system and her being unable to take in any foods or fluids, we battle low blood sugars, dangerous lows at that. Oh what fun it was holding a sick baby down, forcing her mouth open and pouring maple syrup down her throat was on Thursday...otherwise it was hospital time.

It was during these moments (there were 3 this week) that we realized as well controlled as we keep Cadence's diabetes and how 'impressed' the diabetes nurses are with our management of her, how far from controlled she is. We react as there's almost no way to predict what her next sugar will be. Exhausting google about insulin management it seems as though continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and insulin pump therapies are increasingly becoming the best predictive management tool for a type 1 diabetic. The problem is that these devices are priced for insurance coverage, of which we don't have.

Insulin Pump - 6000.00 (lasts 5 years)
Supplies - approximately 500 per month.

CGM - 800
Supplies - 250/month

So, another question comes up about our great socialist health care system in Alberta. Which is one of the provinces in Canada that does not fund a single thing for diabetes. Our health care policy rings with words of prevention, maintaining good health, etc....while fully aware that diabetes (predominantly Type 2) is reaching epidemic proportions worldwide and could soon be the single largest drain on the health care system due to long term complications. 1 in 10 hospitalizations are from diabetes related illnesses that stem from poor sugar control. Wouldn't it make sense for our government to make things like pump therapy and CGM available to diabetics so that they are less straining on the system?

The question of proactive health care funding for Albertans, and Canadians for that matter is one that is historically been rhetorical. Someone mentions it, governments adopt the terminology, and nothing really changes. More money is put into emergency care.

I've started to do some leg-work to lobby our government, which right now is swimming in money, to look at funding pump therapy for diabetics. I like to say I have completely altruistic intentions with this and it's for the good of the people...truthfully, it's so that we can avoid another week like this one. If the rest of the type 1's in Alberta can benefit from it though, that would be an enormous value added.

b.