Type 2 diabetes and no insurance

[Dobela]

Yesterday I was seen by a research clinic to see if I had enough psoriasis to participate in a research study. As part of this they did complete labs. Today they called and said my blood sugar was over 300 and I was passing ketones in my urine.

 

I don't have insurance and haven't had any in over 2 years. The last time I saw a doctor was 3 years ago, except for the urgent care clinic last year when I had severe strep. After that visit cost over $600 I just decided to not return to a doctor before dying because we just don't make that much money.

 

I have a long history of weight issues, PCOD, and other endocrine problems. I am 42. A family history includes diabetes. I was told in 2009 that a test showed possible diabetes but since all the tests before had been clear and I had just eaten a heavily carb meal that it was a 'just watch ' situation.

 

I have applied for medicaid since our income has dropped dramatically in the last 6 months, but I won't have any reply for at least 45 days according to the case worker.

 

What do I do now? What questions do I ask? How do I find a doctor that will see me?

[melissad2]

You could start by seeing if there is a free clinic that will see you or you can call the diabetes education dept. of your local hospital and see if they can steer you in the right direction. Also a lot of drug companies and diabetic supply companies will supply testing supplies and meds for free or lower cost for someone without insurance depending on income. In the meantime be very aware of your diet, maybe check out a book on diabetic diets and glycemic indexes from the library.

 

Whatever you do don't let it go, keep ringing someone's phone until you get some help.

[Stayseeliz]

Call your local health department and see if there is a free or income based clinic. Our community has a income based clinic and a dr visit including labs etc is $80 AT MOST. Usually $40 or so for most people. There are many resources out there! Get help before you get worse!!

[Momof3littles]

I'm not an expert on type 2, but I take metformin for PCOS.

 

It is often about $4 a month (without insurance) at many places. Costco, Walmart, etc. carry it inexpensively at their pharmacies.

 

I'd find out if you are a candidate to take it, as that's an inexpensive drug in the grand scheme of things.

[Lara in Colo]

I guess the first thing I would do is to do as much as I can about my blood sugar.

 

Eliminate carbs---all of them. (there is no real way to get rid of ALL carbs, but if you start with this as a goal, you will do better)

 

Eat nothing but protein and veggies.

 

Find a glycemic index and eat only things that are super low.

 

Avoid caffeine

 

No fruit (except to flavor--ie: lemon on fish), no bread, no grains.

 

Eat: Meat, eggs, broccolli, lettuce, spinach, zuccini, .....

 

avoid dairy (yes milk has carbs) but if you eat dairy, go for no sugar, high fat.

 

Do not sub artifical sweeteners for sugar.

 

Get walking daily (2-3 times if you can)

 

 

there is a lot you can do for diabeties without a Dr.

the thing about blood sugar: it is pretty quickly changed since you are contantly "feeding" it. Your blood sugar has no choice but to go down if you are not giving it sugar. This is not 100% true, (since lots of people need insulin) but your body can probably recover since you have type 2.

[snickelfritz]

The main messages from dh's diabetes education class: count carbs, limit fat, exercise. Dh gets 45 carbs per meal and 15 carb snacks between meals. Fat keeps blood sugars high, though it doesn't increase sugars by itself.

 

He is eating much lower carbs than that and exercising twice a day and losing weight and getting good sugar readings that way, no medication.

 

Dairy wasn't outlawed, though the carbs need to be considered.

[Momof3littles]

I know a lot of LCers who are diabetic and like Dr. Bernstein's books.

 

Might be worth the investment. Check your library first, of course.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699/ref=pd_sim_b_1

[Cinder]

Dh has done a lot of what Lara described above and has been able to maintain a good blood sugar level without meds. He also exercises about 5 times a week, jogging and/or walking for an hour each. These changes also helped drastically reduce his triglycerides which were high even though he was on meds for that.

[Dobela]

I'm not an expert on type 2, but I take metformin for PCOS.

 

It is often about $4 a month (without insurance) at many places. Costco, Walmart, etc. carry it inexpensively at their pharmacies.

 

I'd find out if you are a candidate to take it, as that's an inexpensive drug in the grand scheme of things.

This is reassurring for the cost of metformin. I could possibly come up with the cost of a doctor visit but have been very afraid of the cost of any medications.

[Momof3littles]

This is reassurring for the cost of metformin. I could possibly come up with the cost of a doctor visit but have been very afraid of the cost of any medications.

Yep, metformin is an old drug, and cheap. The initial period of getting used to it can be a bit rough because it can cause GI upset, nausea, etc. But if you can slog through that, it is a very affordable drug.

[Dobela]

Yep, metformin is an old drug, and cheap. The initial period of getting used to it can be a bit rough because it can cause GI upset, nausea, etc. But if you can slog through that, it is a very affordable drug.

That is good to know. I can deal with the other.

 

I am usually a low to no carb eater but in the last week I really fell off track because we were on the road a lot and I ate fast food several times, something I normally don't do. I will get back on track. I also joined a walking group last week that begins tonight. I will see what else I can do.

 

Thanks so much, everyone, for the support and advice.

[Denisemomof4]

There is a book about reversing diabetes. If you are disciplined enough to follow a low-glycemic diet, NO carbs at first to get those sugars down, you truly can reverse this. I have two close friends who have done this, one who has been. Completely off her meds for 20 years now.

 

ETA: i did this also to prevent meds whle pregnant with dd12. I had gestational dibetes.

[Mrs Twain]

Losing weight will help the most with your diabetes. Some people can lose enough weight to get themselves out of the diabetic category. Since you said that you are overweight, this would be the thing to do to see if you could get your blood sugars down.

 

If you need a medication, Metformin (Glucophage) has the best evidence for improving outcomes of the type 2 diabetes medications, and you can get the generic version as others have said. It is also a treatment for PCOD, so that is convenient and may help you a lot.

 

So in summary, it is not really about decreasing carbohydrates. It is more about losing weight to get results to help your diabetes.

 

You definitely should take this seriously and try to get seen somewhere by a doctor. We have very good treatments that improve outcomes. It would be a shame for you to die a lot earlier from untreated diabetes and its resulting effects than you need to. It would also be a shame for you to go blind, have a stroke, go into kidney failure and be on dialysis, or have limbs amputated if you could have saved them by getting your diabetes treated earlier.

 

I don't mean to scare you, but these are common outcomes with people who don't get their diabetes treated.

[kalanamak]

 

I have applied for medicaid since our income has dropped dramatically in the last 6 months, but I won't have any reply for at least 45 days according to the case worker.

 

What do I do now? What questions do I ask? How do I find a doctor that will see me?

 

Call the hospital, call the case worker, call any charities. It is surely "cheaper" to see you as an uninsured person than for the hospital to swallow a significant stay related to infection or electrolyte imbalance in untreated DM. Sugar over 300 is no joke.

 

Keep hydrated, but not with only water. You'll need some salts, especially potassium and phosphorus.

 

:grouphug:

[christielee7278]

My husband was diagnosed with Type II this past May. His sugar was in the upper 200's with spikes over 300. He asked the doctor if he could try to take care of it himself before trying meds to control it.

 

He found Mark's Daily Apple blogspot in a search and started reading. He followed the Primal Diet and in just one month his sugar was down in the upper 100's. By the next month is was in the mid 100's, and by August it was low enough that he stopped testing every day.

 

Now he only tests occasionally, mostly out of curiousity. Everytime it has been under 120.

 

The diet literally changed his life! I'm a runner and he tried to run with me on several occasions but always quit. He started running again in August and will compete in his first 5K this April!!

 

He credits that diet for everything! It's healthy. It's fullfilling. AND it helped him not only lower his sugar but he has lost over 60 lbs.

 

On a checkup with the doctor in July, the doctor sat him down and asked "what are you doing? Because I need to tell my other diabetic patients!" The doctor was amazed by the results and supported his decision to take no meds.

 

It is definitely worth a try!! And you won't have to worry about a doctor. My husband went to a pharmacy before he got the equipment to test his own sugar, and asked the pharmacist if he could test him. He did. A lot of the pharmacies will test your sugar for you if you ask. That way you can see results.

[Momof3littles]

Losing weight will help the most with your diabetes. Some people can lose enough weight to get themselves out of the diabetic category. Since you said that you are overweight, this would be the thing to do to see if you could get your blood sugars down.

 

If you need a medication, Metformin (Glucophage) has the best evidence for improving outcomes of the type 2 diabetes medications, and you can get the generic version as others have said. It is also a treatment for PCOD, so that is convenient and may help you a lot.

 

So in summary, it is not really about decreasing carbohydrates. It is more about losing weight to get results to help your diabetes.

 

 

As someone with PCOS and is thin, but insulin resistant, I actually don't think it is always about *just* losing weight. Certainly losing visceral fat helps normalize lots of things and improves diabetes, but there are many people who are thin and are insulin resistant or have type 2.

 

I only cycle while eating LC because hyperinsulemia screws with my hormone levels (a hallmark of PCOS). I feel ravenously hungry when I eat grains or sugar, including whole grains. I am not overweight, but can easily see how someone gets there and rapidly when they have insulin resistance.

[AK_Mom4]

A hopeful note for you:

 

I was able to control my type 2 diabetes for over 5 years on just a low-carb diet and a low-dose of Metformin and MODERATE exercise (walking a few times a week). That was it. And it really wasn't that hard. I checked out the glycemic index books from the library and did some reading online.

 

It is well worth visiting a doctor to get the RX - metformin is very cheap and there are ways to get test supplies inexpensively. They will probably need to do an H1Ac blood test (also not expensive) every few months.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

You could start by seeing if there is a free clinic that will see you or you can call the diabetes education dept. of your local hospital and see if they can steer you in the right direction. Also a lot of drug companies and diabetic supply companies will supply testing supplies and meds for free or lower cost for someone without insurance depending on income. In the meantime be very aware of your diet, maybe check out a book on diabetic diets and glycemic indexes from the library.

 

Whatever you do don't let it go, keep ringing someone's phone until you get some help.

:iagree: totally agree--I have been in that spot a few times over the years and it's soooo hard.....

[Wabi Sabi]

Really, you need to see a doctor. Insurance or not, your life depends on it. Untreated diabetes can eventually lead to kidney problems, blindness, nerve damage and cardiovascular problems.

 

As others have suggested, you can look into clinics that serve low-income individuals without insurance. You may have to call around to see what's available in your area.

 

In the meantime, can you try to get insurance? I take it that your spouse's/partner's job (if you have one?) doesn't offer it? What about you looking for employment that offers basic coverage? It's probably not your ideal, but there are plenty of moms on this board who are able to work and homeschool. In our family I work evenings/weekends in order to provide health insurance. There are a few places (Starbucks comes to mind) that offers insurance even to part-time employees.

 

Good luck!

[gingersmom]

Please do not ignore this!!!

 

My X husband had untreated diabetes and was overweight. He died at age 40.

 

I found out after he had passed that he knew about the diabetes but claimed he couldn't afford a doctor plus a slew of other excuses.

 

Investigate diets, blogs all you want. But please please go see a doctor.

[Jaxmum]

I heard about this on the Livin La Vida Low carb podcast, http://www.bloodsugar101.com/. I am not suggesting no medical involvement, but possibly this could help you. You don't need a prescription for the glucometer and strips, she recomends one from Walmart, and says the cheapest place for strips is Amazon. I hope you can find some help!

[abacus2]

Go read http://bloodsugar101.com/ , either the website or order the book. As others have said Metformin is cheap and helpful, so get to a doctor so that you can get a prescription. Exercise makes a big difference in my blood sugars. Basically you likely need a blood sugar meter and testing supplies, a diet that your blood sugar meter tells you is doing good things for you blood sugar numbers (typically low carb), regular exercise, and Metformin. These things are not very expensive (testing supplies are the worst, but still doable with the help/discounts available), but they are effective. A lower carb diet, exercise, and inexpensive medicine can control most type II diabetes well and prevent expensive complications.