The Mellitus Blues

Does anyone find it odd that about the only sector projecting future job increases is health care?

Right. Double digit annual premium increases aside, now we'll be hiring more health practitioners to service the rising millions of those without access to health care, uninsured, or under insured. More nurses will be needed to help fewer patients.

Well, I should qualify that. Fewer paying patients.

I've oft mentioned how my family and I are a total, complete drain on the health insurance system, me being diabetic and all. I should be made to pay more, but I don't have to. There really isn't any way I would pay more, come on. I'm not that philanthropic. Make me pay more for my services, and yes, I'll do so; but I'm not asked to.

I'm on an insulin pump, and the supplies (the reservoirs, the tubing, the infusion sets) are $30 bucks every three days. Not including all the other shit that's needed to keep a pumping diabetic going, $300 a month is impossible for a great many juvenile diabetics and their parents.

But, I just happen to not change out my infusion sets as often as legally required. Our FDA has approved each infusion set and reservoir for three days. But I wear it for about 5-6, and I reuse the reservoirs. As a consequence, I have developed a stockpile of supplies.

So I donate my excess stash to ipump.org, which is someone working out of her garage trying to distribute supplies to those who need them. She is the real workhorse of charity. I'm donating because my insurance subsidies it. If I didn't have insurance I'd keep those infusion sets in for 7-10 days, risking all sorts of complications, trying to save cash. And I know that's exactly what the under insured or non-insured are doing. They are the ones truly at risk. So I'm doing what I can to donate, as I do blood...whenever my hematocrit cooperates...

Again. I mentioned our worth as humans, as a people, as a culture, can be defined how we help others who can't help themselves. I personally think I do very, very little. I strive to change that.