How did you find out you have type 2 diabetes and how did you react?
When I was pregnant with my son, I had gestational diabetes. A few years later, I was retested and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It wasn’t a huge surprise. Diabetes runs wild in my family and I was quite overweight at 335 lbs.
Still, even though it’s not a terminal diagnosis, it’s not something anyone wants to hear, and you can’t help but feel a little guilty; even though it’s not true, you ask yourself, did my bad choices lead me here? There is a lot of stigma that comes with type 2 diabetes.
What steps have you taken to control your diabetes?
Having had gestational diabetes and with the right advice and support, I knew the right diet for me – what was safe to eat and what would make my blood sugar spike. When I was pregnant, I had made a number of changes to what I ate and was very careful about measuring my blood sugar, so none of this was new. I even had green, yellow and red foods listed on a spreadsheet.
I was prescribed metformin, as are most newly diagnosed patients. Unfortunately, it did a number on my digestive system. I knew where every bathroom was in every store I went to. It was a horrible way to live. Still, for a couple of years, things went well, but I was so tired of being a slave to the toilet. My quality of life was abysmal.
I was referred to a diabetes specialist and he switched me to a different medication with fewer side effects. But after about three years, the diabetes educator at my office, who is also my pharmacist, began to see a worrying trend of rising sugars.
He suggested another drug, a newer drug that I find easy and comfortable to take, and that’s what I’ve been on for about four years. I no longer have to take anything else for my diabetes as it has kept my blood sugars under control.
How has your life improved since your diagnosis and treatment?
In total, since my diagnosis, I have lost 140 pounds. This has had a huge impact on all aspects of my life. I am much more active. I’m playing rugby again at the age of 49 with 20-year-olds, tackling them on the field. I can climb to the top of a mountain. The first time I did it, I took a deep breath because I couldn’t believe it was there. I think the most meaningful moment for me was when my son was able to put his arms around me. This was very significant.
At work, I don’t have to excuse myself from client meetings mid-sentence to run to the bathroom – that’s great! When I travel for business, I can run from terminal to terminal and show up on a plane and not break a sweat. I don’t have trouble sleeping anymore. I don’t snore anymore. I had fatty liver disease, that is now gone. In general, I have a lot more energy and confidence. This also helps me in my work: I feel better about myself.
What could your benefits plan have done differently to make your experience easier?
It would have been nice to take the medication I’m on now without jumping through hoops. I had to get the certification that I had been on the previous medications. I had to submit a history of my A1C levels and show a trend that they were rising. If only I could have taken the medication and been covered, I would have felt like I was more of a “human” than a lab rat.
Yes, the new medicine is more expensive than the first two, but I no longer take anything else or go to the doctor for other things. My overall health has improved to the point where I am no longer a burden on the healthcare system. So why wouldn’t they cover it? If this medication had been available to me immediately after my diagnosis, just think how much longer I could have been healthier.
Mental health supports must also be established through diagnosis and treatment. Some medications change you dramatically, and even a good result can come with challenges. I think having an anonymous helpline is really important to help people deal with the mental health overflow of a physical health problem.
I think benefit plans should trust the medical profession to recommend the best treatment for a specific person and not make it so difficult to get approved for coverage. Don’t deny people new drugs because of cost. Maybe you have a health spending account that people can choose to spend on a drug that isn’t part of the plan. If the health and well-being of your employees is important to you, you should make room for new drugs once they have been proven to work well.