CDE Pump Talk

I really really REALLY love our CDE Kristen. When Kacey was first diagnosed we had a couple different ones calling each week and I felt so confused because we never got to talk to the same one two weeks in a row. Then Kristen started calling us more and for about the last 4 months, she's been the one to call us every week and let us know what changes need to be made from the faxed blood sugars we send in. This past week when she called, she said "I wanted to tell you that your name came up in conversation this past weekend." Wow! Mine? In her conversation? She went on to tell me that my friend's son that was admitted was now a patient of theirs!! I went on to tell her how upset I was about hearing about his diagnosis and she explained it was "normal" to feel that. (Imagine that....normal? LOL!) So we spoke a little bit more about it and then she said she had heard our exciting news about Pump Class and the great A1c. I felt like I was beaming! She will be at Pump Class next Thursday so we get to see her :) She went on to explain to me how things will work with this process.

Next Thursday, we will go to the class. When we get there, they provide a dinner for us (complete with carb amounts written on the board...YAY!) Then there are 3 different companies that will talk to us...MiniMed, Cozmo and Animas. Once we hear about all the different pumps, then we will look at different sites. Kacey will then get a site put in to try. Nothing will be hooked to it but she can wear it for 3 days and see how it feels. After we choose the pump we want (which we are 99% sure which one we're going with), then the doctor's office will submit the papers for the pump and the letter of Medical Necessity to our insurance company. She said from that point it is a waiting game. (Ugh!) She said she's seen approval in as little as 4 weeks and as long as 8 weeks. (Grumbles!) Once we get the approval, then the pump will be sent to the doctor's office. An appointment will be scheduled for us and we will go in for Pump Training. The training is a 3 hour class like what we got in the hospital but a little easier because this time we know the "medical terms" like bolus, basal, correction and all that stuff. She said since we've already been looking at pump info and I've read Pumping Insulin then we should do just fine :) Once we get the training then Kacey will be hooked up for a "Saline Trial" for a whole week. During this week, we will do everything like we would with the pump and dose her but instead of insulin, she will get the saline. She will take the insulin by injection. We will do 2 site changes this week as well. Then we will go back after that week and show that we are capable of doing everything with the pump and she will be switched from saline to insulin....and be pumping for real! YAYYYYY!

I'm so excited but at the same time very nervous as well. I'm worried about insurance crap. What do we do if they don't approve it? How long will it take to approve? How much will we end up having to pay for it? How much will all the supplies be a month? Will it be more than the $160 a month we pay already? Will she get alot more insulin than she is getting already? So much is swirling around in my head and I know I need to gather my thoughts! My other big issue is school and the school nurses training for the pump....but thats an entire topic in itself that I will address later ;)

So thats where we stand right now...class, approval, more training and then hookup for real!