Friday, January 15, 2010

U-MAY-ZING...

What's amazing right now is that we are picking up free internet at our apartment. We've been here for 1 1/2 years, surviving just fine without internet. Every now and then, a signal pops up on our laptop...but of course it's always a password-locked connection.

Sure every once in a while we'll find an unlocked one...but it takes a day to get a page to pop up...and then the signal is gone by the time that happens.


My amazing husband figured out that if we stand on top of the right arm rest of our love seat that is in the front room at the south-west corner of our apartment... and balance the lap top on top of our floor lamp (while trying to balance yourself well enough so you don't fall off the couch)...we get a good, solid, free connection!!!

But honesly, what's MORE amazing is that I'm hooked up to a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) right now!!!

I prayed for this...then got tired of praying...so I stopped.
I got annoyed and emotional and cried a million tears, with my husband standing beside me, telling me it would be ok.
I tested more than 25 times a day, paying up to an extra $300 a month for extra test strips after going past my perscription (even when my mom sacraficially gave me some of her bottles of strips).
I got excited for the possibility of a CGM.
I read blogs of people who were on them...and having healthy pregnancies.
I got tired of having Diabetes...and I just about gave up wanting to do my best to be healthy.
I practically counted on having an amputation, going blind, and losing my kidneys (in my more dramatic and self-pity moments).


And then I got the phone call..."Jen, we're calling to let you know that we just shipped out your CGM. It should be arriving in 5-7 business days."

WHAT?!?!? It's too good to be true. But I didn't even fill out all of the paperwork they asked for. I didn't document months of blood sugar readings. I didn't go in for a 3-day appointment to get hooked up to a mock-CGM.

I was afraid to call mini-med back, in case this was a mistake. I'd often get mistaken for the wrong Jennifer Johnson for 27 years....but Jen Enger?!? Not too many Jen Engers with Diabetes running around Chicago.

I called anyways. My amazing team at the Kovler Diabetes Center out of the University of Chicago took care of everything. Whatever they sent...labs, records, etc... was enough to warrant insurance coverage and approval. I went over details of monthly cost (a mere $90 for the start up transmittor and then $30 a month for new sensors). That's it?! I'm all set??? Thank you Lord!!!

So, I'm all hooked up and excited for this adventure.
The actual initial set up wasn't so smooth, but I'll talk about that more later :)

So, with the help of a good, free internet connection, and having just watched 'Julie & Julia'...I'm back on the blog-bandwagon...for at least one night!

I'm starting to get really good at this balancing act (the Diabetes...and the 'love seat-arm rest-floor lamp-craziness-to get good internet connection).

p.s...Derek may have actually slipped off the couch, kicking the lamp, busting the plaster/base while downloading facebook pictures!!! HaHa!!! Some day we'll look back on our newlywed days and laugh at how frugal yet creative we were!!! Well, I guess we're already laughing at ourselves! Nothing wrong with that :)

3 comments:

  1. OK first of all: YAY FOR A NEW POST!! :)
    Second: I'm trying to picture how in the world you are getting a connection... that needs to be your next post (a picture of it).
    Thirdly, I don't know what a CGM but it sounds awesome and I'm happy for you! What an answer to prayer!

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  2. Yeah!!! That is awesome, Jen!! I hope it is making life a little easier with diabetes... I still can't even imagine what it must be like. I second Erica- your next post must be a pic of you on the internet at home ;)

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  3. Hooray for GCMs from the Lord! Every time He gives me gifts that make my life easier, I get a step farther from my childhood ambition of earning his love :-)

    Good job being frugal, y'all. What good memories! And good blogging.

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