Diabetes

Changes To The NDSS From July 1, 2016

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From July 1, 2016, the Australian government is introducing changes to the way that people with diabetes access subsidised diabetes consumables through the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). This includes test strips, insulin pump consumables, needles and syringes.

People with diabetes will no longer be able to order their consumables through Diabetes Australia, or state and territory outlets. There will be a number of new NDSS access points created in response to this change, promising greater access and convenience for consumers.

I’ve always accessed consumables through my local pharmacy, which is an NDSS outlet. However, I expect that there are many people who would prefer the convenience of ordering in bulk. Prior to these changes, people were able to order a 6 month supply of consumables from Diabetes Australia and have them delivered to their door.

I know personally how difficult it is to purchase in bulk, or to “stock up” at a pharmacy without having uncomfortable questions asked about why I need so much. I try to get around this by making more frequent visits to the pharmacy and purchasing in smaller amounts, but doing so does take away the element of convenience.

Another big change will see people with type 2 diabetes who are not using insulin restricted to a 6 month supply of test strips. Further access to strips will be in the hands of a healthcare professional. To quote the Department of Health, “people with type 2 diabetes not using insulin do not need to constantly monitor their blood glucose levels with strips.” 

The decision to use glucose monitoring to manage any kind of diabetes is an individual one. This decision should be in the hands of the patient, and not the healthcare professional. By taking away this element, I don’t believe that we are empowering people to manage their diabetes. Although I’m a type 1, I’m a high user of test strips and I couldn’t imagine my life without them. I wrote about this change in more detail here.

6 month test strip limits will also apply to Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people with type 2 diabetes, who access their strips free through Aboriginal Health Services.

These changes are obviously designed to make the delivery side of the NDSS more efficient and cost effective. The government promises that funds saved will be reinvested into support and education programs run by Diabetes Australia, and state and territory organisations.

Most importantly, though, in my opinion, is that I won’t be forced to pay any more for my diabetes supplies as a result of these changes.

You can read more about the upcoming changes to the NDSS here.

Daydreaming

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Slice, empty and flatten.

Slice, empty and flatten.

Slice, empty and flatten.

I was slicing open cardboard boxes at work yesterday, but my mind was well and truly elsewhere. It was just gone midday, and I was in a daze.

I could hear the sound of the fan, making more noise than what the air it was blowing back at me was worth. I could hear the whining sound of the cardboard press, groaning back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. I could hear the sound of vehicles passing by from the open roller door looking out onto a miserable, grey autumn day.

I could feel the sweat beading on my forehead, starting to trickle down the side of my face. I felt ever so warm, and desperately wanted to take my shirt off.

I felt weak. I was standing, barely. I leant heavily onto the table where I was working, half expecting my muscles to give in at any moment.

I felt light headed. I was yawning, constantly. My brain wasn’t functioning properly. I couldn’t connect what I was doing with the next action I needed to take.

The thought every action in itself felt like an ordeal. I didn’t know where I would find the energy to will my body to make its next movement.

Slice, empty and flatten.

Slice, empty and flatten.

Slice, empty and flatten.

I was fighting against every fibre of my being to keep going. My body was ridden with exhaustion. I so desperately wanted to give in and sprawl out on the cold, hard concrete floor.

My mouth was bone dry. Robbed of all it’s glorious moisture, and replaced with the sickly residue of processed sugar. I was desperate for a drop of water, anything to rid that horrid aftertaste of a hypo treatment.

The fact was that I’d treated a hypo a little less than 15 minutes ago. A hypo that I wasn’t expecting. A hypo that I had no explanation for. A hypo that knocked the wind out of me and turned a relatively good day sideways.

A hypo isn’t necessarily over after I’ve shoved 15g of carbs down my throat. A hypo isn’t necessarily over 15 minutes after it happened. And a hypo isn’t necessarily over by the time my meter produces a reading over the number 4.0.

Some days, it feels like a hypo can last a whole lot longer.

Join the Oz Diabetes Online Community for our weekly diabetes support chat Tonight at 8.30pm by following #OzDOC on Twitter.

Saying ‘Yes’ To An Insulin Pump

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I’m a terrible decision maker. My family often laugh at how long it takes for me to decide what I’m going to have for lunch or what movie we should watch in the evening.

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Switching from Multiple Daily Injections to an Insulin Pump is arguably one of the biggest decisions I have made in my life. Thinking about the time, thought and research I put into that decision, I realise that this is one of the few instances where my meticulous decision making was worth it.

Thinking about an insulin pump? Although I’ve written a lot about this decision over the past few months, I really wanted to stress in one post just how big of a decision it was.

I never really thought too much about insulin pumps before I started my blog and made connections in the Diabetes Online Community. I thought that they were only for young children, or for people struggling with their diabetes. Seeing others share so openly about their lives with pumps, particularly those within the wonderful OzDOC community, motivated me to find out more.

I attended an information evening back in October that was hosted by Diabetes WA, the diabetes organisation in my state. The evening covered the basic concept of insulin pumping. Representatives from the pump companies were present to show us the devices themselves, and I was able to grab information packs to take home.

The downside of this session was that I found it a little too light and fluffy. I recall the host making the statement “very few people give these back to me and say they don’t like it.” The session brushed over the seriousness of pumping. The representatives from the pump companies were a little too pushy. I didn’t feel comfortable going over and talking to them, because I was only seeking information at the time. I wrote about that night in more detail here. I do wonder how many people were convinced into signing up for one straight away.

Following this session, I decided to get back in touch with my diabetes educator, Gwen. This was a big step for me, considering that I had not had a formal appointment with her in a few years. My nerves were instantly relieved, and Gwen picked up as if our last appointment was only yesterday. She covered the topic of insulin pumping comprehensively and with the seriousness it deserved. She never displayed any bias, and respected that the decision was mine to make. You can read more about our session here.

Gwen gave me the option of making the decision on that day back in November. I could have said yes then and there. I knew full well that the wait for the pump would be even longer if I went home that day and made the decision at our next appointment. I could have said the words “yes,” but I knew that I wouldn’t really be convinced. I fought my feelings of urgency, because I knew deep down that I wasn’t ready to make such a big decision. I went back home and talked about it. I read about it. I thought about it.

By the time I came back to see Gwen in February, I had a much clearer head.

By taking the time to say yes, I felt much more confidence in the decision I had made.

Let the countdown to the big day in May begin…

A Long Way From Beating Diabetes

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I felt like the words “prevention,” complications” and “type 2” were thrown at me for much of yesterday’s diabetes themed World Health Day. The purpose of World Health Day was to raise awareness around diabetes, and promote good management. Yet I felt that much of what I saw on social media did little to achieve this.

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I was disappointed to see so much coverage focussed on diabetes complications, its cost and its impact on society. What World Health Day lacked for me, was that element of how we people with diabetes manage with this condition day to day. I didn’t see a lot that reflected the wonderful campaign posters that I praised yesterday. Those elements, in my eyes, are how we raise awareness. Those elements are how we make people better understand the day to day management of this condition, and motivate them to live healthier lifestyles.

One story which did achieve this, albeit with more of a type 1 focus, was a DOC connection Lydia Parkhurst from the UK. Check out her fantastic article here.

It was also encouraging to read this quote from Diabetes Australia CEO Greg Johnson, yet disappointing that the issue didn’t receive more attention at the same time.

“The epidemic continues to grow at alarming rates affecting all nations of the world [but] disadvantaged people and poorer people in our communities are much more affected by diabetes.”

The theme of World Health Day was “beat diabetes,” yet the sad reality is that people in developing countries are unable to do so. People in disadvantaged areas of the world are unable to access life saving insulin, blood glucose test strips and basic healthcare. In a country where I take all of these items for granted, we really need to be focussing our efforts on more equal access for others. I strongly urge you to check out T1International for some eye opening insights and join the Insulin 4 All campaign.

To quote some of my words from last November, I’m a bit sick of the media associating diabetes with all of those “lifestyle” factors. Yes, obesity is an issue. Yes, inactivity is an issue. Yes, they’re epidemics, along with diabetes. Yes, in some cases they can be prevented. And yes, we need to work to halt them.

And we can. Independently of each other.

Why can’t we promote healthy diets and active lifestyles, without bringing the words “causes diabetes” into the mix? Wouldn’t it lead to the same outcome? We’d be working towards haulting those epidemics, without stigmatising the people who are already living with chronic conditions.

People living with diabetes would feel motivated and empowered to manage their condition through a healthy lifestyle. And at the same time we’d be encouraging people at risk of developing these conditions to adopt healthier lifestyles.

The only difference?

People already living with diabetes wouldn’t be stigmatised. They wouldn’t have to hear demoralising messages that blame and shame them.

Truth be told, nobody chooses ANY type of diabetes. Except for the health care providers, researchers, advocates and donors who are trying to make sense of, and solve it. Each and every single day.

We have a long way to go in order to truly “beat” diabetes.

Not Quite a Test Strip Dispenser…

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I feel like I’m seeing diabetes everywhere at the moment.

Like this test strip dispenser that actually turned out to be a broken clothes peg. The metal bit is shaded blue like a test strip, and the dark bit on the right could be the stripy bit that goes into the meter….

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And this bag of skittles, which almost seemed to be mocking me when I ripped open a new bag last week.

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Diabetes is everywhere. You just have to look hard enough…