Not Yet Singing... Crystal CGM Persuasion

A year ago, I wrote a post called Crystal CGM Persuasion. That Summer of 69 Song is about thoughts of a bright future where everyone lives in peace and harmony, and it's registered as an appropriate way to describe what I hope will become my reality once starting on a Continuous Glucose Monitoring system.

In the past year, I've trial-tested both the Navigator and Dex briefly and investigated everything from comparisons, costs, and future expansions that might factor into this decision-making. Ultimately, I decided on the Dex. But, with a several month Pump Hiatus and some mid-year insurance changes, my timeline was pushed to the end of 2010 - at which time I'd again investigate the feasibility of starting on the path to Crystal CGM Persuasion.

For me, this was a way to "groove to the melody of knowing you'll always be aware of where your blood sugar levels are at, and which way they're going. All in the name of tighter control, without the sudden and consequential night-time or any-time Lows... all in the hopes of a Diabetic Eutopia of Even Greater Control."

With everything happening during the past year, I've had some Dexing Decisions on the mind. Though I've hoped to start down a new path by now, it's sad to say that I'm not yet ready to sing that song. It's not yet time to sing that groovy CGM song.

The reason is two-fold: it costs too darn much, and my insurance company took too long in telling me what I'd need to pay so I could plan before my current deductible resets to $0 on Jan. 1. That just happened recently, and the window now isn't open long enough. My insurance coverage has a Durable Medical Equipment cap of $2,500 which both my CGM and pump supplies fall under. Making sure I've got enough left over from that cap to pay for pump supplies is the first priority, and adding a CGM to the mix would push me to that ceiling. Plus, recent gum disease treatment has led to an incredible amount put on our Flex Account that hadn't been planned, meaning that we'll also have significantly less available for pump supplies, blood test strips, doctor visits, and various medications as the insurance year goes on. We must get through the end of May, and there's just not enough on tap to last that long as it stands even without a CGM.

But with the deductible resetting, maybe that's a sign to move forward in 2011.

So, somtime this next year, I'll re-examine the options. Product advances and upgrades may also add even more options and give me something else to consider. We'll see what happens.

There's no doubt that a CGM would be an incredible benefit for my D-Life - it would help alleviate some of the Lows that I've endured in the past year, some of which have dropped me way below the 50 mg/dL mark and even warranted paramedic visits to the home. But, we just aren't yet ready to sing. I'm confident of the Crystal Blue clearness that'll come with CGMing, but it'll take a little longer to be able to sing that tune.

That's sad that the financial end can be so restricting at the front-end, even though it's pretty much guaranted to lesson the overall long-term costs of my D-Life for whatever insurance company provides my coverage. But that is the way it is, and though it's not yet a reality, I'm looking forward to the CGM chance once it gets here. So, I'll just have to keep up the current routine and live vicariously through fellow Diabetes Online Community members who have started on these devices. Only for a little longer...

So, in the meantime, I'll just hum in my head until it's time to sing out loud.