I'm Talking Diabetes NEEDS, Not Wants....

Here are my latest additions to my never ending list of "Diabetes Needs."
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I need Test Strip & Insurance companies to consider the margin of error when it comes to said test strips and what those said errors cost the consumers.

And by "margin of error," I mean several things. Things like the skunky test strip factor and the "Error" message that shows up sometimes for a multitude of reasons including; lack of blood or the the drop of blood being applied to early.

There are also annoying messages like "NOT OK" that gives no reason at all and make me want to scream.
Then there's the whole "law of test strip averages" form of testing which requires the user to u use two or three test strips because there's no way in bloody hell that the first reading is right, so we must test again and bolus for the combined average blood sugar.

For example: Blood sugar 1 is 187, But you swear its lower, so you test again and blood sugar 2 is 159.
187 +159 = 346. 346 divided by 2= 173. Depending on your last meal, the correction bolus between 187 & 173 can be enough to make for an extreme low and or an extreme high later.

All of the above factors cause us to use more test strips, which is good for the supplier of the product, but not so fantastic for the end user of the product.

All of the above factors also causes major arguments with insurance companies who limit the number of test strips that they will cover.

Apparently the term: SHIT HAPPENS, doesn't cut it for most HMO's.

Bottom line, I need my diabetes GPS system to work consistently and be right on Target, my health depends on it!

I need (and would really appreciate) if the makers of Glucose tabs would icksnay on the uber hard to open childproof protective plastic wrap that their unopened products are ensconced in.

I know that the containers have to have some form of protective plastic wrap, but when my blood sugar is low and I need me some Tropical Fruit flavored glucose tabs, I need to actually be able to open them, ASAP. I fumble enough when my bloodsugars are low, I shouldn't have to fumble with the packaging for the product used to treat my low.

Now, whenever I purchase glucose tabs, I remove the protective plastic seal immediately, before a low occurs.
Sometimes I buy glucose tabs in bulk (especially when they're on sale) and go ahead and call me crazy, but I don't want to open every single container glucose bottles/10-pack tubes at once. According to a very reliable source named Scott Strumello, good news regarding said glucose tabs is on the way!

I need restaurant chains to list the carb content of their food dishes, not just the fat, calories and fiber content. Calories won't help me to bolus for your food properly, but a correct carb count will.

I need doctors and health care professionals to talk with and too me, not at me. I need them to be willing to work with me regarding my disease. And I need and would very much appreciate if they took the time to listen and consider what I have to say about my diabetes, becuase I'm the one who has to live with it 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

I need the media to stop getting diabetes wrong - And like you, I'm working to make that happen.

I need a diabetes cure for so many reasons that it makes my head spin a la Linda Blair. But at this moment in time I need a diabetes cure because I'm just so tired of having diabetes.

But enough about me - What are your diabetes needs??