Double Duty Test Strips

After sitting down and taking a good look at my blood testing habits, I decided it was time for a change in the old routine. I was drawn to this conclusion after obtaining and implementing a copy of Kevin’s data tracker program. It shows a line graph representation of the BG readings for the day, week, weekend, and even averages for these. It also showed me a lot of gaps in my testing through the day.

I decided eight tests a day would be a reasonable goal to shoot for and went forth to make it so.

I knew from my past experience that if I just started increasing the number of times I test, I would run out way before my insurance would allow a refill. So I set out to the pharmacy to request more strips per insurance cycle. They informed me that a faxed request would be sent to my doctor and they would give me a refill size worthy of the 8 a day prescription, when it was approved.

Well… I went back the next day, then the next day, then the next. No response from the doctor’s office. A part of me thought it could be due to the fact that I had not seen this doctor in over eight months, having recently moved to a distant city.  Regardless of the reason, I was officially out of test strips that day, and the pharmacy crew, especially the pharmacist on call, sympathized with my plight. “Out of test strips? That won’t due”, he piped up with. He ended up writing a prescription for me himself, for 200 test strips. Not as many as I had originally hoped for, and no refills either. No worries. This stash, I knew, would get me through the month.

The biggest shock was at the price. At $104.99 for a box of 100 strips, I expected to pay twice that for the double dose I was about to receive. To my surprise, the bill ran up to only $147.05. I had no idea the per unit price would be cheaper if bought in excess amounts! So now, each test strip would cost me $0.73 cents instead of the more gruesome $1.05. That was a bright side to the situation if I ever needed one.Now I await next month’s supply, in hope that all will be resolved.Here’s to eight times a day!