Wow! I've been gone for a bit, haven't I? Guess I really just haven't had a lot to say... until now.
This month is Autism Awareness Month. I'm going to share something very personal and something I'm really not proud of. A year ago if someone mentioned they had a kid with autism I would say something like, "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that." I would be thinking something like, "try living with diabetes, why don't you"! I'm sure I had never met anyone with autism, or at least had not taken the time to get to know them, their situation, their daily struggles. Last year on May 12th I became "facebook friends" with Laura, mother of a young boy with autism. On that same day Laura posted this.
After reading this note I was overwhelmed with emotion, as I am now by reading it again, and it hit me how much Laura and I have in common. We are both mothers. We each have a child with special needs. We have not walked the same path but we both feel the same raw emotion that comes with not being able to take away the hurt and confusion our children must feel. In the past year that we have been "facebook" friends, Laura and I have become FRIENDS! Just friends. Forever friends. Friends fighting two different battles and now sharing in each others. Laura and her family walked with us in the Walk to Cure Diabetes and we will be walking with her family on April 15th in the Autism Walk. We have shared many emails about the struggles and the blessings that come with our kids different conditions and although autism and diabetes are so very different we can always seem to find parallels that help us to feel understood and comforted by each other.
This month is Autism Awareness Month and I would like to ask all of you to show your support by simply watching a couple of videos:
*Autism ~ Don't let me go
*JC's Story (You all remember JC, the kid who loves Christmas trees!)
If this touches you at all, if you know someone fighting this battle, or a similar battle, and you want to do something to help... Do it! The first step is awareness; educate yourself! The next step is action! Make a donation, join a team, volunteer. If you would like information or resources I know Laura would be happy to help you out, cuz she's awesome like that!
Since building my friendship with Laura I have learned that there are many people in my life who struggle with autism and all that it brings. I knew most of them before, but I didn't know exactly what autism is or what it entails. That being said, I'd like to send a shout out to:
Summer, Linda, Alejandro, Jennifer, Nicole, LaLana (My apologies if I've missed anyone.)
You ALL amaze me! I am in awe and appreciation of all you do for your children every day!
It's Autism Awareness Month!!!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
That Time I Cussed Out the Animas Rep
I woke DJ up this morning and her pump was laying next to her, in a bad way. It was no longer attached to her body which means that she hadn't been getting insulin for who knows how long. Normally, not a big deal. Today, I go into panic mode because we are out of supplies.
Our pump supplies used to be on a 90 day automatic shipment and six months ago it stopped. I called the company and they told me the credit card had expired (pump supplies are free through insurance but they need a card number on file) so I call her dad and asked him to take care of it because the insurance is his. He calls me back, tells me it's been taken care of and in a week we get 90 days of supplies. Three months ago, same thing. We're running low on supplies, call the company, expired credit card, call her dad to follow up, he calls me and tells me it's taken care of and a week later we have 90 days of supplies. One week ago today, same exact thing.
Last Tuesday (seven days ago) I notice that DJ has enough supplies for six days, assuming there are no malfunctions. I call the company and go through the 90 day supply conversation again. I tell them I will call her dad and have him call with a credit card number. I do, he does. Presumably everything is now on track. I call the company on Wednesday, because I've been through this before, to make sure everything is taken care of. Their system is down but Stacey assures me she will call me as soon as the system is up. I call the company on Thursday and ask if the system is up. It is. I have received no phone calls. I express my frustration and then move on to the matter at hand. Now I'm told that there is a form that needs to be filled out in order for the 90 day automatic shipments to begin and it's a new year so insurance information needs to be verified (they do this every year for every customer) and that will take a couple of days. At this point I let them know how much we have left in the way of supplies and, because they're not very smart, make it clear that she needs supplies like now. The woman on the phone gives me the prices for expedited shipping. I am thouroughly pissed because I don't think we should have to pay for their repeated mistakes but I let it go. For now. I call DJ's dad again and tell him about the form and the insurance and ask him to take care of the form and send it in and to call with credit card information. I'm kind of seething at this point and I need supplies like NOW so I call the company back again and let them know that I need the supplies expedited, I go over the history of the last six months again and the lady tells me that the supplies have already been expedited and should be here Tuesday (today). I am happy(ish).
Fast forward to today. Not having a pump for a day is not the end of the world, just a lot of work. I figure out how much insulin DJ needs with her breakfast, give her instructions for the day and head to work. I feel pretty calm by the time I get on the road and I call the company just to ensure the supplies will be here by the end of the day. I tell the lady I need to inquire about the order and she tells me that they tried to verify insurance yesterday but it was a holiday... She didn't even get a chance to finish her sentence. I. Went. OFF! "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THEY HAVEN'T EVEN SHIPPED???" I may have blacked out at this point. I know there was more yelling, a lot of cussing, crying and a promise that I will be writing a formal complaint. One week ago I ordered supplies and you're telling me that you just tried verifying insurance yestereday? Unacceptable!
Rocket science it is not. Life or death, not really. It is however a complete lifestyle change for my child if she does not get to use her pump and has to go back to needles. It is also a huge customer care issue. Where we stand now is that her dad is taking it on. I called Kaiser (who we don't even have pump insurance through) and they are working on getting us emergency supplies through their pump representative.
I am so diappointed in the pump company but I am so grateful that Kaiser rocks! I'm a little afraid to follow up on the supplies, I'm sure the company has me listed in a special database for the crazies. So be it. When it comes to my kid and her health, I'll be the crazy bitch. Gladly.
Our pump supplies used to be on a 90 day automatic shipment and six months ago it stopped. I called the company and they told me the credit card had expired (pump supplies are free through insurance but they need a card number on file) so I call her dad and asked him to take care of it because the insurance is his. He calls me back, tells me it's been taken care of and in a week we get 90 days of supplies. Three months ago, same thing. We're running low on supplies, call the company, expired credit card, call her dad to follow up, he calls me and tells me it's taken care of and a week later we have 90 days of supplies. One week ago today, same exact thing.
Last Tuesday (seven days ago) I notice that DJ has enough supplies for six days, assuming there are no malfunctions. I call the company and go through the 90 day supply conversation again. I tell them I will call her dad and have him call with a credit card number. I do, he does. Presumably everything is now on track. I call the company on Wednesday, because I've been through this before, to make sure everything is taken care of. Their system is down but Stacey assures me she will call me as soon as the system is up. I call the company on Thursday and ask if the system is up. It is. I have received no phone calls. I express my frustration and then move on to the matter at hand. Now I'm told that there is a form that needs to be filled out in order for the 90 day automatic shipments to begin and it's a new year so insurance information needs to be verified (they do this every year for every customer) and that will take a couple of days. At this point I let them know how much we have left in the way of supplies and, because they're not very smart, make it clear that she needs supplies like now. The woman on the phone gives me the prices for expedited shipping. I am thouroughly pissed because I don't think we should have to pay for their repeated mistakes but I let it go. For now. I call DJ's dad again and tell him about the form and the insurance and ask him to take care of the form and send it in and to call with credit card information. I'm kind of seething at this point and I need supplies like NOW so I call the company back again and let them know that I need the supplies expedited, I go over the history of the last six months again and the lady tells me that the supplies have already been expedited and should be here Tuesday (today). I am happy(ish).
Fast forward to today. Not having a pump for a day is not the end of the world, just a lot of work. I figure out how much insulin DJ needs with her breakfast, give her instructions for the day and head to work. I feel pretty calm by the time I get on the road and I call the company just to ensure the supplies will be here by the end of the day. I tell the lady I need to inquire about the order and she tells me that they tried to verify insurance yesterday but it was a holiday... She didn't even get a chance to finish her sentence. I. Went. OFF! "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THEY HAVEN'T EVEN SHIPPED???" I may have blacked out at this point. I know there was more yelling, a lot of cussing, crying and a promise that I will be writing a formal complaint. One week ago I ordered supplies and you're telling me that you just tried verifying insurance yestereday? Unacceptable!
Rocket science it is not. Life or death, not really. It is however a complete lifestyle change for my child if she does not get to use her pump and has to go back to needles. It is also a huge customer care issue. Where we stand now is that her dad is taking it on. I called Kaiser (who we don't even have pump insurance through) and they are working on getting us emergency supplies through their pump representative.
I am so diappointed in the pump company but I am so grateful that Kaiser rocks! I'm a little afraid to follow up on the supplies, I'm sure the company has me listed in a special database for the crazies. So be it. When it comes to my kid and her health, I'll be the crazy bitch. Gladly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)