Insulin

Laila's diabetes has put a strain on her life, the life of my family, and our checking account. Obviously, we do whatever we have to do to ensure our child has the supplies she needs, but that doesn't mean they don't come at a pretty hefty cost. I never expected to see the outrageous numbers flashing on the checkout screen at Walgreens every time I purchased a bottle of insulin, even with insurance, the prices are very high. Laila is not a typical type 1 diabetic, either. She is considered "intensive treatment", which translates to in the upwards of 5-6 shots of NovoLog, the "fast acting" insulin, as well as a nightly shot of Lantus, the "controlled release" insulin that helps her highs not be so high, and her lows not be so low. With that in mind, she goes through two different bottles of insulin a month. Luckily, our insurance teams with Medco and our out of pocket cost is minimalized, but to give you an idea of what it would be without insurance, check out this and this, add those first two numbers together and that doesn't even cover a 6 month supply.

Medco has been fantastic, we have been able to purchase Laila's testing strips and lancets at a very low price, as long as the doctor's office sends the prescription in by the time we need it, and writes it for enough to last her 6 months or more. While Dustin and I were in Las Vegas, I received a voicemail from the endocrinology team explaining Medco had a different prescription for Laila's insulin on file, and there was a mix-up. I returned the call, only to leave a voicemail. Laila's insulin supply runs out in 6 days, and I have been stressed about it since.

Today, my doorbell rang around 5pm, and I couldn't imagine who it could possibly be. Then, I remembered I ordered a box of diapers yesterday. Sure enough, there the diapers were, sitting on my doorstep (thanks, Amazon!), but on top of that box was a package addressed to Laila. Laila doesn't get mail, especially packages, so when I tore it open, I was completely shocked at what I found.

This picture is blurry, and to the untrained eye, looks just like a few boxes of prescriptions. It's not just a few boxes of insulin, it's an entire year's supply! I couldn't believe myself! I called my dad, in tears, just absoultely amazed at how many bottles came in the mail! I was supposed to receive a 180-day supply, which would have been less than one package, or equlivent to 3 vials each of the Lantus Solorstar pens and NovoLog vials. Each of the top boxes contains five pens, and each of the bottom boxes contain five refill vials! 15 bottles of each insulin will last Laila an entire year, I still can't believe it. The best part is yet to come! The insurance company bills you one co-pay amount for the entire order, and since these two very expensive prescriptions were shipped together I only owe (wait for it...brace yourself...) $40! I literally received, by mail to my doorstep, nearly $1300 worth of insulin for just $40. I'm afraid I may just faint, I never believed my prayers would be answered.

Laila may have diabetes, but it hasn't held her back yet. I pray it never will, we will always find a way around the obstacles, the best is yet to come.