Hello, everyone,
It's been a while since we've connected...
I'm sure many of you understand how busy the holidays get at work, but I wanted to take a minute to let you know the petition status. To my knowledge, the proposed bill is still stuck on the committee on insurance in the state of Wisconsin. After Illinois passed their own price cap, I reached out to the committee urging them to do the same. I only got one reply back that felt like a templated response. I wish I had better results to share with you on that effort.
I plan to speak to Wisconsin Priorities early next year on the topic to spread more awareness for our community, and recently shared my experienced with The Wisconsin State Journal along with many other people living with type 1 diabetes in our state. If you'd like to read that and share it with your communities to help spread the word, here is the link: "Sticker shock: Diabetics, lawmakers battle increasing insulin cost...".
While these "fights" can be a bit frustrating and lacking movement at times, it's important that we keep our spirits high. It's hard, but nothing worth having ever came easy. Cliche as that saying is, we know that truth well. People living with type 1 diabetes know this truth everyday - we live it everyday. Our health is not easily managed or achieved, but it is certainly worth having.
That is why I keep fighting for lower insulin costs for everyone in our state and across the nation.
I've mentioned it many times, but I think people with type 1 diabetes know this feeling best. We constantly go through highs and lows every moment of everyday. We don't need to juggle financial barriers on top of it, but we have to, and this is one more thing. I get it. I understand. I know why so many people in this community feel frustrated about this issue. I am too. I have experienced it every day in different forms since I was 10-years-old. Of course, the financial burden in adulthood the past five years has been quite different than in childhood. It is a stark differentiation that can be jarring at first. Still, I dream of the day when 26-year-olds or those just graduating from college don't have to be used to this or enter their adulthoods under this precedent of normality.
Insulin prices need to change. Insurance needs to change. The majority public outlook on the importance of our health needs to keep shifting.
I have been battling with my insurance since May about getting my Freestyle Libre CGM covered. All I wanted was for it to apply under my deductible, and after all of this time, I am still getting the same responses and rejections from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. It's tough. It's upsetting, but I don't want to give up. I will not give up on advocating for lower insulin costs and healthcare reform as we merge into the New Year. I hope you won't either!
As always, I welcome your feedback and advice to progress this forward. We are stronger together! The more we can collaborate on this movement, the better off our T1D community will be.
Thank you for everything you did this year. Seriously, from the bottom of my heart... your support has been amazing. Your support for this campaign and passion for advocacy is outstanding. You should be proud you never give up. The power of positive thinking is such a useful tool. It stands to become a weapon to affect mass positive change. And we can do it together...
I want to also welcome you to take a break this holiday season. Please do.
Whether you suffer from type 1 diabetes or are experiencing other difficulty, don't burnout. You deserve and need relaxation as much as you need to work. There will always be work. Your health is what is the most important! Please take a breath, enjoy the holidays, surround yourself with warmth and love as much as possible. Get some "you time" in over the holidays.
So many days of the year, type 1 diabetes is our sole focus, but for at least one hour or period over the holiday season, I welcome and encourage you to sit in mindfulness with gratitude and positive reflection. For as many frustrations that have come our way, for as many rejections, we have fought so many lows and highs and won. We've stabilized blood sugars. We've exercised in spite of it. We've slept. We've eaten. We've loved. We've had fun. For each bad moment, there are at least two more good moments if you dive deep. The more we can find gratitude in those positive moments, however big or small, the better our lives will be. We can choose to see our lives this way, and with type 1 diabetes, in order to live wholly, I believe we should. Life should be lived happily and healthily. It's too damn short to live any other way and not just try, but do the things you care about. That's why I decided to act on this legislation earlier this year, after all. I care about our community. I care about the health of the masses. I really do, and I hope I've shown that well to you in these updates over the past six months.
I wish you so much health and wellness.
Type 1 diabetes is a horrible condition. It is. There's no hiding or sugar-coating that (excuse the phrase). It sucks, but you know what - We are still here. We are still able to share our thoughts and voices. We are better than our weakest points. We embrace our weakest points and learn from them. We are passionate and hardworking.
We are T1D strong, and that effort is worth a moment of rest and relaxation. You are worth a period of rest and relaxation.
Wishing you the best, and so much more in 2020. I still believe we can do this. I still believe in us. I still believe in you.
Thank you - Julia.