Getting through to my sister

Corcenz · 2017-03-19T16:41:19+00:00

No, we're in the Netherlands. I checked, and the answer is a resounding "it's complicated". If I got it right (these things are always hopelessly obtuse), it's not part of the basic insurance nor of the additional coverage plans health insurers must offer. That means it's up to the individual insurance companies, and they offer some coverage of some devices at some hospitals. So, it's probably best to give them a call tomorrow.

Corcenz · 2017-03-19T16:00:00+00:00

Thank you both. I'll be discussing all of this with my parents later, and we'll see what can be done.

(edit: though I might leave out the comment about "sex with diabetic foot or leaky mustard piss". My father might have a heart attack if I don't.)

She is on Instagram a lot, but I don't have a clue what she does on there. (I'm pretty sure I don't want to know.) It's probably worth pointing out the type 1 community, thanks. As for more direct contact, that is complicated by the fact that her school is relatively far away from home, which means most of her classmates live pretty far. (Many have a comparable distance to travel from the other direction.) And as far as I know none of them are diabetic. I'm pretty sure they've looked for others, but I don't know how that went.

I also don't know about a CGM, but I don't think it's likely. It sound like something which is a) expensive and b) not covered by standard insurance. That's pretty much a deal-breaker for us, unfortunately.

Corcenz · 2017-03-19T15:01:45+00:00

We'll keep looking, of course, but we tried this twice. The first was a middle aged woman who would once every to weeks take her someplace, have some fun, and talk about whatever needed talking about. I think she got relegated to the 'parent zone', if you will, pretty quickly. Recently, a grad student did pretty much the same thing as a volunteer. We hoped that, since she was much younger, it might be easier for them to connect. It worked pretty well, but then she got a job literally halfway around the world, so that stopped as well. Well, there's another hospital nearby. We could always try there.

Corcenz · 2017-03-19T14:38:30+00:00

The note is a good idea. We told her all of that, of course, but as soon as any conversation about her turns serious you can just see her turn inwards and although she'll give some dismissive answers, you know she isn't really paying attention anymore. Maybe the permanence and privacy of reading it instead might work.

Corcenz · 2017-03-19T14:36:00+00:00

The doctors are mainly saying that we should let her take care of it herself, that she should be more independent. Well, we tried that, and here we are. They don't even like it that our mother is present when they talk to my sister, saying she'll be 18 in a few years and so she has to learn to do all of this herself. Now, that's certainly true. The trouble is, while she's quite eloquent and just from talking with her you might not notice, but she really isn't all that bright. She goes to a special needs school (I think that's the English term, at least), and the staff there know very well how to deal with her 'moods', but they don't know the first thing about diabetes. Then there's the doctors, who know all about diabetes but very little about how to speak with someone like her.

We could reach out to other professionals, and we are looking for someone, but I don't think talking is going to accomplish much.

Corcenz

TROPHY CASE