Type 1 diabetes

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Are You Ready for an Insulin Pump?

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Insulin Pump (Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development)

Insulin Pump (Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development)

I put my head together with the Insulin Pump & CGM Therapy Team, George and Autumn, to help you understand the signs that it might be a good time to start using an insulin pump, the benefits of insulin pump therapy, and how to get started.

4 Signals That Adding a Pump to Your Diabetes Treatment Plan May Be Helpful:

  1. You’re tired of multiple daily injections
  2. Your blood glucose levels are fluctuating
  3. You’re experiencing insulin resistance due to frequent injections
  4. You desire better control of your diabetes

5 Benefits of Using an Insulin Pump:

  1. Fewer insulin injections
  2. More predictable and precise insulin delivery
  3. Fewer high and low spikes in blood sugar
  4. Only one type of insulin necessary
  5. Overall improvement in quality of life and a more flexible lifetstyle

Getting Started:

You can contact our Insulin Pump Therapy Team to find out more at 866.779.8512, Option 2 (phone) and 248.577.9903 (text). They will help you navigate the process of obtaining an insulin pump and answer your questions. For example, depending on your insurance type, authorization may be required, and some documentation may be needed, including a prescription, clinical notes from recent office visits, blood glucose logs, lab work, and proof of diabetes education. (Depending on your insurance plan, the process can take several weeks to complete.) We will also recommend that you have a conversation with your physician to discuss insulin pump therapy and which pump is best for you. 

On our Insulin Pump Therapy webpage, you can learn more about the three major pumps that we carry from OmniPod, Tandem, and Medtronic, as well as insurance coverage and life with an insulin pump.

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Replay: Meet the Glucagon App - A Place to Learn & Prepare

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A view of the Lilly Glucagon app in the App Store.

A view of the Lilly Glucagon app in the App Store.

Lilly Glucagon is designed to treat patients with diabetes and severe hypoglycemia. Do you have a Glucagon kit at home, and do you and your loved ones know how to use it?

You can get a white teaching kit from Lilly by calling (800)LILLY-RX. And to learn more, you could try the mightily helpful Glucagon phone app, simply called “Glucagon.” You can use this app to go through a practice simulation of using Glucagon in an emergency, including how to mix (swirl) the powder and liquid and where to inject (thigh, arm, or buttocks).

Most importantly, there is a special section with instructions for an actual emergency, with animated pictures and audio directions.

The Glucagon app also has a section about “My Kit Information” to help you track where you are keeping your kit(s) in the house and when they expire. There is a function to set reminders to make sure you update your Glucagon kit before passing the expiration date.

In the app's content, you can learn more about this critical emergency treatment tool, including:

  • When it's appropriate to use Glucagon
  • Contraindications and precautions
  • Details about severe low blood sugar
  • Glucagon tips
  • Other helpful diabetes links

Glucagon, Scripts, and Your Insurance

Glucagon is covered by most insurance companies, but it's different for each. It also requires a doctor's prescription. If you are interested in obtaining a Glucagon kit, call Healthy Living Pharmacy at (866)779-8512 (Option 4). Our pharmacy team can help you get set up, including calling the doctor to request a prescription on your behalf.  You can also send us your written prescription, or we can transfer your script from another pharmacy if that would be helpful to you.

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JDRF TypeOneNation Summit: Healthy Living Team Highlights

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The Healthy Living team at the JDRF TypeOneNation Summit, 2017.

The Healthy Living team at the JDRF TypeOneNation Summit, 2017.

This last Saturday, seven members from the Healthy Living team participated in the 2017 TypeOneNation Summit in Belleville, Michigan, hosted by JDRF. As usual, it provided us with a great opportunity to learn and continue building relationships with customers, potential customers, vendors, and members of the provider community (we were positioned right across from U of M's Mott Pediatric Diabetes Team). There was so much good energy and activity, and a lot of great programming for kids and adults.

HLMS Team Member Highlights

Here are some reflections from our team about the summit:

I also attended Dr. Schmeltz's Advanced Insulin Pumping session. It was truly an eye-opener to see and hear how diabetes can complicate simple tasks I take for granted. Even when using an insulin pump, patients and caregivers must plan carefully and tweak pump settings to do simple things like eat a piece of pizza or go on vacation. Pump technology definitely makes things easier but still demands serious dedication and self-control. I particularly enjoyed the end of Dr. Schmeltz's presentation where he discussed the latest in pump/CGM technology and products coming soon. It seems like the long-awaited artificial pancreas will be ready in the not-so-distant future. –- George K.

The day ended with an inspirational talk by Will Cross, who lives with Type 1 Diabetes and made it to the summit of Mt. Everest ten years ago - it was the kind of message that reminded me that we're here as a company to add value to our customers by making their lives better through exceptional customer care. –- Matt

I attended the "Taking T1D to School" workshop and learned a lot about state-funded schools and how they have to take classes on helping the students with T1D. They need to be able to help the student out if they cannot help themselves, and the student also has the right to test and inject in class without causing an interruption. A lot of parents, especially parents that have kids that are newly diagnosed, do not know much about how much assistance they can get and think it's all up to them, which makes it so much harder for them as well for the child. –- Rickelle

Along with interacting with everyone, I enjoyed attending the Advanced Insulin Pumping session with Dr. Lowell Schmeltz. I learned a lot more about insulin pumping and ways it can be used better for a patient to gain better control of their diabetes.  It was also neat to be able to go to each table and interact with educators, pump/CGM company reps and other organizations/companies that were there. -- Crystal

Personally, I was very excited to meet a couple of gentle therapy dogs at the table next to us. The husband/wife team actually trains each dog specifically for an individual and his or her needs. Related to diabetes, the dogs can learn to smell low blood sugar to alert their owners about the situation. -- Emily

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The Top 12 Reasons to Choose Home Delivery

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Whether you are ordering diabetes testing supplies, an insulin pump, insulin pump supplies, CGM, insulin, or other prescriptions, Healthy Living Medical Supply offers reliable, no-cost delivery, direct to your door.

Healthy Living’s Top 12 Reasons to
Prefer Home Delivery

  1. Convenience – You can save time by bypassing busy stores and lengthy lines, stay at home if you aren’t very mobile, and avoid long drives if you live far from town.
  2. Reorder reminders – Supplies are shipped on a regular schedule, with auto-refills on prescriptions and the opportunity to approve diabetes supply refills via text or phone.
  3. Concierge service – Healthy Living has a small team that provides consistent, trustworthy results, and we take care of the paperwork for you, working with your doctor and insurance provider.
  4. Quick ship time – Receive your order in 1-3 business days, with most orders arriving within 1-2 business days if they are placed Monday thru Thursday.
  5. Careful packaging – Supplies and prescriptions are packaged for accuracy, quality, and privacy, and insulin is cold-packed for shipping.
  6. Dependable service – We know our customers count on having their supplies to manage their diabetes – Healthy Living’s dependable home delivery service ensures you always have what you need.
  7. Diabetes specialty – Healthy Living has focused on providing diabetes supplies for over a decade, and our customer care team has the knowledge to give excellent service.
  8. Private consultations – Discuss and receive your supplies and prescriptions in private, instead of in a store, surrounded by other customers.
  9. Personalized review – Our team can help you determine insurance options and copays and offers ongoing individual support.
  10. Multiple product lines – Since Healthy Living offers a wide selection of products, you can find the best supply combination for managing your condition.
  11. Insurance verification – Our insurance verification team helps you maximize benefits and minimize expenses.
  12. Flexibility – If you are traveling for an extended time or wintering in a warmer climate, we can temporarily ship your order to a different address.

Remember you can also combine shipments for diabetes supplies, prescriptions, and orders from Healthy Living’s online store. Try Healthy Living Medical Supply & Pharmacy for the ease of home delivery. We help you spend more time where you want to be – healthy at home.

WE LOVE TO HELP.

  • Call us @ (866)779-8512 or text us @ (248)577-9903.
  • Reach us through online chat at myhlms.com.
  • Sign up for the Healthy Living Blog at myhlms.com/subscribe.
  • Check out our online store at store.myhlms.com for accessories and over-the-counter medications.
  • Visit myhlms.com/providers to electronically complete and sign prescriptions for patients.
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Creating Connections: Healthy Living Meets Its Members at JDRF Events

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Healthy Living joined in the excitement at the JDRF Summer Blast in Taylor last Saturday, August 13. Our group was honored to be a part of the event and enjoyed having the chance to get know (and learn from!) the Type One diabetes community, including a few of our customers and provider partners.

Are you ready for the Giant Jenga Challenge?

Are you ready for the Giant Jenga Challenge?

This past May, the TypeOneNation Summit, also organized by the JDRF, was a great way for the Healthy Living team to meet our members face-to-face. One employee at the event, Autumn, commented, “It was particularly encouraging to see how positive the JDRF community is. The prevailing attitude was hope for the future and tackling diabetes head-on, rather than being a ‘victim.’ We also had a great time with the Giant Jenga Challenge, which was a huge hit!”

The JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that can strike children and adults, and has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. At this time, the disease cannot be prevented or cured.

Coming up this fall, Healthy Living will be participating in the JDRF One Walk at the Detroit Riverwalk on September 25. Click here to register for the walk, start your own team, or donate to the JDRF.

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The ‘Wear-a-Pump Challenge’ Teaches and Inspires the Healthy Living Team

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Healthy Living strives to understand the challenges that people with diabetes experience every day. In the last year, seven Healthy Living Medical Supply employees walked in the shoes of their customers in the ‘Wear-a-Pump Challenge.’ Members of the team wore Medtronic and Tandem pumps for a week to take their training and empathy to a new level.

"Wearing the pump for the past three days has been an illuminating experience to say the least – my understanding of insulin pump therapy is MUCH better even after these few days." – Matt

Before wearing a pump, each employee went through extensive online and in-person training, and later in the week learned to place a new pump site and fill the pump reservoir. The greatest challenge for most participants was carb counting.

"Entering carbs was the hardest thing for me as I am used to just eating and not worrying about it, or I am just hungry and want to eat." – Crystal

The Healthy Living team found there were logistical considerations to take into account with the pumps, from showering and sleeping, to exercising and dealing with tubing.

"My tubing was too long and I got caught on many of the items in my house. On Sunday night, my tubing got stuck on something and ripped the infusion set out of my side and that did not feel good."   – Crystal

Matt had the opportunity to teach his own community about insulin pumps and raise awareness about living with diabetes.

"Just like me prior to starting at work at Healthy Living, most all of my friends/family had no idea what an insulin pump was prior to seeing one on my belt. It definitely provoked some good conversation." – Matt

Everyone had great feedback to share about this enlightening experience!

"It would take some getting used to." – April
"Overall, it is a great experience so far!" – Crystal

Learn more about insulin pump therapy from Healthy Living Medical Supply.

  • Reach us through online chat at myhlms.com.

  • Call us at (866)779-8512 or text us at (248) 577-9903.

  • Check out our new online store at myhlms.com/shop for accessories and over-the-counter medications.