u/smore-hamburger

Talking with my mom today I learned about a friend of family. I was too you to remember meeting him. He was a friend of my grandfather.

Jack McCarthy, diagnosed at 3, in 1937, and lived to 74. A T1D for 71 years.

Odds at the time said he wouldn’t make it to 20 years of age. He beat those odds and raised a family, 10 grand kids and 3 great grandchildren.

A large portion of his life was before CGMs, pumps, mRNA insulin, and test strips.

This is Impressive and encouraging to hear about him and what could be done with the old treatment options.

Jack even did a few fundraisers, walking 850 miles for one.

https://manufacturingchemist.com/jack-walks-the-walk-31039

I take an injectable migraine medication that has to stay between 36 and 46°F. It comes as two injector pens per box, about $390 a box at my pharmacy, and my insurance covers one fill per 28 days. I fly with it in a small medical cooler pouch with gel packs and a doctor's letter. My sister sewed a little green handle cozy for the pouch so it's easier to grab at security. There's a frog on it. That frog has been through TSA screening maybe forty times.

I've flown the same airline for fourteen years. Gold status. Same route every month for work.

Two Fridays ago the gate agent announced the bins were full and everything roller sized had to be gate checked. Fine. I pulled the med pouch out of my roller bag at the podium and told her, calmly, that it was refrigerated medication and needed to stay with me. She said the airline was gate checking bags and that she needed to tag mine too. I asked if a supervisor was available. She said no one was available. I asked her to note on the tag that it contained medication. She tagged it and put it on the belt.

I kept my voice level the entire time. The guy behind me muttered "unbelievable" and later offered to give me his name if the airline asked.

The bag didn't come out at baggage claim. I filed the report at 10:05pm, twenty minutes after the carousel stopped. The pouch arrived Sunday at 12:07pm. Sixty two hours somewhere in the airline's baggage system. The gel packs were warm. Both boxes, worth about $780 at my pharmacy, were trash.

My pharmacy said they couldn't simply replace the medication because my insurance would need an override for a lost prescription. The insurer wanted documentation from the airline. The airline took nine days to provide it. I spent that stretch rationing what I had and missing one dose.

Yesterday I got the email from their resolution desk. Quote:

"The claim has been placed on hold pending review of the interaction at the gate. Once the matter is resolved, we can continue processing the claim."

They offered 7,500 miles as a goodwill gesture. The $780 claim will be processed after I send a written apology to the agent. Not for anything I said. I didn't say anything. Just for my "tone."

I've emailed the witness twice. No response. So it's her report about my tone against my fourteen years of flying like a boring adult.

A. I send the apology, collect the $780, and quietly take my monthly route to their competitor. It's two sentences. I've written worse for work.

B. I don't apologize for a tone I didn't have. I file the DOT complaint, forward the "behavioral review" email to their executive customer relations, and let the claim take as long as it takes. Let them explain in writing why my baggage claim is being conditioned on an apology.

I’ve had T1D for 24 years.

Lately with lows I haven’t really cared. My sense of urgency is diminished as is my worry.

Ironic to say but in the moment of a low I don’t care. But looking back I see the problem, and my spouse has pointed it out to me as well.

I know that with T1D this is a marathon and we will go through a lot of emotions good and bad.

I haven’t felt apathy for lows before.

On one hand this is great. Treat a low with no concern. But the flip side is my lack of urgency and slower response time to treating a low.

Has any one else experienced apathy with lows?

Was it a problem?

To get a new lower target glucose. It makes sense to have a new app that allows 100 to be set. But why new hardware, it’s just a number. Going from 110 to 100 isn’t magical.

Any guesses why new hardware is needed?

One guess is some safety settings were hardwired into the pods.