I'm down today. I guess I had it coming. There's never been a time that I was up for any long length of time. Just short ups and long downs. This disease is catching up with me financially. Do doctors ever understand that their patients aren't made of money? I've been trying since July to min on my prescription system. Under my insurance, I can get 3 months of meds for what I would pay for a month at a drug store. But, she's been dolling out monthly prescriptions and it's cost me big. Even with insurance, I've been paying about $200 a month for meds. $200 that I can't really afford. She explained that some patients get the 3 month prescriptions that are actually 3, 3 month prescriptions and never return until the prescriptions run out. Well, I've got diabetes and need periodic blood tests. Where am I going to go? I, finally convinced her and am waiting for the first load of meds in the mail. And, as yall know, food for our disease isn't cheap. The days of Romine noodles spaghetti, chicken and dumplings, fried chicken and pork chops and other heavy, filling foods are gone. I can pretty much expect to spend $70 a week for groceries. And that's for one person. The price of food has gone up dramatically. You know that. Down here a half gallon of milk has gone from $1.89 to $2.29. Eggs from 99 cents to $1.49. Bacon from $1.69 to $2.29 a pound. A hunk of cheese, that I buy weekly, from$3.49 to over $5.00. And on and on. Eating healthy seems to cost twice as much as eating "normal". I don't know how long this down will last. I've got problems at work and that's not helping. All I can do is keep going, but it's getting tough. If it wasn't for this place, I'd be totally down. Thank God I've got you.
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My dear friend, Mike... they really know how to skin you for groceries, don\'t they? Don\'t you have any discount food stores where you are where you can get your groceries under \'no-name\' brands? And there\'s no reason why you can\'t have some of the old stuff you used to eat, just have to portion it out. And it\'s true that healthier foods cost more, because this continent is in a health craze, and they know that people are now looking to what they\'re eating and can gouge the customer for it. I went to a great store in my neighborhood and bought two huge bags of fruits and veggies for under $20!!! I\'m sorry about your problems at work, i know how those shifts can be hard on a person, and we\'re not getting any younger, and with this compound problem of Diabetes, we can\'t haul our butts like we used to. Don\'t you have a health plan through work, or is that what your insurance is? I have a good health plan through work that covers the cost of all my prescriptions. This is a new year, my friend, and even though it doesn\'t seem to have started out well for you, when you\'re sitting on the bottom the only direction you can go is up. Many hugs and kisses for you, i hope my little pep talk will help (even just a smidge). Deb :0)
Ditto Debbie66 comments. I went shopping today at a good fresh veggie and fruit store, walked out with $60 in a couple of bags and that is with no meat. Only thing great was I can eat all of it with out guilt. The Drugs stores are raking us under. Only thing left to do is take care of yourself because that has a reward. Hugs, sue
Hi Mike,
I have to give thanks to God that I don\'t have to worry about my health coverage since I am on full disability coverage now. I did have my health coverage even while I was on welfare for medical reasons which meant that I didn\'t have to worry about prescription drugs or medical bills then even.
But when I was on welfare food sure was a struggle even without the desires of a diabetic diet. I think after rent and utilities I had $60 left a month for everything and so I made use of the food bank. So much I got there was pasta and rice and virtually no fresh produce. But, it did help stretch the dollars at the grocery store if used prudently with any money actually spent, spent on healthy stuff.
Not this at all helps you. :-( I just have an idea of where you are coming from budget wise.
There was one thing I did that helped me when I had a $60 a month budget for food. Each month I would spend $5 or so on a spice item. That might be an actual herb or spice, or it might be something like cocoa powder. It kept my spice cupboard from emptying and the right spicing can make a boring meal taste special. Even macaroni and cheese. I am rather fond of the \"Mrs Dash\" collection of spice mixes. Basil is really nice to add to some things.
Hang in there! Remember moods are just filters that we see through and that good things are still there. We just need to look and work a bit harder to find them.
~ Darrell
Hi Mike, I know what you are going through with the
prescriptions. I have Medicaid for my Insurance and
they only allow me 6 RX\'s a month. If I need more
they have to get a Medicaid Tar for permission to
allow me to have the med. I\'m on SSD income and get
only so much to live on for everything. I was supposed to get a $22.00 increase on my SSD check,
but it was not on my Jan.2008 check. Gas is $3.53 a gallon,
here in my little town in Northern California.
Food is alot higher here, than the amounts you told
that you pay where you live. I live on the ocean and
fish is very high priced. Go figure!! Rents are very
high here, for that reason I haven\'t moved in the
past 12yrs. I have lived here. My rent is $575.00/
month, but my Landlord never fixes things on my duplex, that need repairing. My oven hasn\'t worked
in about 5 years now and he knows it, as I have
told him multiple times about it. I have a severe
meldew and mold problem in my place also. This place
hasn\'t been painted in 15yrs. and needs to be done
badly. My youngest son, John is planning on coming
here in June, after graduating from college. He says
he will wash down all the walls and paint them with
meldew proof paint to make living here more bareable.
My sons are a big help to me.
Love, Shell xoxoxo
Hi Mike,
Things are a lot cheaper in your part of Texas than mine. I am paying $349 a gallon for milk and a dozen large eggs at Walmart was $1.93 I put them back because I have only been eating the whites with an accasional yolk once in a while. I Though I could get a dozen at the 99Cent store cheaper. Wrong they were selling 1/2 a dozen for 79 cents which is a bit better.
I have learned to watch what I eat and even if I want to eat something like spaghetti and meat sauce I can, but only about a 1/2 cup and add veggies. I have learned to replace the regular spaghetti with multigrain Penne it is heavier and more filling. Also I like that double churned yougart. And before I go to bed I have a glass of 1/2% milk and some crackers with crunchy peanut butter and the crackers are not salt free either. I am a soup person and I make homemade chicken soup with lots of frozen mixed veggies. I can\'t have potatoes so I add cabbage and lots of onions and spices. It is more like a stew not a lot of liqued. I rearly eat bread. Only on Sunday One slice with my eggs. During the week I will eat wheat English muffins. I still think I can have anything I like so long as the sugar and fat content is low and the portions are small.
I think we have to determine not to let this disease defeat us.
As for the meds. Each of us is different. I just took myself off of the Osteoporsis meds the doctor had me on. I am using a supplement with no side affects and the pain I had in my knee and hip is gone. And it is way cheaper than the meds.
I don\'t eat pork but when I had my cataract surgery I stayed with my son. And he cooked pork chops they were thin sliced and I had two. As I said in an ealrier post I had eggnog with rum and cheese cake. I am still alive and testing lower than ever.
Enjoy some of the things you like. Because the stress of not being able to eat the way you want will cause you to stress out which will cause more problems eventually.
Please take care and don\'t let the cares of this would take control. You do, be the winner God want you to be.
My best to you my friend.
Doreen