Help Connie

Connie needs our help.

My name is Connie and I've been a Type I diabetic for 25 years (diagnosed at age 11). I've done pretty well throughout the years, but things are starting to get a lot worse than what I expected they would. I am extremely brittle, which means that my blood sugars rise and fall exceptionally quickly, and without much warning. This has caused a condition called DKA (Diabetic Ketone Acidosis), and/or Glucose-Toxicity.

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I use the Diabetes Center of Indiana University, and a team of doctors dedicated to treating difficult cases has prescribed the MiniMed Paradigm Continuous Glucose Monitoring Pump. The Diabetes team says that I have less than 5 years to live if I do not get this important medical equipment to act as a normal pancreas for me. Several loving and supporting friends and family have put this page together for me, in hopes that we can raise the funds necessary to get the CGMS that I need to stay healthy and alive. The pump, alone, is $6000, and it looks like Anthem will pay for that part of it. However, the Continued Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) they will not, due to how new the product is. The important part is monitoring my glucose levels as a normal person does, every 5 seconds, and having the pump then secrete the amount of insulin necessary for blood sugar correction. The CGMS has two parts to it: the first is a 7 month to one year part called the transmitter, that costs $1000. The second is a small sensor inserted under my skin for a period of 3 days at a time, that cost $32.00 for one. These are the two parts insurance won't pay for.

I plan on using the site to keep donors informed of several things; my appointments, my daily activities regarding Diabetes, my logs for blood sugars once I'm on the pump, my blood tests like HBA1Cs, which show an average blood sugar for a 3 month period, etc.

To every one of you reading this right now, I appreciate you just taking the time to try and understand my situation. If you donate, thank you so much. I have a head full of ideas about what I will do when I am healthy again: take walks/hikes with my family, bike rides, shopping with the kids, and generally just being able to be up and out of bed and able to get around. I hope you can help make those dreams come true. Thank you.

I donated, and you have a buck or two to spare, you should too.