Jumping Through Hoops

I really take a lot of pride in my motivation to stay healthy. Despite any bitter feelings about being diabetic, I try my very best to do everything I can to make sure that I am keeping my blood sugars as controlled as I can. Despite these efforts, I feel like I am constantly running an obstacle course and jumping through hoops. If it's not one thing it's another, and in my mind, my world is filled of floating pink hula hoops waiting for me to jump through just to make it to the next minute, hour, day, or month.

I got a letter from my insurance company last week that read a little something like this, "We just wanted to inform you that the glucose test strips you currently use will no longer be covered. If you would like to continue to use the same test strips, you must get special permission from you doctor, or you will have to pay full price for your prescription."

Dear Insurance Company People,
Thank you for putting another big pink hula hoop in my path!
Sincerely,
Me

Ok, I understand that insurance companies have their reasons but do they realize that "getting special permission" requires a doctor visit or a 15 minute phone call on my behalf? Do they realize that it wastes the doctor's time to even have to put in this request? Do they realize that the test strips I currently use are my ONLY option? And do they realize that I already pay an arm and a leg for prescriptions, and not covering my prescriptions will cause at least 100 more pink hoops to appear?? I mean, in the grand scheme of things, test strips are a minor part of my diabetes care, yet just as essential as any other prescription or tool I use to help monitor my blood sugars.

I just starting thinking about how there are people out there, much like myself, who just want to take care of themselves and be healthy. Unfortunately, I am feeling like doing this requires a person to jump through a whole lot of big, pink, round, hoops. Managing prescriptions. Dealing with insurance companies. Making and keeping doctors visits. The financial burden. The daily monitoring. I mean, why does the desire to be healthy "cost" so much?