Hi
@tvnerd (Royina), Thank you for posting. And welcome on site. Do not let anyone from USA (or UK) tell you that we have dangerous creatures here (except motorists but that applies all over).
I live in Adelaide, in the state to the west of Victoria. Apologies for all the non-American spelling!!
My thoughts:
A) The University you will be attending will have handled or advised on health insurance matters for many overseas students, so they are the first port of call. They may be able to supply the details about health insurance as in 2) below
B) To access the Federal Department of Health : search.health.gov.au and look up PHI 55/11 which details the insurance arrangements for overseas students and the Deed of agreement. Unfortunately coming from USA there is no reciprocal healthcare arrangement with Australia for you, compared to UK for example.
C) Under the health insurance you can take out you are likely to still have to pay full cost for your test strips, needles/syringes and insulin. But see below*
I think it is important to either check that yourself via the website or ask your University if they will kindly to that for you.
Insulin is subsidised for Australians but is unlikely to be for you. But *private health insurance might provide some rebate on the cost of insulin. ( I can find out more if you were willing to provide the names of the insulin you take).
If you use a pen, then that is only a worry if you happen to lose one. The chemist will have them and some GPs have spares given to them by drug companies.
I am aware that you can buy insulin over the counter in US (in some places) and usually have to have scripts for needles/syringes. pens etc.\
In Australia, being upside down, you will need scripts for insulin and can buy needles/syringes if needed at the local pharmacy/chemist (= drug store)/
D). I am guessing that
any new insulin you carry from the US will last 1 month or so. That is on the basis that once of out the fridge, short-acting insulins are said to be effective, if kept below 30 degrees C) for 30 days. And long-acting insulins last longer (depending on brand etc).
Your prescriptions from NY will not be honoured in Australia. Your Q 2.. Note Melbourne can be hot enough in summer for any 'carry-about' insulin to need ice-packs and lots of insulation if carried in a car or carried around outside in the heat.
So you would need to obtain a prescription for insulin a few weeks after arriving. Some insulins may take a day or a bit longer to arrive at the chemist after you hand in a prescription so you need to allow for that delay.
E)
A GP would be able to prescribe your insulin. It would be best to present any US scripts to him/her as a surety that that is what you have been prescribed. A letter listing your U.S. health history. allergies etc would be useful if you could arrange it. Or at least your own written summary. Universities have on-site medical services for students so it may be convenient to make an appointment with a doctor (GP) there to begin with. Your contacts at the University may be able to make the appointment on your behalf to save you a late night, or early morning phone call, and they may know who is a good GP to see. They will also know what the waiting times are like and about availability (Uni holidays being quieter than during terms) but at least a week beforehand sounds wise, at a guess.(
Your Q1). Seeing an endocrinologist could take months and requires a referral from the GP. It would be a matter between you and the GP as to whether you might need to see an endocrinologist (endo) or not but it is not mandatory for overseas students with diabetes to automatically see a medical specialist.. It would be more a matter of if there was something which the GP did not have the training or expertise to handle with your diabetes or any other endocrine trouble that showed up (Fingers crossed not)!
F) You can buy sharps disposal bins at chemists and hand full ones in for disposal. I would make sure you have a small container of some sort (I use an empty strips container) for your sharps during travel.
Your Q 3
G) Melbourne is said to be one of the eating capitals of the world but I have no knowledge of specific low carb eateries. There are none in Adelaide (a smaller capital city) I shall endevour to find out about support groups etc for TIDS in Melbourne, They will have a better handle on things.
H) Low carb diets are a bit controversial here. GPs and most endos are not aware of them. The ADA mantra is a bit pervasive but see below **. Dietitians Association of Australia are the regulating, registering body for dietitians in Oz (shorthand to save on typing)!. They also accredit Uni Schools of Dietetics and control post-graduate education. They have actually de-registered dietitians for promoting Low carb diets to diabetics (usually T2Ds) - see Jennifer Elliott vs DAA. This article will outlay the politics of it all.
However there are dietitians in private practice (not registered with DAA) who do prescribe low carb diets. And doctors can prescribe them (despite one doctor being de-registered on advice to the Medical Board by DAA and then reinstated). So look at Lowcarbdownunder **which lists dietitians and doctors in each Aussie state who prescribe this diet. If you are comfortable about your diet you may not need to see one of these practitioners (and save some expense)! Of course a local TID group, and more likely a T2D group in Melbourne, will know where such food stuffs are available.
I have recently gone low carb and so will at least have some brand names of low carb options if you require them.
Please keep asking questions as they occur to you.
IF you would find it helpful there is also the option of sending a private message to me about specifics but it is purely up to you. (the envelope icon Righthand side near top, below the search box.
