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Diabetes is bloomin' expensive ! This is a rant LOL.

Celeriac

Celeriac

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,065
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Forked out £10 tonight for a new Accu-Chek Aviva at ASDA, so that I have a backup meter, (which got me 10 strips as well). Yesterday, I paid out 29.15 at Sainsbury's for 50 test strips. On Monday I paid £11 for 2 boxes of 50 Unikstik lancets from Amazon. That's £50.15 in three days ! :faint: I am definitely tackling my GP about putting my strips and lancets back on prescription - I didn't ask for them to be removed. It's all very well for a practice nurse to say that T2s on Metformin don't get hypos, I just tested 4.8 with my new meter, just lounging about drinking tea !

According to HMRC we are entitled to get the VAT back for blood glucose meters, but I've never been able to do it, because none of the pharmacies ever stock the correct forms, not even Boots. So HMRC gets £2 of my money that it's not entitled to :(

Clothes.. at peak weight-loss, I was deflating so fast, that trousers I had bought just two weeks before, nearly fell off me in Sainsbury's produce section. MrCeleriac banned me from buying clothes from my usual stores, so I wear cheap clothes from ASDA, Sainsbury's, Tesco - and Oxfam. I did buy a beautiful black velvet waistcoat from New & Lingwood in a sale last year (got an absolute bargain) thinking that my weight had stabilised - now that I'm losing again, it's too big :sniffle: MrCeleriac swiped my Barbour as well cos that now drowns me too, so I don't actually have a waterproof coat at the moment. I hate clothes shopping anyway so I feel like I have to do it too much.

Shoes..Two weeks after diagnosis, I was told that my shoes were " unsuitable for a diabetic " so I bought several pairs of Crocs and my lovely shoes went to charity shops. I feel somewhat like a platypus but until I lost weight off my toes (yes really) they were super-comfortable. Now I'm down to one pair of sneakers and a pair of boots with studs n buckles, so I'm cluelessly looking for suitable boots.

Food.. I wasn't eating out a lot, living on takeaways and bingeing on crisps, so I haven't saved much by eating the healthy stuff cos I was mostly eating it anyway. Upon diagnosis I threw out the rice and bought supposedly healthier grains like spelt and quinoa and then when they didn't work, I threw those out and went low carb so more money wasted. Sitting across from me in bookshelves are 25 books on low carb and diabetes. We were buying our food in Lidl, ASDA and Tesco Express because they were closest. When we found additives and glucose in plain meat. we went organic and our food budget skyrocketed.

So I'd hate to try and work out how much money we've spent on my diabetes. Probably enough for a holiday in the South of France !

Now that I've had my rant about the expense of diabetes, please feel free to have a good rant about it ! xxx
 
I hear you Celeriac! The issue of the expense of test strips (and the meters) is a biggie for we diabetics.

And it the expense of diabetes can certainly add to the stress and the worry - I've had my fair share of it too. And that's no good for our health.

And I really hate to think of you having to ditch your lovely shoes!

But to give ourselves a ra-ra here when we need it - there is no - anything good - without our health? We're investing in life and in health. (But I sure hope you get lovely diabetic-friendly shoes in your future, and holidays in the South of France!)
 
Why are you not using the Code Free meter from home heath . much more affordable
 
Try buying mastectomy bras as well! Crikey they are expensive!!! Especially when normally being so small its not necessary to wear one!! Then the bloomin mastectomy side swells up 4 times the size of your other side that you're having to pad out your normal side to match the hugely swollen, slopping side!!

Only reason to have to buy is to stop the horrible sloshing around!!

Thinking about it though- I guess I
have saved a lot of money in 50 years not having to have bras!!-lol:)
 
donnellysdogs said:
Try buying mastectomy bras as well! Crikey they are expensive!!! Especially when normally being so small its not necessary to wear one!! Then the bloomin mastectomy side swells up 4 times the size of your other side that you're having to pad out your normal side to match the hugely swollen, slopping side!!

Only reason to have to buy is to stop the horrible sloshing around!!

Thinking about it though- I guess I
have saved a lot of money in 50 years not having to have bras!!-lol:)
Click to expand...

Mastectomy bras should be free or on the NHS or subsidised in some way. With what you are going through dd, you still shine, x thanks for making me smile. Take care.
 
The foamy infills are free!! Until the prosthetic is measured and
made!

Had the sloshing removed this morn but has already filled back to the other size boob! At least its no longer 4 times the size of my leftover boob!! :)

Hoping like mad it will reabsorb this time! Have in meantime resorted to the lycra vests as have been suggested to me. (More expense!!:):)!! And from sports shop- not VAT free.

Thinking I ought to try childrens clothes now!! They are still VAT free aren't they?.

Sorry, back to normal self.. Derailed yet another posting;)
 
Derail away Donnelly sending hugs. I hate bras, was always a tomboy and would have preferred to be flat chested but my embonpoint is kinda generous. Nevertheless, those stretchy pull-on bras from Belvia are good, get mine from ASDA. Most comfortable bras I've ever worn. Hope you get sorted out satisfactorily soonest xx
 
So far I've forked out for a meter, test strips, lancets etc, supplements, books, mindfulness course, therapist weekly, and gym membership which I can't use as BP is too high, insoles for my shoes which are all too big (I've gone from a 5 to 4.5), a new coat which is already a bit baggy and not to mention all the organic veg, different flour, Livlife bread etc. The bra situation is ongoing - let's just say I'm on the tightest hook and things are getting a bit roomy. I'm reluctant to invest in anything new for the moment as I've quite quickly gone down two sizes. I'll have a look at the pull on sports bras that @Celeriac mentioned.
 
I am just hoping my already loose jeans, an old pair I hadn't fitted in for a while, will stay up till the New Year's Sales as I really don't want to fork out on new clothes knowing how quickly the ones I have got have become lose. I actually tried on the jeans I had been wearing just a month before being diagnosed and couldn't believe how big they were on me now.

And as for the cost of a changing diet and eating other food to everyone else it is ridiculous but at least I am getting exercise walking from one shop to another seeking out the bargains rather than just shopping in one place.
 
donnellysdogs said:
The foamy infills are free!! Until the prosthetic is measured and
made!

Had the sloshing removed this morn but has already filled back to the other size boob! At least its no longer 4 times the size of my leftover boob!! :)

Hoping like mad it will reabsorb this time! Have in meantime resorted to the lycra vests as have been suggested to me. (More expense!!:):)!! And from sports shop- not VAT free.

Thinking I ought to try childrens clothes now!! They are still VAT free aren't they?.

Sorry, back to normal self.. Derailed yet another posting;)
Click to expand...

Following breast surgery, I believe these are recommended by a number of HCPs in the know. At £6 per item, with a pocket for a chicken fillet or foam pad (or left empty, as required), they seem like a decent interim move until things might have settled.

http://direct.asda.com/george/womens/lingerie/comfort-bra/G003991103,default,pd.html

As someone who lost breast volume, along with the excess I carried, I have a variety of sizes of lingerie, the best of which have migrated to eBay over time. For the avoidance of doubt, I mean hardly worn bras and unworn briefs on eBay. I would never sell any lower undergarments that had been worn. You'd be surprised what can lurk in a drawer......... :oops:

Edit to add the url. Doh!
 
AndBreathe said:
Following breast surgery, I believe these are recommended by a number of HCPs in the know. At £6 per item, with a pocket for a chicken fillet or foam pad (or left empty, as required), they seem like a decent interim move until things might have settled.

http://direct.asda.com/george/womens/lingerie/comfort-bra/G003991103,default,pd.html

As someone who lost breast volume, along with the excess I carried, I have a variety of sizes of lingerie, the best of which have migrated to eBay over time. For the avoidance of doubt, I mean hardly worn bras and unworn briefs on eBay. I would never sell any lower undergarments that had been worn. You'd be surprised what can lurk in a drawer......... :oops:

Edit to add the url. Doh!
Click to expand...

They are cheap and they do in small as well!!
Going to order now! Thankyou...!!
 
For bargain hunters, mysupermarket.co.uk compares prices. You can save 50p on an item just by going to a different supermarket. Then there are the offers of course, which are listed.

Loyalty cards are another way to save money, my post this morning included points coupons and money off coupons from Sainsbury's and Waitrose.

The only provisos are: (a) if it costs extra in fuel or fares to get to the supermarket, you have to make sure the money saved on offers at least covers the fuel/fares otherwise you're out of pocket (b) on a BOGOF it's a false economy if you don't use up both items.

I love getting bargains, kinda leftover from when we were skint, I guess. Last time I was in Tesco, I found organic ghee reduced from £8 to 3.50 to clear them, so bought all 6 jars left. They were in with the bodybuilding protein powders which is why no-one found them, I reckon.

I chose my meter because of the number of people who had given it favourable reviews on Amazon. Accuracy is important IMO otherwise why bother ? I don't want to feel like I'm stabbing my fingers for nowt ;)

Thanks for the VAT link btw



Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Celeriac said:
Derail away Donnelly sending hugs. I hate bras, was always a tomboy and would have preferred to be flat chested but my embonpoint is kinda generous. Nevertheless, those stretchy pull-on bras from Belvia are good, get mine from ASDA. Most comfortable bras I've ever worn. Hope you get sorted out satisfactorily soonest xx
Click to expand...

I have 2 of those bras, very comfortable too, pink and black. I bought my first one when I broke my wrist and complications set in, so they were a godsend. My teen, thankfully a girl, wasn't too keen with helping mum on with her bra and all the fiddling about:oops: bless her.:angelic:
I think we should call dd, divine derailer :D lol
 
AndBreathe said:
Following breast surgery, I believe these are recommended by a number of HCPs in the know. At £6 per item, with a pocket for a chicken fillet or foam pad (or left empty, as required), they seem like a decent interim move until things might have settled.

http://direct.asda.com/george/womens/lingerie/comfort-bra/G003991103,default,pd.html

As someone who lost breast volume, along with the excess I carried, I have a variety of sizes of lingerie, the best of which have migrated to eBay over time. For the avoidance of doubt, I mean hardly worn bras and unworn briefs on eBay. I would never sell any lower undergarments that had been worn. You'd be surprised what can lurk in a drawer......... :oops:

Edit to add the url. Doh!
Click to expand...

Bought the last one available online and another colour as well. Well happy. Can't wait until they arrive now!!
 
Hi. Many manufacturers will provide a meter for free. eBay has test strips at low cost if you don't mind many coming via the prescription route. I would question shoes and diabetes. If your blood sugar is under good control then typical sensible shoes should be fine. Organic food makes no difference if you are diabetic. Just shop sensibly watching the carb content and avoid paying over the odds for trendy food. No need to throw out food; just use it sensibly and buy better next time. I could go on but I'm afraid I don't agree that diabetes needs to be expensive.
 
I agree with much of what you say, but when it comes to organic food, I have seen health improvements.

I had been low carbing for four years, prior to going organic and had lost weight and improved my HbA1c.

Going organic brought my liver enzymes back to normal in weeks and stabilised and improved my retinopathy in 6 months and those are things which showed up in tests.

It's not that organic food is nutritionally better, a carrot is a carrot. It's what organic food doesn't have in it that matters.

Way fewer pesticides, no genetically modified material, no trans fats, no mono and diglycerides of fatty acids, no E this that and the other, no frankenfood fortification, no routine antibiotics or growth hormones.

I believe that part of the reason why so many people get allergies and have intolerances now, is because we live in a toxic environment. In Boston, they found that babies had averagely 300 toxins in their cord blood.

The way I see it, is that my metabolic system is pretty much broken and my body needs all the help it can get to keep functioning.

My ophthalmologist agrees with me and told me to keep doing it and that given the right nutrients and less of the bad stuff, the body will try to heal itself.

I'm not saying that eating organic will heal my diabetes LOL but it can make a difference.

Sent from my Kindle using DCUK Forum mobile app
 
AndBreathe said:
Following breast surgery, I believe these are recommended by a number of HCPs in the know. At £6 per item, with a pocket for a chicken fillet or foam pad (or left empty, as required), they seem like a decent interim move until things might have settled.

http://direct.asda.com/george/womens/lingerie/comfort-bra/G003991103,default,pd.html

As someone who lost breast volume, along with the excess I carried, I have a variety of sizes of lingerie, the best of which have migrated to eBay over time. For the avoidance of doubt, I mean hardly worn bras and unworn briefs on eBay. I would never sell any lower undergarments that had been worn. You'd be surprised what can lurk in a drawer......... :oops:

Edit to add the url. Doh!
Click to expand...
How do you avoid meds with numbers like that?
 
I eat well, got skinny and move about a bit..........

The eating well is critical. Finger prick testing backs up the eating, by proving what I can or can't eat; thus informing me what I can eat aplenty and what I really have to avoid, and trimming up helped my body function better overall.
 
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