About vials of insulin

February 24, 2017

I'm sure I mentioned to you that I've gone back to taking injections during the day instead of being on the pump.  After using the pump for plus 20 years, it seemed as though my body was not absorbing as well as before.  It also was becoming painful and arduous for me to change my sites every other day or so.  So.....................back to 4 insulin injections a day; before meals and at bedtime.  

I also believe I mentioned the good control I've gotten and how much better I feel much of the time.  Never feeling as well as when I was young but that's the age thing.  A whole other story!

I was surprised that the actual insulin vials (although I used them with the pump as well) has, 

1.  Become so expensive and 2.  That at one month, regardless of how much you have left in the vial, you must throw it away and start another bottle.  I had not been doing that with the pump and I wonder if that is why I thought I was not absorbing well and  my current injections are giving me more control.  

As a little girl (remember, I told you I've been doing this for 72 years!) the insulin in the vials was manufactured from cows and pigs that had been slaughtered. You could be placed on just prok insulin or  beef insulin.  I remember my doctor and mother discussing that I seemed to do well on 'pork insulin'.  I did not have to change the vial until it was almost gone and with the small amount that I used, it was doable.  The biggest expense was  buying new needles that we boiled up every morning or whenever you had to take an injection, along with a new glass syringe.  The needles would get dull after using them so many times.  You would pray not to drop a glass syringe each time you boiled it up, cooled it and then set up the injection.  The very best invention was the disposable syringes with attached needle that was used only once.  They were already sterile with no more boiling etc.  Miracle for me!

In my young married years, the manufacturers came up with "synthetic insulin  It was stated that it would be less costly to make.  It worked as the beef and pork had so thought nothing of it.  

CHEAPER?  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  Now I pay $200 for vials EACH MONTH!  And that's for the (R) insulin made in the USA by Lily.   The (N) insulin is made in Denmark and is $24.00.   I take the (N) before I go to bed to keep my blood sugar low enough during sleep.  

I did take my prescription to Walmart instead of Walgreen's and that has helped.  That was after I checked out the prices in Canada.  

Just thought I'd put it out there..........

Next time.........