Out of Stock
(Originally written 2 months ago…)
For the last week, I haven't been able to open my mouth all the way. Due to a severe allergic reaction to a chemical peel, my face has been melting off, making me look like Pizza the Hut (see: Spaceballs). The severe reaction made my face swell up so much that I resembled Fat Bastard (see: Austin Powers). My mouth was also affected by this grossly unfortunate skin debacle. Even opening my mouth to take pills and sip from a straw felt like paper cuts being ripped open.
Now that I could open my mouth more, I decided to get the biggest, juiciest cheeseburger I could digest today. I was happily eating while reading the latest post on SHIT YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT (one of the few Substacks I love). This particular post happened to be about Ozempic. You should read it BECAUSE it's something worth caring about. It was good writing but I also started being enraged all over again about something that’s a constant issue in my diabetic life.
In short, people who actually need Ozempic have to contend with a slew of people who are using it like it's weight loss tea. My favorite point that's made in the post is, "...it’s a drug that you inject into yourself weekly that’s been approved to help people with type-2 diabetes. For diabetics, it lowers blood-sugar levels and is a necessary drug in maintaining their livelihood, but a feature (and not the purpose) of this drug is slowing down gastric emptying and suppressing your appetite."
For full transparency, I take Ozempic. It wasn't some fly by night decision either. I worked fucking hard as hell to get my glucose levels down using glipizide, metformin, and pioglitazone. Before that, I took 4 shots of insulin a day until I found out that the acid feeling in my stomach for 2-4 hours a day was an allergic reaction. Despite continuously complaining to the doctor about it, I wasn't taken off insulin for almost 9 months. One of the pills I take for diabetes actually makes me gain weight, which works against lowering my glucose and keeps me "obese." So, years later, Ozempic was the next "reasonable" step because it will allow me to eventually stop taking all the pills. HOWEVER, there are side effects AND I'll more than likely be taking it for the rest of my life (no different than the pills). While all these other people are excited to start losing weight, I view it as nothing more than a side effect, along with digestion issues, possible anorexia (because we actually forget to eat; it isn't JUST an appetite suppressant), and some other shit. But... I'm taking it to stay alive. I'm not taking it because I wanna look good for the latest Instagram story/post.
Before anyone says some stupid shit about focusing on controlling my diet and exercise, don't. I mentioned eating a cheeseburger earlier because THAT doesn’t make my glucose spike no more than a non-diabetics. My diabetes was and continues to be triggered by STRESS. Removing stressors from my life and getting sleep actually helped reduce my glucose levels. However, I cannot allow those stressors to reappear or be replaced with others. I also have real ass insomnia, not some shit I think is insomnia because I don't know how to stay the fuck off my phone. So, I manage my life as if it depends on it, because it fucking does.
Am I a bit peeved about all of this? Absolutely.
This is a medicine that needs to be taken on a consistent basis. However, due to the popular demand, I can't get it every month like I'm supposed to. I have to wait 1-3 months at times because of it being sold out. This makes it impossible to come off of the pills. Insurance companies are also demanding proof that patients are diabetics before they'll cover the cost. They're also not covering the cost as much as they used to. When I had Cigna, they covered the majority and I paid $25 a month. My "great" job decided to switch insurance companies out of the clear blue and now because of the Tier level, I have a deductible in addition to my co-pay. $345 and then $45 a month. That's what I must pay now because the demand for Ozempic has increased, not because there are more diabetics, but because there’s a ridiculous influx of people using it specifically to lose weight.
I don't have $345 just laying around to spare but I have to stay alive so... what did I do? I found the money to get the medicine that helps keep me alive. However, there are people paying $600-1200/monthly that do not even have diabetes. So, because they WILL pay it, I MUST pay it too... if I want to live. Their lives aren't at risk and I can bet you their next dose, they don't care about me or any other diabetics fucking necessity. If they did, I wouldn't be writing this and it wouldn't have been a post on SHIT YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT.
All I’m saying is, I wish people would find the fucks to give. Some of our lives actually depend on it.
