Oh Hell. That's just really..... Sucky? Not cool? Not fair? Something inappropriate to write? All of the above.
I'm sorry, Laura. I'll be praying....
Love the visual of this post. Been thinking of doing a similar one for awhile!

(((hugs)))

Wow! Good luck finding insurance! I will pray for your family. If you need any D supplies once your insurance is out, let us know!

Oh No Laura. I am so sorry to hear that. As if you need anything else to worry about. Keep your faith and stock up as much as you can. Call and tell them you dropped a bottle of insulin and you need to order early... hey, why not?

It will all work out. {{{HUGS}}} my friend!

I'm so sorry Laura. Like you needed one more thing on your plate right now! I will be praying for you. ((hugs))

Like worrying about diabetes isn't enough. Stay positive.

WOW...you have a lot on your plate in addition to the two children with chronic health needs. (((HUGS))) and I am looking forward to following this part of your journey Laura. I frequently wonder how we would even begin to cover Joe's care if we didn't have such wonderful insurance coverage.

Wow. I understand Laura. My kiddos were without insurance for 6 months about 3 years ago, because hubby was between jobs and we couldn't afford $1200 a month COBRA for a family of 5. I prayed harder during those 6 months that no one fell sick. It's a sorry state of affairs, health insurance in the USA.
I would check out your state's CHIP program. Most often, kids under 18 are automatically covered when you lose COBRA, there is no 6 month wait for kids. There is an exclusion that says so I believe.
If you need anything at all- supplies, whatever, you just let me know and I will ship what I have down to you honey. Honest, you just let me know. Hang in there and keep us posted. You are a strong woman and can do it. The kids are so lucky to have you care for them so very well. Hugs.

I so know your pain and yeah I m also without insurance until september and then may still be so . We have to wait and see what the insurance plan will be through his work . It sucks when you have to pay for it all out of pocket or you cannot afford something and ask the pharmacist to put it back cause you cant get it no more money . I so know the feeling . I will pray for you and your family dear . Yes health insurance in this country is disgusting at best .

Laura, I can SO relate. My husband is self-employed, too, and our COBRA coverage ended shortly after Jack was diagnosed. We had a horrible time finding a policy that was actually affordable. The medical underwriting always got us, because of Jack's diabetes. We finally found one through the Arizona Small Business Association (ASBA). Is there such a group in Texas? We weren't previously members, but we heard about their group health plan, and so we joined. Or is there some other type of professional association that you and/or Jim could join? Often these organizations have group health plans, which are much more affordable than individual health insurance policies.

I should add that the policy that we have through ASBA is not cheap and it covers a fraction of what our old policy covered. It's basically a major medical plan with a high deductible ($5,000). So we pay out of pocket for everything (all D supplies, all doctors' visits, all diagnostic tests, xrays/scans, blood work, etc.) until we meet our deductible, which stinks. And our monthly premium is expensive, too. However, it was the least costly plan we could find. My husband actually owns an insurance agency, and his partner is a health insurance specialist. Together they researched and researched, and this policy was it for us. It's better than any alternatives, and there was no medical underwriting because it was a group plan. As expensive as it is, we're grateful to have it.

Perhaps there's something like this out there for you?

Just an idea... Hope it helps! I know you're in a tough situation right now! I truly get it.

Oh my word. I will keep you in my prayers. For everything to work out with insurance and for you to have peace of mind going through the process.

It's just not fair that you have to deal with these issues on top of chronic illnesses.

I'm so sorry...

I hope everything works out with your insurance. Have you contacted the assistance programs at all of the companies you use?

I saw that you use alcohol swabs before finger checks. We were told by multiple sources to stop doing that (even though that's what we were trained in the hospital) because it can really dry out their fingers and make testing more painful. Also, I have heard, but can't verify, that alcohol can skew the results. Who knows.

We use good old fashioned soap and water now.

I was so angry last night after reading this post, I couldn't comment. Now...I'm still angry. It isn't right to pick and choose who'll you cover. I think finding an organization to attach yourselves to is a great idea. Even some lodges might offer health insurance. Good luck Laura, you have me and all of your friends, praying for your family. Always.

Laura I have to tell you I am awe of you being able to write this out. I am currently going through a similar situation as my husband lost his job in June and the COBRA option for us is almost $2000 a month. It hasnt kicked in yet so we are paying full price for all our supplies right now which is so heartbreaking. He is working 3 jobs right now so we dont go behind on our bills and to find out that the COBRA was so pricy was a punch in the gut. We were told we would qualify for the govt assistance on Cobra but he was let go 1 month to late. I have been all over the phone and such with company after company and because Joshua is both under 3 and uses diluted insulin we can't get assistance from the maker. With my husband working 3 jobs we are over the cap for our state FAMIS plan to get the boys insured. Both my husband and Joshua are type 1 and require these expenses to. I am outraged at the lack of programs avaiable to people who are not "working the system" but working for their bills. After our Cobra paymnet we dont have money to pay our house or other bills due to the copays we have to pay out. We should have our insurance back in October so there is a light at the end of the tunnel for us but as you know the bills will compond on each other until then and we will be paying this off for years.
I AM SO SORRY your family is suffering through this if you ever need someone to vent to I am here, struggling right beside. You have been such a strong insperation for me during our last 6 months as Nate's story is so close to when Joshua was DX if there is anything I can do I will. My mom has a ton of the strips you use I think... send me a private email with the ones you use and Ill see what I can do to get you some of those. also what size needle do you use? I was given a ton and they arent the size Joshua uses. shannondaviscmc@verizon.net

Laura, I am so sorry that you are going through this right now. It's just not fair for you to have so much on your shoulders. I will be praying for you and your family. ((HUGS))

I want you to know that you and yours are in my thoughts. I hope that one day very soon this challenging journey you are on finds a peaceful resting place. Please know that you will also be on mind my on every time I cast my vote. The way to see real change is by being mindful of every election...every Senator every Governor. I hope that one day enough of us will work towards affordable health care for the sake of all of the children and families out there struggling financially to....literally... survive.

Hi Laura. I'm so sorry to hear about your insurance fight. Insurance companies are agents of Satan as far as I'm concerned. People & companies who make gobs of money on the backs of other peoples' illnesses are evil. I've had to put so many of my life's dreams on hold b/c I needed good insurance & couldn't risk being without. There is a company called American Diabetes Wholesale that seems to have pretty deep discounts on diabetes supplies. I'm not sure how they handle test strips & insulin, but they sure seem cheaper!

Otherwise, I can't offer anything other than encouragement right now.

Actually, there is going to be a vote in Congress this Thursday on whether or not to increase funding for diabetes research. I got an email from the ADA today encouraging me to write to my Senator asking her to vote in favor of increased funding. It probably won't do any good, given the ridiculous political climate these days, but at least I made a small effort. I'll send you the email separately in case you'd like to vent to a heartless politician.

We're considering moving out of country to a place that will provide decent healthcare without punishing me. If you like, I can look for some properties for you too.... ;-)

I am all over your blog, and I am so relating to you its unreal.

We have no coverage at all, and pay cash for all of ours sons medical needs (type 1).

Its criminal how expensive these things are, and how impossible they make it for us to get help!

Hey, Laura. I'm way behind on reading blogs after our travels, and just got to yours. My MIL looked into the Obama plan and said the 6-month wait was only for adults (she's T2 and lost her COBRA coverage last month). It might be worth double-checking for the kids...