Dominic: I don’t want to have to choose between living independently and having good quality of life.

5 years since I was diagnosed with diabetes. 5 years since my life was turned completely on my head. 5 years since I figured out exactly what I’m going to be dealing with for the rest of my life. The insulin injections, having restrictions in my everyday life because of diabetes, the constant and never-ending finger pricking. So much has happened since I first got diabetes and it wasn’t quite easy when dealing with everything else a teenage boy deals with.

I got on an insulin pump which was funded by PHARMAC about 4 years now and it has completely changed my life for the better. Everything has become so unbelievably better. I can go out and eat with my friends at the mall whenever I want and eat whatever I want. No more having to give myself an injection every time I want to eat. While these things may seem frivolous to others, for me it was actually quite big. All teenagers want to feel normal and even the small stuff like that got me one step closer. But it didn’t stop there, then I got on to a CGM.

This was so much better. No more finger pricking. I was able to check my levels at any time with ease. I could go to sleep and wake up to see how my levels were in the night. A few years go past and now I’m on a new pump with a sensor that talks to the pump. The pump automatically adjusts my levels. I can go to sleep knowing my pump in conjunction with my sensor would work together to keep my levels in target. I go and dance or learn to defend myself and go all out and know my pump will work to keep my levels in target. I’ve spent a significantly less amount of time worrying about my diabetes which is something that will be with me my entire life. Now I can focus on other things in my life.

The pump being funded by PHARMAC and the CGM we fund ourselves has made my quality of life so much better. However I won’t be able to keep it up. The CGM costs money, money I’m not gonna have all the time. I have plans to go to university and be a student, I’m not going to be living with my parents forever and will need to buy my own house and live my own life. I won’t be able to keep paying for the sensors. I don’t want to have to choose between growing up and living independently as all eventually do, or to have a good quality of life. A life where I am not having to focus on my diabetes. PHARMAC can change this, PHARMAC can improve my life even further than they already have if they just fund the CGM. They can help not only me, but all diabetics in New Zealand.

#CGMForAll #FGMforall #diabetesnz #PHARMACnz #NoMoreFingerpricks