Deilla,

I'm so sorry you struggle with Type II Diabetes.

And so many people these days - esp. during the politics of this pandemic - tend to blame people for their diabetes and obesity/metabolic disorder. There are so many things that cause obesity, including mental illnesses and sleep-wake disorders, genetic predispositions coupled with environmental factors (such as trauma, stress), and hormones that fail to work properly in terms of telling us when we're full or hungry.

There are some books on how to reverse diabetes, which you could try. The problem is that if the underlying problem isn't just food (most of the time, it's not), then it could be mental illness, endocrine system issues, genetic factors, and incurable sleep-wake disorders. Sadly, PTSD (especially childhood traumas and non-traumatic adverse childhood experiences/ACEs) is one of many risk factors for obesity and Type II Diabetes. It's not always something that we can control, or if it is, by the time we discover the problem, it's too late. There was no forewarning from any of our treatment teams, which makes it harder for us to prevent. Also, the only prevention measures out there (Medicare has one now) are for people who meet a certain threshold, such as being prediabetic, obese with high blood sugar, etc. They should be preventing diabetes long before someone becomes obese or even overweight, such as with those who have PTSD, sleep-wake disorders, and genetic predispositions.

Sadly, many free programs that are offered through Medicare are no longer available because even the medical field victim-shames and victim-blames those with prediabetes and diabetes. In Idaho, for instance, the numbers that Medicare lists for the free prediabetes program to reverse diabetes are answered by rather judgmental YMCA persons who stated that "Medicare doesn't pay them enough" and that "obese persons can join their gym." That was the most ignorant statement from any non-medical professional I've ever heard. I plan on reporting them to Medicare in the future, but I'll wait a few months before I do so.

Once you have diabetes, many people are reluctant on helping because they figure that half our country has diabetes, and that the government or individuals should fix it. Many people think it's the individual's fault, or the fault of fast-food restaurants, etc. The truth of the matter is that it's a combination of many factors, including being predisposed through childhood traumas, PTSD, sleep-wake disorders, constant stress, constant traumas, etc. So when you try to ask for funds on gofundme, you might have a really challenging time now that people see the elderly and obese for the blame of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. I've heard some pretty mean statements online and locally, which only makes the stigma on aging and obesity that much more.

You could be more vague about your medical condition and just request funding for medications that you cannot afford out of pocket. That might help a little more, if that's possible.

I'm so sorry you are struggling in this area. I hope you can address your thoughts and feelings about these meds with your doctor. Your doctor might know of alternative treatments that are less expensive.

I wish that there were ways they could find a cure for diabetes, or at least a pill to reverse its effects, depending on the etiology of diabetes. I don't think it's weight alone that creates diabetes, since there are many obese persons who don't have diabetes. There are also normal-weight persons who have diabetes, too.

((((safe hugs))))))