Being a Gunea Pig

Chicago does not have a diabetes meetup group; costs money to maintain so it disbanded weeks after it last formed. But every month or so meetup sends me an email with the profiles of whoever has signed up as being interested in a meetup group. This month, one of the interested was an ad for a diabetes research project. I'm pretty sure that that's against meetup's terms of service, but what the hey, I called them this morning. Here's what they say the project is:

-they want people over the age of 18 (hey, I'm almost 19)
-who currently test their blood sugar and are willing to test at least 3 times a day (yump)
-who understand English (yeps)
-who can read normal sized print (this will make sense if you keep reading)
-who can get to their facilities
-who are willing to come in three times for an hour each, to any of their nationwide research places (the nearest to me is in Schaumberg, and it will take me two and a half hours by public transportation to get there)
-not currently in any interfering research studies (I told the lady about the other diabetes study I'm currently in, didn't tell her about a different research study I'm also in)

in exchange, research participants are given one meter at the first session, with test strips. They are supposed to use that meter (I don't know when or how much; I'm not actually in the study yet) for 36 days, at which point they go back in to the clinic, turn in the equiptment (the woman on the phone said equiptment), and get a different meter with strips. Repeat and come back for another session (and presumably a survey).
Then I get a check for 200$. So, I get at least 100 dollars worth of test strips, plus I get 200 dollars, plus I get to try out new meters. Could this get sweeter? Not by a whole lot. The getting to try new meters will be the best part, I hope. I asked, to make sure, if they provide the test strips, and she said yes.

I've turned in my diabetes art project. I intend to work on it some more. Blogger is having a problem uploading my image. The error message says that they're aware of the problem and working to fix it, so I guess I'll try again later.

I saw a link to this article on CWD. It says that rates of hypoglycemia and DKA in pregnant women on pumps were higher than those on MDI. Go MDI!

I think I'm very close to starting testosterone, which is very exciting for me. I don't expect the diabetes to be too much of an issue there. My regular, diabetes endo, is considering whether or not he's willing to put me on testosterone and will get back to me on Monday or Tuesday. If he's not, then I'll see an endo who's more experienced with transsexuals. Mine has only seen me.

I did a youtube video recently on glucagon. It's not exactly a great video, but whatever. If you click on it and go to youtube, you can read a transcript of the entire thing, which I put there for people like me who are better at understanding written word than spoken word.

Novopen Jr update

The walgreens website says you need a scrip for the pen, but when my father went and spoke to the walgreens folk, they said they'd order it without a scrip, without insulin, and that it'll be here tomorrow.
Yay!

I need another pen because I want to use up my pen supplies and because I'm low on syringes. I find the pen more comfortable when injecting my legs and stomache, but less comfortable for my arms; I think it's the weight. I think it would be really cool if someone had weights designed to go on syringes.

I also like the Novopen Jr because a half unit makes a significant difference for me, especially in corrections. Dosing to the half unit with a syringe is difficult.

And the final point in favor of the Novopen is that I don't ever want to get confused and inject the wrong insulin. That's how dead in bed happens.

Trying to Replace a Novopen

I lost my second Novopen Jr a couple weeks ago. It was at my parents' place and then we couldn't find it. I just used syringes and then, of course, that made me low on syringes.
We are trying to replace the pen and lo and behold, it's prescription only. People keep saying to me that it comes with insulin, but the ones I got first didn't. They came with three vials of saline. No insulin.
Why the hell is this drug prescription only? I am one pissed off diabetic.