#117: Kalex Williams | You Look Fine, Come Back on Monday

By Amber Clour on Mar 23, 2022

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Isn’t it time to start injecting some much-needed diabetes humor to cut through the doom and gloom we face? Kalex Williams is a master at extracting positivity and he has to be one of the coolest people I’ve met! In this episode, you will get a taste of Kalex’s resilience in the face of his diagnosis and how he didn’t sit on his pity party, but makes light of it and connects to attendees from across the globe.

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#111: Madison Thorn | “Sacrifice the Weak, Re-open Tennessee”

By Amber Clour on Oct 27, 2021

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It’s time to get rid of the word ‘weak’ when talking about people navigating chronic illnesses. In reality, we are some of the strong, unique and resilient people in the world, and Madison Thorn is spreading that very message. She was fueled by a nasty protest sign and turned that energy into a thought provoking project highlighting other high risk humans like ourselves, a story that needs to be told.

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#105: Jermaine Hargrove | Type 1 Diabetes is a Family Affair

By Amber Clour on Jul 3, 2021

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What does someone who was thrust into the world of diabetes with no preparation do? They make animations of course! Jermaine Hargrove is the co-founder of Small Town Animation Studios, where he and his wife are impacting the diabetes space with the arts, specifically in the 3D animated films arena. His creative expertise and entrepreneurial spirit will help inspire people to better manage their diabetes. Let’s dive into Jermaine’s story and learn more about not all Superheroes wear capes, but some do wear CGMs.
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#85: Dr. Todd Hobbs & Ken Inchausti | An Open Conversation about Insulin with Novo Nordisk

By Amber Clour on May 4, 2020

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After a recent announcement from Novo Nordisk I cleared my schedule to record this episode with Dr. Todd Hobbs, Chief Medical Officer for North America and Ken Inchausti, Senior Director of Corporate Communications. In this open discussion they share resources and cost saving programs, details about insulin production, insulin trials and what’s on the horizon for insulin therapies. I learned SO much about a drug I’ve been taking for decades!

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#81: Big Pharma | Pandemic or Not – Emergency Insulin Resources

By Amber Clour on Mar 23, 2020

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This impromptu episode was created to hopefully set your mind at ease. As PWDs are flooded with stories on social media concerning the fear of an insulin shortage or the disruption of diabetes supplies, I felt compelled to act. Even though most companies have issued statements reassuring people living with diabetes that everything would be okay, I wanted to hear it for myself from the company leaders. (more…)

My Hard-Knock Healthcare Wisdom (Tips on How to Navigate the Exchange)

By Amber Clour on Dec 2, 2016

It was about this time last year when I wrote, Battle To The Death.. My Death That Is, about the countless hours/days/weeks I spent dealing with insurance companies. I want to start by saying that I’m incredibly grateful to finally have medical insurance as someone who has been self-employed most of my adult life, but this recent round(s) of phone calls has me questioning a few things. (more…)

Lantus Monopoly – Jab in the Pancreas

By Amber Clour on Dec 1, 2014

I’ll do my best not to curse throughout this post as my mother recently mentioned I could use more appropriate language. I am incredibly thankful for my medical insurance and for the first time had to call in my prescription for Lantus, an insulin I HAVE to take every single day. In fact, my alarm goes off at 6:11am every morning to remind me to inject this precious drug. I would not be alive without Lantus. Here is where shit hits the fan.

10 days ago I called in my prescription for Lantus
- 2 hours later I receive a text – prescription is available to pick up and cost $150. I question this amount because Novolog costs $100.
Next Day – I have an argument with the pharmacy because they’re out of test strips AND insurance wouldn’t cover them.
- Test strips = $298+
- Please note my recent post, Halloween Highs & Lows, about having to test every 45 minutes during my high blood sugar scare.
Fast Forward 1 Week (10:08am)– Contact pharmacy again about Lantus. (more…)

Tuesday Topic: Does Your Vote Count?

By Amber Clour on Nov 4, 2014

As today is a very important election day, it made me think of how diabetes has swayed my vote at times. Not really a conscious decision, but as an intelligent, self employed adult, I had to research the candidates and determine with all of the political bullshit, who actually cared about my well being and pursuit of happiness considering the obstacles I might face with this disease.

In October, 2012, DiabetesMine published an article, The Politics of Diabetes in Election Season. As I read the article, I scrolled down to the comment section and was shocked by an anonymous writer. It spoke to me for a number of reasons.

The anonymous writer shared: As a child, my father coached me from an early age that I could not be an artist, an entrepreneur, a small business owner… in short, he coached me I could NOT be ANYTHING I wanted to be.

The reason for this was simple. I had Type 1 diabetes and unless I worked for a big company, I would never be able to get coverage by myself. (more…)

Walgreens Worked a Wonder

By Ryan Fightmaster on Sep 10, 2014

No, I have not been paid off. No, I am not in the pockets of big pharma. No, I do not purchase all prescriptions from Walgreens. Yet, my perspective on pharmacy refills took a turn for the grateful last week with the singular effort of one pharmacist.

In accordance with a common theme, I was looking to pickup a prescription right as I need it. Picking up a prescription early has never crossed my mind. Due to some insulin resistance from scar tissue (referenced here), I made the switch back to the pens (Lantus and Novolog). When I called Walgreens expecting it to be ready within the next hour, relayed to me was the news that each prescription would be costing $150 under my coverage (BCBS Oklahoma under HealthCare.gov). (more…)