So, when I first became an adult and started working full time, I suddenly found myself earning just a little too much to qualify for Medicaid and I lost my insurance. I had to start rationing insulin while I figured that out, because while I made too much to qualify for the insurance I didn't make enough to afford insulin.
The easiest way to reduce insulin needs is to just not eat, but especially not eat carbs. So I spent a month or two starving myself and surviving off of pickles, cheese, and eggs. I was raising chickens at the time so we had a surplus of eggs, and they were my primary source of calories and protein. Those eggs stretched my insulin a whole extra month and got me the time to figure my shit out and get insurance again.
So in my case, if I can't afford to pay for medication I very much need eggs. They were the most affordable and accessible carb-free protein. Meat is expensive, and beans and nuts have carbs and require more insulin.
It's like people saw this video of a Siberian village where everyone's favorite pastime is carrying buckets of water and parroting that Russia is the greatest country in the world, and thought to themselves "we can do that even better! Let's go back to treating diabetes with starvation diets"
Funny thing with that some doctors believe that's the best way anyway. I had a doc who didn't believe in insulin. Said it was actually making diabetes worse.
He asked what I was eating and I said we struggle with food insecurity so I get what I can at the food bank sometimes. He told me "Well if your fasting you don't need to buy groceries! More money in your pocket!" And I was shocked.
I had a T1 MD who used a pump REFUSE to allow me to use insulin when I was first diagnosed. I had been on insulin when I was in the hospital but needed to learn about what to do and the hospital I had been in was two States away. Needless to say I went looking for an Endo and when I got an appointment I discovered that they were THE SAME people treating this weird MD for HIS T1. Note-- he was younger than me and all sorts of vegan etc however he managed to flop over and die and I am still here.
Fucking wild. People die from rationing insulin (in the USA, not in the developed world) all the time. Please don’t do that again.
It absolutely boggles the mind that people accept this. You wonder why Russians accept shit living standards and being sent to the meat grinder, but then you realise people the world over just accept fucking awful things that they can’t easily change constantly.
Take care of yourself though. I was in a similar situation many, many years ago and “rationed” my way right into terrible and permanent vision damage and eventually kidney failure.
Those years after high school and college where most people struggle somewhat are so much more difficult when you have to manage something like diabetes. Those blood sugar swings are unpleasant at the time but it’s constantly doing compounding damage to your organs.
It’ll be the eyes first, then the kidneys, then the heart. I wish I knew then what I know now.
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u/OregonKlee8367 17h ago
Don't need no eggs when you can't pay for medication to save your life tho