THANK YOU , Discovery Health !!

As a Healthcare Rights Activist and a Member of Discovery Health for the past 17 years, I want to say THANK YOU to Discovety Health for their innovative and caring approach to funding for Rype 1 Diabetics. To all Discovery Health Members who are or know a TYPE 1 Diabetic , who has Medical Aid through Discovery Health Medical Scheme , Discovery are now subsidising half the cost of a Freestyle Libra continuous glucose monitor Patch at a cost to the Member of R780 per month. Being married to a Type 1 Diabetic, I know the huge responsibility as well as the anxiety , fear and trauma that goes with Hypoglycaemic episodes/ Diabetic Comas and Diabetic Seizures. Especially someone who has been a Type 1 Diabetic for decades and LOST their Diabetic Awareness - no warning symptoms before a Hypoglycaemic Episode. This creates a possible life-threatening event. The nuances in the balance between food eaten, exercise and insulin can be a real challenge- even the weather or stress can trigger a "sugar-low". The Bokke, if they play **** Rugby or a biased Ref can trigger a sugar-low. Colin is a 99% compliant Diabetic, very fit and healthy and high-functioning. Colin's patch sends data to his (and my) Cellphone continuously . Gone are the days snd nights when I have to ask Colin if his sugar is low , hand him.his glucose test kit that he has used thousands of times for decades , and he looks at it as if he doesn't have a CLUE what it is. Fortunately , in the Fish Hoek valley, in Cape Town we have Cape Medical Response Paramedics that we subscribe to, who, over the years, have been our Lifeline , getting here in 10 minutes to administer Dextrose to Colin by IV., so Colin has never been to the ER or Hospital for treatment. All Colin does now, or I do, is move his cellphone over the patch and voila! his sugar-reading is on his phone. No more "I'm FINE !!!!" when his sugar is at 1.8 and falling because he missed a snack or played a long game of Golf. In addition, the Libra gives daily, weekly and monthly HBa1C trends, graphs and averages. One can use the information when introducing new foods to see if they really are "sugar free". I have made LOW-GI banana, seed and nut ****ins the past few weeks * always with the addition of Oatbran and a grated Granny Smith Apple to reduce the Glycaemic Index and they are a great healthy snack as they keep Colin's sugar readings stable. One can test all kinds of meals and tweak the diet to be almost perfect. I want to thank Discovery Health sincerely for their innovative approach to Diabetic care and making a HUGE impact on mine and Colin's life. I also know, that with reduced ER admissions by Members, the Libra could also, in the medium to long term, save Discovery money . As Members, we OWN our Medical Aid Scheme, so the effect would be to benefit all members whether it be in reduced premiums or additional benefits.