Woman hopes province will start funding technology to better manage diabetes

For one Upper Rawdon woman, having an integrated continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and insulin pump system has changed her life

CITYnews halifax \ Meghan Groff

For one Upper Rawdon woman, having an integrated continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and insulin pump system has changed her life, and she’d like all Nova Scotians to have the same opportunity.

Mary Kate Blois was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 15.

For a couple of decades, Blois had to test her blood sugar several times a day. But thanks to this technology that tracks glucose every few minutes, she can sleep through the night and not have to worry about low levels affecting her ability to drive.

“It functions like an artificial pancreas,” she said of the glucose sensor technology.

“The sensor reads my blood sugar, and then based on what my blood sugar is reading, it will either automatically give me more insulin, or it will stop giving me insulin if my blood sugar is lower and I don’t need insulin at that time.”

According to Diabetes Canada, CGM systems typically run between $3,000 to $6,000 a year.

Earlier this year, Prince Edward Island launched its Glucose Sensor Program to help eligible Islanders access the technology at a reduced cost.

Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Yukon all also provide at least some coverage to some of their residents.

Blois would like to see Nova Scotia be the next province to take that step.

She has been using CGM for about three years and her employer’s private insurance plan was able to cover some of the cost.

However, she now only works on a casual basis, so she’ll have to come up with the funding for her next system on her own.

“So many people cannot afford to use this technology that’s such a blessing in our lives,” she told CityNews Halifax.

“I see these kids getting diagnosed and I don’t know how parents do it,” Blois added. “How do they let their little child sleep knowing that their body could literally just stop working at any moment, which happened to me when I was in my 20s, I didn’t wake up one morning. If I had a CGM on, that wouldn’t have happened.”

According to Diabetes Canada, around 121,000 Nova Scotians have been diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, which is about 12 per cent of the population. It expects that figure to rise to 14 per cent by 2032.