I go to Cornell Weill Medical Center usually every two months for my diabetes protocol. The week before my appointment, I get this big letter in the mail, telling me the date of my appointment and to bring this letter in and show my insurance.

Now, I'm in the ACCORD program at Cornell so it has nothing to do with my insurance. It's all free. But thank god they send me this letter because, between Alan and myself, we have so many appointments, and so many little appointment cards, that if you think I can remember when my next Cornell appointment is, well forget about it. I even have a calendar up on my refrigerator, and, well, wouldn't you know it, I forgot to pencil in when my next appointment is at Cornell. I believe it's the beginning of July. I'll get the letter in the mail and I put the big letter on the refrigerator and I can see it and it will remind me. I have a very very bad memory for appointment dates and stuff.

I'm sharp as a tack about other stuff, computer stuff, taking care of Alan stuff, well just about anything that is not an appointment. But appointments, well, forget it. I have to write own notes about everything.

But the funny thing is when I do go to my Cornell Appointment, you have to check in at the front desk on the 4th floor. So here I am, and I tell the gal or guy, (I give my name and doctor's name) and they always go."What insurance do you use?" and I go "I don't use insurance". And they look at me and they go "what do you mean, you don't use insurance, how will you pay"?? and I go "I don't have to pay". And they again give me this look and I start to smile and I go "I don't have to pay because I'm in a free program".
(By the way, this happens every time I go).

I just calmly look at the receptionist and I say "I'm in the ACCORD program" and they look at me blankly and then someone walks over to them and whispers in their ears and then they go "Oh, THE ACCORD PROGRAM".

The staff at Cornell are very nice people from the person who takes my blood to the new assistants who just started working in the ACCORD program. I'm like a test case for them. I broke their protocol, my A1c got down so low they had to adjust my meds. It's all good for me, but it wasn't so good for their protocol. I just smile and say "you ain't seen nothing yet", my goal is to go off of insulin". I probably don't have a shot in hell at doing this, but I always hope."

You have to have hope, that's my motto!!!!

Melody