This is me and my mom. She's a type I diabetic. She was diagnosed with LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults) in 2013, as well as Hashimoto's hypothyroiditis. She is a retired AF officer, professional cyclist, and long-distance runner. She kayaks and makes silver jewelry. 1/

Without insurance, it would cost her $15,355 for glucose monitoring (changed every 10 days), $19,380 for insulin pumps (changed every 7 days), $1690 for emergency insulin, and $1080 for finger test strips. Over $37,000 just for her supplies. 2/

This doesn't count her thyroid medication, antidepressants (bet you didn't know that endocrine conditions affect your mental health huh?), regular doctor's appointments and bloodwork, as well as a healthy low-carb/keto diet to help control her blood sugar level. 3/

She also carries sugar tabs, Clif blocks, and Gatorade packs when she runs long distances. Her insulin drops massively when she flies or is sick or has a day of heavy physical activity. My dad and I have had to administer emergency insulin to prevent diabetic coma 4/

The fact that the President is so willing to dismiss insulin as being "cheap like water," as well as a dismissal of diabetes being a disease of lazy or overweight people, is a complete kick in the face to otherwise healthy people like my mom. 5/

My mom is covered by Tricare due to her military service, but there are so many in similar situations who are having to go without an insulin pump and only relying on emergency insulin. Even finger poke test strips are ridiculously expensive! 6/

The President has absolutely no understand of what the common American goes through and how much things cost when you're paying more than $750 a year in income taxes. Do not vote for him. He is harmful. 7/7