I don't know any T1s here, at least not well enough to connect like that, but I do have a good friend (non-diabetic) who lives across the city who has suggested that I keep some insulin at her place, just in case. If a major earthquake did happen while I was out it's entirely possible I wouldn't be able to get home, seeing as there are more than ten major bridges in the city (one of which I need to cross to get home from almost anywhere) and I rely on public transit, both of which could be unavailable/unreliable after an earthquake.
I would take her up on it. Just watch your expiration dates and rotate stuff through. It might be a life-saver in an emergency.
Like everyone else, I carry insulin and syringes at all times. My Apidra doesn't seem to like to travel, so sometimes I carry Regular instead and late in the day I add my Levemir pen. Also important I think, is a bit of food. In my purse I have a couple of packets of cocoa, York patties, Dex 4 Liquid Glucose. Usually I put an insulated bag in my car with a DanActive, crackers, maybe a small banana. Coffee with milk to drink along the way -- bottle of Starbuck's or Kroger's Lite Mocha Latte is easy, don't have to open it if I don't want it. Leaving home feels like I'm getting ready for a picnic, but more than once something's come up that I need the stuff.
Except not everyone else carries insulin and syringes at all times. I like travelling light.
OK, kind of depends on whether or not you're wearing a pump. I wear my MM522 part time, so exactly how much insulin I carry depends on whether I'm wearing it or on MDI, but I do always have some insulin backup. I carry food all the time.
I have no backup. Endo told me I didn't need it because nothing will go wrong with pump. I sure am glad I have the perfect pump and nothing will ever go wrong, LOL.
Food, for sure. I have my mini repacked packs of Skittles and baby juice boxes everywhere, including the car. As long as I don't transport my son there are always plenty :) Some nut bars kicking around in the car too, an extra meter...and plenty of used strips LOL
I would reconsider Uniboy. Ever have a flat tire?
Curious. How do you wear a pump part time?
Hi MIke. When I first started pumping years ago, I had good absorption all over my body. Now only my belly works well, although I sometimes risk the lovehandle areas. I really, really love my pump, so what I do is to wear it for holidays, some weekends, special occasions, being very careful to rotate sites. Usually my BGs are OK on MDI, but once in a while I really start to rollercoaster, then it's back to my pump to get it all straightened out again. My pump basals are perfect; with Levemir, not so much.
Jean, I see an error in your reasoning... Who's to say you'd be able to get to the fridge? I have my emergency bag outside in a free standing hermitage that my husband built for me out of river rock, by hand. The walls are 18" thick with rebar for support. He says that'll be the only bldg standing. I also have "kits" in both vehicles thinking they would be accessible. What a nightmare to think of having no supplies!
Oh joy! A new label for high bs anger. The other one I got off this site was rage bolus. Did you say that too?
Teasing you now Cindy........what do you do when a meteor strikes? :D
I agree with you but she doesn't agree with me. I go back to her next week and we are going to have this conversation again.
why even take the chance...this is your disease to manage! it's a tool, a piece of technology...of course 'something' could go wrong, nothing is infallible. can't believe an endo would actually say this. this was one of the first things my pump nurse told me, to carry MDI supplies just incase something goes 'wrong' with the pump.
You are correct Type1Gal. Look at the technology with the space shuttles........and we still lost two of them. Always have backups....you back up your computer files Uniboy? I would have a serious discussionn about this with your Endo - or perhaps a new one.
Here's an old discussion started by Manny, when his pump failed
https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/a33-error-paradigm-insulin
I keep shots around too, but I've never had to go back to them in 21+ years of pumping, in spite of various accidents/malfunctions of my pumps, because I have an Accu-chek Spirit, and with their system, you get a back-up pump. something happens, switch over to the backup pump.
We have syringes at home and a few in the car in case my son has a pump issue. We also have both lantus and humalog pens at home in case we need them (like the time my son left his pump in his gym locker & the school was locked by the time we got back to retrieve it). He has extra insulin at school as well as a pen. If we’re around town, I don’t carry insulin around - I can draw it out of his pump cartridge in a pinch. It’s too warm here most of the time to haul it around and expect it to stay potent. If we’re going away for the day or where it would be inconvenient or difficult to get home, I’ll put a pen in a cooler and bring it along just in case.
I will have to let you know how this turns out after next week.
I keep spares and have actually used them before. The canula (since I tend to prefer my hip for placement) was bent and my BS kept climbing. I had tried dosing with the pump to bring it down and after changing the pump site and realizing it had basically kinked I dosed myself again but BS kept climbing. I used a syringe to give myself a bolus and that finally started to bring it down normal. I'm a type 1 diabetic and without my pump working and since I do not take a longer acting insulin it starts climbing and does so quickly.