I feel like my purse weights 15lbs. I wonder if I’m too prepared or not???
Really any form of sugar will do. I usually have some kind of candy. Insulin is a must as well. To think I used to take one shot of NPH in the morning and wherever the levels ran they ran. I wasn't even seeing an endo from my late teens to my early 30's.
If you're purse feels like it weighs 15 lbs you're probably doing it right. Here's the D-stuff I take when I leave home each day for work:
- Meter
- About 100 test strips
- 2-3 extra infusion sets
- Extra insulin (one pen, one vial)
- 2 extra reservoirs
- Glucagon kit
- juice (2 small boxes)
- glucotabs
- Jelly beans
- A couple of snack bars
- Syringes (in case my pump stops working)
I probably take more than most folks, but I work in DC and live in the 'burbs. My commute is just long enough where if something happens, there's a chance I won't make it home and will have to crash at a friend's place. In fact, this happened when we had the earthquake here last summer. It wasn't that bad, but Metro shut down for a long period of time and I had an early day in the office the next day. Thankfully, a coworker offered to let me stay at her place, and I was SO glad I had all my extra D stuff with me. It came in handy!
I have my meter and strips, blood drop getter, glucose tabs, batteries.
My test kit, a couple of pre-portioned bags of jelly beans, 1-2 granola bars. Have you ever actually weighed your purse? Mine is about 9 pounds. I also carry an abundance of lip gloss and hand cream (as as diabetic, I find my hands and lips are always dry). I also carry a bottle of hand sanitizer.
Good discussion question!
+1 to the jelly beans!
ar - I think it was a previous post that you commented on about the jelly beans that convinced me to start carrying them instead of juice boxes! Thanks!
In addition to my meter and Skittles, I used to carry this (circa 2008):
Then I got sick of carrying around giant purses with so much stuff, so now I've whittled it down to this (along with my meter and Skittles):
I live in an earthquake zone and, like BustedPancreas, rely on public transit and have long commutes, so I probably SHOULD go back to carrying the first pack. That had enough supplies that I would be fine getting stranded somewhere for a few days. The new pack has, essentially, enough so that I don't pass out/go DKA/die before getting to more substantial supplies and/or medical assistance.
Meter
1 unopened Test Strip Vial
1 granola bar
At least 30-40 Candy Carbs on me to treat a low
I am probably very unprepared as I don't even remember the last time I owned a glucagon kit. I know the doctors next door to my work, so if I really needed something I could get them to call it in, but I also work close to home.
Wow. Maybe I was delinquent, but I never carried that much when I was in town. I could get home within an hour and if my pump crapped out I could get back in that amount of time, so I didn't carry any of that stuff. I carried my test kit (Freestyle lite so very small) and Starburst fruit chews in case I went low. That was it.
Cora
They are easy and effective. They also sort of helped me get to where I have like 5 jelly beans instead of 15 jelly beans and don't bounce high as often, which I look at as a big win?
I bought myself a nice cosmetic bag to hold everything I think I need and to be able to transfer to any purse easily. It has a bag of jelly beans, a glucagon kit, an extra Novolog pen,meter, test strips, extra needles, Advil, chap stick and an extra lip gloss. I also try to have an extra battery for my meter and a change of needle for my finger tester (however I am ashamed to say I rarely change that!)
I carry a little pencil box with a reservoir, infusion set, tube of glucose tabs, alcohol swabs, syringes, Lantus pen, pen needles, Apidra vial, pen, note paper, test strips, and extra oral meds. I carry my meter separately. I can put my stuff in my computer bag or messenger bag; whatever I am carrying. I have never needed any of it , but I have had to share an infusion set with someone who knocked out theirs.
My carry-along D-related supplies include:
-- 2 containers of emergency glucose tabs (1 tab = 15 calories, 4 gm of carbs and each tube holds 10 tablets.) Carrying two tubes is over-kill at 80 gm total carbs, but I like to be prepared for earthquakes, not just hypos. (I have another 120 gm total in my car.)
-- Meter, lancets, poker and a bottle of test strips in the meter's little zipper pouch.
In a separate insulated zipper case from MEDPort:
-- Ten pen-tips;
-- One pen each of Levemir and Novolog (I throw in a second pen when the first pen is down by about a half, so up to one and a half pens of each);
-- A back-up bottle of 50 test strips;
-- A back-up battery for my meter;
-- About 20 alcohol prep pads (for when I can't wash my hands);
-- Three or four clean, folded paper towels;
-- My log sheet and a black ballpoint pen;
-- A sheet with emergency contact info and medical data for any first responders who end up rifling through my stuff in the event that I pass out;
-- If the weather is warm -- re-useable chill-packs made for the MEDPort case (Seattle weather is usually temperate, but I can pop these into the freezer at work for the trip home in the afternoon heat. In really hot weather, I carry a rectangle of blue ice wrapped in bubble wrap in the same compartment of my back-pack as the MEDPort case.)
The MEDPort also has zipper compartments for my debris/trash and if I'm traveling long distances, I carry paper copies of my prescriptions, too.
My cell phone has my doctor's office and some other numbers for my HMO programmed in, just in case (the 24-hour nurse line, urgent care, customer service, the pharmacy, etc.)
I also have ordered a new diabetes-alert bracelet that will be joining the fray as soon as it arrives.
I don't use a ladies' purse. I live in Seattle and no one bats an eyelash up here in the Great Northwest at a lady of a certain age carrying a North Face day-pack. We're all sporty and outdoorsy like that. Since Microsoft, Amazon, etc. have so many geeks running around up here in The Silicon Forest, everyone probably assumes that I (a software engineer) can't bear to be away from my laptop 24/7; my day-pack fits right in.
I have an understated, basic black day-pack and I carry it everywhere, even to fancy parties, job interviews and the symphony. I have a very pretty, elegant make-up case I pop out of my day-pack when I want to touch-up my lipstick -- and a very pretty, dressy case for my glasses. My wallet is red Chinese silk flowers. That's as girly as I get when I'm out on the town. ;0)
Ha, I just realized who you were! Thought we had a new member or something. :)
Do you have a link to a picture of the case you use? It sounds nice! When I carried my huge pack around I just used a leather pencil case. I think I should probably start carrying more than the bare-minimum-for-a-few-hours-survival around again.
Hi Jen -- yes, it's me. ;0)
I am sad to say that MEDPort doesn't make the exact model I use anymore. I wish they did because it's very useful. This appears to be the closest to what I have, and it doesn't have as much capacity as mine:
http://www.medportllc.com/onthegoorg.html
I believe I bought mine at a diabetes store about nine years ago, and it was being marketed for distance travel (I got mine for my trip to Europe, as I recall.) Mine has several clear plastic zipper pouches, while the new one just has some mesh compartments. The zipper pouches seem more clean?
Maybe we should design the perfect case and start competing with them? Heh.
I'll answer, although as only a T2 on MDI, I won't be at serious health risk without insulin unless I divert from my diet so my answers are probably different than most T1s.
During the day, I carry a small case with my meter, test strips, humalog pen, pen needles and sweet tarts. In my backpack, I have peanuts, snack bars, backup supplies of test strips and needles and broader medications.
I have to say, as a guy, I am probably somewhat reckless. Not that I necessarily take inappropriate risks, but I do stuff like working out in the gym and I don't bring my meter. I always go high, but still.
I am really impressed with how much you have minimized things!
Well I always have the following in my rucksack..
It contains..
1) Pump Remote/Blood Glucose Meter
2) Blood Ketone Machine and 10 strips I always test for ketones if I go high.
3) Syringes
4) 1 vial of novorapid (Would last me 2.5 weeks usually)
5) 1 Novopen
6) Two full infusion sets, 1 cartridge
7) Spare lancets
8) Spare batteries
9) IV prep wipes etc
10) 3M tape
11) Dextrotabs ands hypostop
I like this medicool case, it is not too big, I can put enough stuff in it to last me 1.5 weeks and it has a cooling insert which keeps insulin cool for up to 72 hours. 
I went down to an army surplus store and got an old medic bag for $5, it's just slightly too small for a laptop, but has a great easy access flap, good shoulder strap and looks like a messenger bag at casual glance. I usually have 1-2 extra things of test strips, some lithium batteries for my pump, ketone strips, iv prep pad thingies, tub of glucose tabs to restock the small tube i carry in my pocket if needed, a few pump cartridges and tubing sets, 2-3 infusion sets, a diaper (yeah, not D related, but it's emergency preparedness for when i'm out with my toddler) glucagon kit, meter, and who knows what else has made it's way in there by now. Actually, diggin' through it now: few packets of sugar, tube of glucose gel, razor and blades (for shaving at work, you know!) lots of napkins for toddler issues, ummm... software? a $50 gift card i had forgotten about and some socks! I should look through my bag more often apparently....