Let’s see…
I’ve lost my meter more than 5 times (same meter as you Gina), but it was returned each time (my first name and cell number is tapped inside meter case). My P-Link did fall out of my pocket as I was getting out of my friends car and she backed over it by accident. I had to wait about 3 days for the replacement to arrive, but had to buy strips out-of-pocket for an old Freestyle I had.
I now have 3 meters so I can always have a backup that uses the same strips (2 P-Links and 1 Nova Link). You can usually get the meters free (just call and tell them you lost/broke yours and they will send a free replacement), and it’s a good idea to have backup meters that use the same test strips.