I have a basket full of old meters, lancing devices, syringes, lancets, and epi-pens. Plus half a dozen boxes of expired Cozmo pump cartridges.
Obviously a lot of this has to go into a sharps container, but do I just toss the electronics? (Those I'm not keeping as historical artifacts, that is.)
Also, as I was looking through all this old stuff I was sort of amazed at all the meters I have gone through ...
MediSense ExacTech Glucometer Elite
Bayer Dex
OneTouch SureStep (only used briefly)
OneTouch Ultra (only used briefly)
OneTouch UltraSmart
Freestyle Flash/Mini
Accu-Chek Compact Plus (only used briefly)
Contour USB
OneTouch Ping
(plus currently Precision Xtra for ketones, Accu-Chek Nano for backup meter at work, and Accu-Chek Mobile for "sports" meter while swimming)
I suppose that's not too many considering I've had diabetes for 22 years, averages one meter about every year or so.
The epi-pens should DEFINITELY be used for practice. Most people say oranges, but I like grapefruits because I'm much less likely to stab the hand that's holding the fruit steady.
I'd toss the stuff you'll really never use--the old lancing devices, meters, cartridges, etc.
Yes - I do intend to stab some fruit with the epi-pens. I even found one of the "old" pre-2010 (I think) style epi-pens. Shows how long I've just been tossing old medical junk in there without cleaning it out!
A few years ago I lived with a roommate (who also had allergies) and arrived home one night to her asking if she could use my sharps container. She had stabbed a tomato with her expired epi-pen at her boyfriend's suggestion and it "exploded" - I was annoyed they hadn't waited for me so that I could have seen it, but I let her use my sharps container. :) Though, she did say that experience made her never want to have to use the device on herself.
I intend to keep some of the meters and lancing devices from the early 1990s just for historical purposes. :) But the rest I'll probably just toss.
Please don't "just toss" the electronics. They have electronic battery acids and stuff that are not good for environment. I put my retired electronics in the lot and hand them over to the folks who accept and recycle things like tv, phone, printer, camera, radio, mp3 player, and "stuff" like that.
I agree with her--the idea of that kind of force from the spring inside my thigh muscle? Well, let's just say that I'm absolutely not afraid of needles, but those are terrifying.
I should probably clarify that when I say "toss" I usually mean "recycle if at all possible." I'm the type that will carry an empty pop bottle around for half a day until I can find a recycling container - and if I can't, I take it home to recycle.
None of them actually have batteries in them - I recycle batteries. So it's just the meters and any electronics inside them.
I have truthfully never had to recycle electronics because most of my old stuff gets passed on to someone else. So I'm not sure which company would be accessible via public transit (without taking an hour to get to) and/or where I could ship them.
I liked the older epi-pens better than the new ones. They were certainly smaller!
I share an office with a colleague who also has food allergies, and we've also been good friends for years. We always joke that if we ever need it, we'll get the other person to stab us with the epi-pen rather than doing it ourselves.
It just occurred to me that I still have my Cozmo pump. I'm not sure what the expiry date on the cartridges means or if they would still be safe and usable after that date ... But I was thinking, since they're no longer manufactured, maybe I should keep it all as a backup pump. At least until I get the Vibe and can hopefully keep my Ping as a backup.
I'd like remind everyone that our Terms of Service:
we cannot allow the exchange, sale or giveaway of items that require a prescription from a licensed practitioner (such as a doctor, dentist, ophthalmologist or optometrist) in our communities. Examples of prescription items include but are not limited to: insulin pumps, insulin pump supplies and insulin. Any prescription items listed for sale, exchange or giveaway by any member will be deleted.
It is ok to suggest ways that Jen can get properly rid of her stuff, which includes giving them Rx items to doctors or charities like Insulin for Life that are authorized to accept Rx items.
