Now that I’m getting out more and exercising regularly for longer stretches at a time, I’m not quite sure what to do about my diabetes supplies situation. I do water aerobics and/or lap swimming 3-5x a week for 1-1.5 hours.
I have back problems and fibromyalgia which sometimes just saps my strength and energy, so I’m trying to keep what I pack in my gym bag as light as possible, and it’s already stretching the limits of my ability to carry it. Six months ago I was using a rolling walker to walk, but I’ve graduated to using a cane - literally every ounce counts, and I need to be able to not have multiple bags as I’ve already got one hand tied up with a cane, and both hands are currently healing up from carpal tunnel surgeries (One in February, one 2 weeks ago).
Until now the weather has been nice enough that I could just drop my meter with my glucose tablets into the outside pocket of my swim bag where I could get to them easily without having to worry about them along with an Oatmega bar if I felt I needed more than the glucose tablets to keep me stable. I’d also drop my NovoPen Echo in for that weird time when exercise would cause me to go high instead of low or the center was giving out free delicacies such as hamantaschen around Purim or fruit on appreciation days that I might not want to pass up.
I’m not sure if the NovoPen Echo can go into a Frio due to its having electronics in it? Even if it can, there’s the matter of my test strips. A lunch cooler would add a lot of bulk, as would resorting to packing all my D-supplies in my old Adorn purse with the slot for an ice pack. In many states the test strips wouldn’t be an issue, but I’m in south-central Texas, and in a couple of months it’s going to be 90+ degrees in the shade even as early as 10am when I’m swimming. Ugh. I also know that the heat is going to be making my BG#s go even more wonky than they normally are, which is going to make testing even more important.
This is the gym bag I’m using. It does have a “wet pocket” in it that maybe I could throw an ice pack into, but then I’d have to put my diabetes supplies down at the bottom, under everything else, in order to have it in contact with the wet pocket. http://tinyurl.com/EverestGymBag Or maybe I could keep my gear in the same front, outside pocket that I’ve been using, and put and wrap an ice pack in a wash cloth (to absorb any moisture) in the mesh pocket on the outside of it? The bag does normally stay in the shade, but that’s only so much help in Texas summers.
Adding further complications is that I’ll be adding a Dexcom CGM to the mix soon, too, and needing to carry the receiver and keep it dry. I’ll likely be double ziplock-baggying that and keeping it as close to the pool edge as possible (and hopefully not forgetting it there!) or putting it in the mesh outer pocket so it isn’t “blocked” 100% of the time, and keeping the bag under the bench closest to my pool lane.