Diabetes baggage
Caroline’s forum post about the volume of diabetes junk she lugs around every day made me wonder if I’m a bit of a lightweight. I have a graduated approach to the amount I carry, which increases disproportionately depending on whether or not pyjamas are involved. In brief, my theory is pj=3dj. That is to say, a pair of pyjamas (pj) leads to a minimum threefold increase in the amount of diabetes junk (dj) carried.
If I’m popping out for a couple of hours I take my pump and fruit pastilles. That’s it. Although if I’m in the car there will always be more fruit pastilles, a spare syringe and a decrepit cereal bar tucked away somewhere just in case.
If I have my handbag with me, there’ll be more fruit pastilles plus a syringe tucked away inside in case of emergencies and a spare battery in my purse. If I’m lucky there might also be another bruised and battered cereal bar somewhere.
If I’m going out for the day, I’ll have my blood meter too. Despite previous experiences proving that life can be a bit of a nightmare when you pull your infusion set out hundreds of miles from home, I still don’t carry a spare (I know, I know, but it happens so rarely and as long as I’ll be home before bed I can cope with a syringe).
Now, here’s where it gets a bit strange. My minimalist approach to daytime trips disappears completely if I’m sleeping anywhere other than in my own bed. If I pack my pyjamas, I also pack my diabetes junk bag with all the diabetes goodies you could ever wish for:
- 2 x infusion sets & infusion set inserter
- Pump reservoir
- Pump batteries
- CGM sensor, inserter & transmitter
- Stickies to keep the CGM transmitter attached to my back
- Insulin
- Spare blood test strips
- Spare lancets – I have no idea why when I only change them on bank holidays and very special occasions.
- Glucagon (although until recently it was out of date)
- Glucogel
- Syringes
At our first ShootUp meetup I discovered that I seem to travel very light during the day compared to others. But what I really want to know is does the pj/dj formula work for everyone, or is it unusual to have such a large swing in diabetes junk volume depending on whether pyjamas are involved?
Yes – if PJs are involved I take loads of spare needles, spare insulin cartridges (even if there is still plenty in my current ones) vast quantities of glucotabs and cereal bars, and realistically more lancets than I would normally use in 3 months. I did exactly this when I went to my mum and dads for one night over easter. There house is full of sweet stuff – there was no need what so ever for the glucotabs or cereal bars.
I only take the glucagon if going some where remote, or doing lots of exercise.
Normally I have – 2 pens, a couple of spare needles, meter, 2 tubes of glucotabs and a couple of cereal bars.
@Alison: Maybe you should go to work in your pyjamas (and invest in a capacious pantechnicon).
@Rachel I’m glad it’s not just me
@Ckoei I mostly work from home, so work and pjs aren’t total strangers (although I do make the effort most of the time!). Sadly a capacious pantechnicon would just agravate my severe “hate carrying junk” allergy so must be avoided at all costs.
I’m the same. I think it’s because if I’m just out for a couple of hours, then I know that if worst comes to worst, I can manage til I get home, but if I’m far enough away that I need overnight stuff, then I plan for every emergency! I also keep a spare kit in my desk drawer at work, which reduces the amount of crap I have to carry.
Unfortunately my friends have now learnt that if I go out for the day I will inevitably take a back-pack for all my crap. So I have now effectively become a pack horse having to carry everyone elses water, phones and goodness knows what else!