Being Prepared with Diabetes

Thinking ahead and being prepared for any situation our dud pancreas throws at us is the story of our (people with diabetes) lives. It is something we have little say over, as not having appropriate backup could potentially be fatal.

Anywhere we go, our diabetes supplies have to come with us. This includes our BGL meter, test strips, lancets and hypo food. To add to that, we need our medication(s) – tablets or insulin. If we are on insulin, temperature for insulin storage, sufficient syringes, pens or needles and most importantly, amount of insulin are factors to be considered. I can’t count the number of times I have left something behind and only realised when I am out and about.

Pro tip: if you lose your lancet, avoid using your insulin needle to draw blood, unless you are highly skilled (or not me). It was not nice.

Needing to be prepared all the time can be frustrating. Sometimes, I complain about having to carry a big bag with me all the time because I never know what I might need. Being able to just leave the house doing the triple pat down (keys, wallet and phone) is something I miss dearly.

My mum always says it is better to be safe than sorry. And everyone knows you don’t (or shouldn’t) ignore advice from mum. And today, I am grateful for having heeded that advice and for that spare infusion set in my work drawer. What I am not grateful for are tight skinny jeans that rip out infusion sites on my thigh when I am busting for the loo.

Take home lesson today: always have spares lying around everywhere for you never know when they might come in handy.