A real survival bracelet

I have been working on this for a while, designing and coming up with the best parts to use, and the best way to make it. I am finally finished with it and I am very happy with how it has turned out.
(Here is a post of the first version, which only had insulin but did not have the glucagon.)

You have probably seen the survival bracelets and survival gadgets you can buy. For example, a survival bracelet that has matches and a fish hook and fishing line. Yeah, that will really help me if I am in an elevator that gets stuck, or the subway breaks down, or I am stuck on the highway in total gridlock. I’ll just go fishing. :roll_eyes:

I have made a survival bracelet that gives me what I would most want - insulin and glucagon. That at least levels the playing field. I’d have the same chances of surviving as any non-D. This bracelet is basically a manual pancreas.

Here are some pictures of the build.

I am using some parts from mechanical pencils because they have the right diameter.
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I attached them using JB Weld epoxy.
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I painted it silver to help with heat reflection and to keep the sun off of it:
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For the insulin syringe, I chose a syringe with a 10mm 26 gauge needle. The needle is much thicker than any standard insulin syringe needle. Why? Because I want this thing to be durable! If I need to inject a hundred times with it, I will. I don’t want something that will not last, like some of those dainty 31 gauge syringes. This is not about comfort, it is about survival.

Here is a close-up picture for comparison. The 26 gauge needle is the one on the bottom.
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I cut the syringe down to fit inside the insulin cartridge, so it saves space. It is still fully functional!
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The reason this took me so long to finally be able to make is because I have been waiting on the shelf-stable premixed glucagon. They finally released it! Get some Gvoke, people! It’s really cool!

I cut the Gvoke syringe down to fit. The Gvoke volume is very small compared to the Lilly glucagon kits you have to mix. It has the same amount of glucagon as a Lilly glucagon kit, but it is contained in only 0.20 milliliters. That’s a full 1mg of glucagon in an injection that is only 20 units!

(For this, do not get the Gvoke automatic injector pen, get the syringe version!)

I marked the Gvoke syringe in 1/4 increments. You can even micro-dose it smaller if you are careful and have steady hands. If your liver is fully stocked with glycogen, the entire contents of this small glucagon syringe would give you the equivalent of 100 grams of sugar! And it is much smaller than any other way of carrying 100 grams.

Here it is, cut down and marked.

Here are the parts inside the container (I took this pic to show how they fit inside, before painting the container). You can see how the insulin syringe fits inside the insulin cartridge. That is the one on the bottom of this pic.
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Wrapping the container in paracord to make it wearable.
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Here are all the parts. The glucagon syringe is on the top. On the right is the mini-syringe and the insulin cartridge. I am using a NovoLog cartridge because it is smaller than a vial. I removed some of the insulin so that the syringe can fit inside the back of the cartridge. But the cartridge still has 80 units. In starvation conditions, that would be enough basal for me to last about 7 days. That is long enough, because if I have not resolved my issue in 7 days, than I am probably screwed for a number of other reasons besides diabetes! :grinning:

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And here it is, all put together. I used a single piece of paracord for this, about 20 feet or so, which could also come in handy in an emergency! I am using the Mad Max style knot to secure it, so there are no plastic buckles that can break. It stays secure and is easy to adjust for any size. (Diet Coke can for scale)

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If you want to do this, I can send you links and info to help, just ask!

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Got ours! It’s awesome to finally not have to worry about mixing Glucogon in the event of an emergency!

Question - have you had any issues with the caps popping off? I just think about if you’re in a wilderness environment and the beating gear takes - will it stay on NP?

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I have tested them, and those things are on there really snug! But I suppose I could take a piece of sewing thread and run a few stitches around them and the cord to make them more secure.

I’ve been wearing it a lot - and so far, no problem. But I have not been lost in the woods yet. :joy:

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You can also get a threading tool and get threaded caps installed if you had problems with the pop-on tops. You now have to get yourself lost in the wilderness, test all this stuff, then report back. :smiley:

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Yep, it’s plastic so I could easily thread it. Thanks for the idea!

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I just texted my endo to call this in to the pharmacy for me. Thanks for the heads up, McGiver.

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@Eric:

Very nice!!!

Gee, when I started this, 26 gauge WAS the ultra fine, not the industrial strength … how times have changed!

But you remind me to see if my Medicare supplement yet covers Gvoke … they didn’t last time I checked.

Stay safe!

John

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@shott, I think Gvoke has a coupon for a free or cheap prescription fill, at least for a while until their product becomes more mainstream. I do not know the details, but someone around here may know about it. Or you can call them and find out about it. I think all you need is a prescription to take advantage of it.

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@Eric:

Thanks! I will check that out … that would at least get me in the game.

John

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@shott, here’s the Gvoke link for the savings card.

https://www.gvokeglucagon.com/savings-and-support

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You need an Etsy shop!

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@Eric, where can I order one in case I need to bug out? In fact there are many members in NorCal that might be in the market for one with all the fires this year. You could make some serious $$ just off FUD members.

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I am happy to help with links and stuff. But making a lot of them would drive me nuts.

@Chris mentioned 3D printing. That might be the way to go for the case. But that is actually the easy part. You still have to do the paracord tying by hand, and cut the syringes down.

You can do this yourself. It just takes time and patience.

Here is what you need:

  • An exacto knife and some new blades
  • Paracord
  • A hacksaw to open the NovoLog pen and take out the cartridge
  • A few pieces of wood to make the rig for the paracord
  • JB Weld epoxy putty
  • The pencil parts (I can give you Amazon links if you need them)
  • Script for the glucagon - Gvoke injection, NDC # 72065-131-12
  • Script for the Novolog pen for the insulin cartridge - NDC # 00169633910

I think that’s it. Happy to help with steps if you want to try it.

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The Paracord part I have down - I make homemade medicalert bracelets for myself using a variety of patterns. The challenge is the add-ons.

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If you have done the paracord stuff before, this would probably be pretty easy for you. I think you should go for it. :+1:

Just break it into 3 parts:

  1. The container
  2. The paracord
  3. The internal components

I always figure that I can take my time doing these things, because I’ll probably be a diabetic for a few more weeks. So just do it slowly over time.

Start with getting these things. Here are the Amazon links:

Amazon.com (:arrow_left: Get 2 or 3 of these in case you mess them up trying to cut them)
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
And an exacto knife with new blades.

After you get those and can see them, it will be easier to explain the next steps to you.

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The one thing I wonder about this picture https://global.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fudiabetes/original/2X/b/b7f0091590fafd40766403cde12365cf6db3907b.jpeg
is whether rapping the blue end down sharply on a table will express some gvoke from the syringe into it’s needle cover. That’s the failure mode I worry about with any pre-filled syringe. (I recognize that the paracord wrap and the usage make this issue unlikely, but maybe it can be strictly ruled out either by a test of the current design or by a tweak to the design.)

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I appreciate the thoughts on that possibility! But I usually wear the blue side toward my body, so hitting it repeatedly against anything is not likely. And I only wear it when I leave the house. I don’t wear it when doing chores around the house.

I will occasionally check the contents to make sure everything still looks okay inside. :+1:

However thanks for the thought because I do continually look for design improvement!

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W.O.W. Just WOW. :astonished:

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