Asking for help with a little project

Tips, Tech & Gear
1

Hello everyone.

I wanted to ask for some help with a little project.

My endo, who is really phenomenal, asked for me to help her with this. And of course, I thought involving the FUD Brain Trust would make it even better.

The idea is that she wanted me to come up with a very concise and easy to understand checklist for those who are newly diagnosed with diabetes, to help them know what things they should bring with them.

The framework of what she is looking for…

  • If you are leaving the house for 20 minutes to go to the grocery store, you don’t need the same things you need if you are going to be away from home for a few hours.

  • Being away from home for a few hours is not the same as what you might want to bring with you if you are going to be away for 8 hours of work.

  • And being away for 8 hours of work is not the same as what you need to bring if you are going on an overnight trip.

Each of these lists :arrow_up: is easy to come up with on it’s own for any of us.

But the tricky part is that the lists need to be made in a way that is super simple to understand and follow, concise, and works for anyone.

  • Those using a pump and those who are doing injections and basal
  • Those who are not yet using insulin
  • Those who are on a CGM and those who are not using it
  • Those who are T1D, T2D, etc.

:exploding_head:

So I am thinking a little grid type of box, and things like - if using a pump, bring this. If using injections, bring this. If using CGM, bring this…

And then within that checkbox setup, there are different categories, like a short trip, a few hours, a day, and overnight.

So what would you all suggest for a easy way express that? I’d like to have it on a single sheet.

Please feel free to share ideas. And there are no wrong answers here, it’s just brainstorming right now. Whatcha got?

Thanks!

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Well, Eric, I was going to do this in a chart, but this is the best I can come up with now. I didn’t specify type 1 or 2 as most of this applies to all of us

20 minute away from home for all:
Meter, strips, lancing device, glucose tabs or Smarties.

Up to 4 hours for those not using insulin:
Meter, strips, lancing device, glucose tabs or Smarties.

Up to 4 hours for those on MDI without a CGM:
If using pens, a case to carry basal and bolus insulin
Meter, strips, lancing device, glucose tabs or Smarties.

Up to 4 hours for those on MDI with a CGM:
If using pens, a case to carry basal and bolus insulin
Meter, strips, lancing device, glucose tabs or Smarties.

Up to 4 hours for those using a pump without a CGM:
A syringe to draw insulin out of the pump if the pump or site fails.
Meter, strips, lancing device, glucose tabs or Smarties.

Up to 4 hours for those using a pump connected to a CGM:
Syringe for pump or site failures.
Meter, strips, lancing device, glucose tabs or Smarties.

8 hours or more for those not using insulin:
Meter, strips, lancing device, glucose tabs or Smarties, any oral meds.

8 hours or more for those on MDI without a CGM:
Meter, strips, lancing device, glucose tabs or Smarties, and maybe some sort of protein bar.

8 hours or more for those on MDI with a CGM:
If using pens, a case to carry basal and bolus insulin, if time is extended a spare CGM.
Meter, strips, lancing device, glucose tabs or Smarties and maybe some sort of protein bar.

8 hours or more for those using a pump without a CGM::
Meter, strips, lancing device, glucose tabs or Smarties, and maybe some sort of protein bar.
Syringe to draw out insulin in case of a pump or site failure. If time is extended, maybe a spare infusion set. For 8 or more hours I carry rapid insulin, cartridge and set.

8 hours or more for those on a pump with a CGM:
Meter, strips, lancing device, glucose tabs or Smarties, and maybe some sort of protein bar.
Syringe to draw out insulin in case of a pump or site failure. If time is extended, maybe a spare infusion set. For 8 or more hours I carry rapid insulin, cartridge and set and CGM.

For overnight for all:
The same recommendations as above with the addition of more food and any meds.

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Kinda like saying “spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch” on the way out the door, I’ve muttered many different chants to myself as I’m getting ready to leave the house every day. PDM, glucometer, candy, needles, pens, etc. Just having a baseline list of things I need for basic survival every time I leave and intrinsically knowing it.

That’s changed for me at some point where I stopped trying to take things with me and started having things everywhere I go. Instead of one glucometer, I’ve got four. There are syringes everywhere, I don’t really ever use syringes anymore. At my office, in my car, in the kitchen, etc. The idea being that this stuff takes up relatively little room, takes forever to go bad and may be useful.

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What I do that makes it easy is have my dedicated bags that ready and have everything in it.

I have a hiking or walking bag, my work bag, my gym bag.

That way you grab it and go and your not thinking about it every time you leave the house.

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I find it a little too tedious and time consuming to pack different amounts of supplies for the day. Plus I never really know when a 20 minute errand turns into an all day event for some reason or another so why pack differently?

I have every thing I need for an all day outing packed in my purse at all times. Then any overnight would say purse + extra overnight.

I do have to set a reminder to refill tabs and test strips periodically.

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@CarlosLuis,
Just using this section of your answers as an example of how this can possibly be simplified and shortened (a 1 page pamphlet is what we are looking for).

What if it said something like:

Up to 4 hours:

  • Meter, strips, lancing device, glucose tabs or other glucose source.
  • If using a CGM, method of reading your CGM values (phone or receiver).
  • If doing insulin injections - either an insulin pen and spare needles or spare insulin syringes, and any insulin that you use (for example, both rapid and basal insulin if using them both).
  • If using a pump, in case of pump failure, either an alternative method of insulin delivery with rapid and basal insulin, or a spare pod or spare infusion set and insulin to fill the pump.

Basically a series of If-Then statements.

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@Eric, there is nothing simple about what I carry.

@CarlosLuis has a great list that would be fine for starters, but I don’t carry all that stuff. I take a meter on trips, but usually if the Dexcom goes berserk for a while I just guess. That includes day trips around town, when I just carry glucose tablets and snacks plus a small battery charger with cables for pump, phone and watch in case I forget to charge. I do have a meter and strips in my bike bag. There is a Dexcom 12v charger in my car and at our 12v solar cabin. No Baqsimi on bike rides because I have never been to an emergency room for low glucose in 54 years of T1D.

For out of town I have a long complicated list that starts off “Charge pump, phone and watch” and includes Dexcom sensors, alcohol wipes, Tegaderm covers, insulin (two for some trips), spare pump, infusion sets, IV Prep wipes, infusion covers, pump reservoirs, stiff plastic piece to push out reservoir, meter, lancets, test strips, meter battery in child-resistant packaging, plug-in charger with cables for pump, phone and watch, glucose tablets, Baqsimi, snacks and probably something I am leaving out.

I see the value in what you are doing, but it wouldn’t work for me as a T1D with pump and Dexcom. Perhaps better to err on the side of taking along more stuff until you find out what works for you.

Randy

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Curious. I do MDI but wouldn’t carry basal pen if going out for four or even eight hours. I inject once a day only. Basal is already on board.

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I am a bicyclist who has had my set sweated off. Carrying the syringe was great as I didn’t have to drive 30 miles after the ride.

The glucose has been good to get my BG up when going low and the peanut butter crackers sustained me to finish the ride.

The Contour Next has verified that Dexcom which displays on my bike computer was inaccurate due to fast charging BG.

My cycling kit is easy to carry in the center back pocket of my jersey. I have a high visibility reflective triangle flag that Velcros to the case to hang out the pocket.

My day kit has an infusion set w/cartridge , vial of rapid insulin, syringe, meter, strips, lancet, glucose and food.

Maybe I’m OCD but it’s not really a burden.

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I was using Lantus when on MDI and I found doing a triple split dose kept my BG more stable. Had a nice little case that held 2 pens nicely.

I am a firm believer in TCOYOD and do whatever works for you.

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11

That sounds good- I know I’m probably over the top. As a former Scout master, be prepared!

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Hello. That’s interesting. I used to split into two doses am and pm. Me being me I would probably forget a third one. But as you say we are all different.

Jane Cerullo

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It seems I’m much less cautious than the mainstream here. I’m running loop and wearing a Dexcom G7. I choose not to gear up to survive the zombie apocolypse, and I think I can get out of trouble pretty easily. If I’m going out for a few hours (say, 4) I expect that I can just return home if need be, so all I have with me is a 10-pack of glucose and my phone. In a life-threatening situation I’d just call 911 or go find an emergency room.

If I’m going out for a half day and a big meal, I’ll bring a kit with vial, syringes, a 50-tab glucose bottle, glucagon, and a BG meter/strips/lancet. And I always have a couple syringes in a baggie in the car in case I need to draw insulin from a ripped-off pump. In that baggie I also have an old syringe prescription label to justify syringe possession in case of a police stop.

Only if I’m going far away for a day or more do I bring all the duplicate and spare devices and supplies that people here seem to tote around routinely.

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Me, too, it’s just easier that way. Plus I always have a roll of glucose tabs in a jeans pocket for easy access when I’m out and about.

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15

I am currently MDI + CGM… and very minimalist!

I always have glucose tabs stored in my desk at work, in my car, in my husband’s car, at home in various places.

When I go out for a short trip, I carry my bag with a few pen needles, a few syringes, my basal pen, and my short-acting vial. (If it truly is like a 20-min trip to the store, I may not even bring that.) I have glucose tabs in the car if needed.

I keep my meter and glucose tabs in my backpack that I use for work. I rarely need my meter.

For a weekend trip, I might add an extra CGM sensor and some extra sugar/snacks to the above stuff.

(ETA: when using my pump, I don’t carry extra pump supplies with me around town. I only kept 1 extra infusion set and 1 extra cartridge in my work backpack. I have never really been stranded or in need of supplies I didn’t have easy access to, thankfully.)

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I’ve wondered if that works for endurance athletes as the liver might be depleted.

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I want to figure out a way of displaying it in a very simple format.

We can definitely discuss changes, additions, or any other edits that need to be made to the content of this. And I appreciate everyone’s insight here.

But as far as putting it into an easy to understand and follow (and very simple) format, how does something like this look?

image
image638×375 6.07 KB

Is anything missing here?

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This is good information design. It also looks pretty complete to me, and is approximately how I manage things on these time scales. I managed to figure it all out on my own but it would have been great to get a notecard (or even business card) with this on it when I was starting out.

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That’s what Eric’s endo is wanting

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Yes!

And also, I am trying to be a little on the overly-cautious side because it is aimed at newbies rather than us old-timers!

For example, I don’t bring a spare pod with me for a full day away from home. I just have a syringe I can use to pull insulin from the pod. But that’s not a trick I would want to tell a newbie!

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