Every Day Bag

[johnstoc]

Hi All,

I wanted to see what people outthere with Type 1, kept with them. When they go out or at work etc...
See if I've missed anything, or if i (or anyone else) has any good ideas not thought of.

I haven't purchased any 'diabetic' bags as yet. Instead i'm using one of my sons small bags, a Mckenzie bag - the wife calls it my Joey bag / man bag :-( Which I take everywhere with me.

In this I keep:

2 Monitors. 1*FreeStyle for Ketones, 1*OneTouch for BG.
Test strips for both, plus control solution, just in case I need to brake into a new set of strips.
Lantus SoloStar Insulin Pen - I only take this at night so I could leave this at home. But I like it with me, in case I'm delaied.
NovoRapid FlexPen
Both Pens take the same needles. I carry 14, which does me for 3 days (plus a couple spare).
Bottle of Lucozade.
Home Monitoring Diary.
Small tuaware box, used for a sharpes bin (transfer the sharpes into a the normal yellow sharpes bin, on return to home).

Does anyone keep anything extra. Or does this all sound standard to you seasoned pros.

 

[SophiaW]

You're more organised than us For my daughter we take the minimum needed if we'll be close to home (within 30 minutes drive distance). The minimum is a test meter (bg, not ketone) and some quick acting carbs in the form of glucotabs and glucojuice. With the test meter there are spare batteries for the meter, extra lancing barrels for the finger pricker, and a tub of test strips. We'll take a spare tub of strips if the current one is running low. Her insulin is in the pump so we don't need pens. Also with the test kit is some non-alcohol wipes for cleaning fingers if no water is nearby, and a spare infusion/cannula set incase the one she is wearing is pulled out for some reason. She carries this all in a zip pouch and that lives in her bag, if I'm with her then often I'll put it in my bag as she doesn't always take a bag with her. If she's out on her own then she also always has her phone incase she needs to get in touch. The zip pouch we use is this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Diabete-ezy-Ezy ... 434&sr=8-1

If we're going further away then I take all the above plus extra infusions sets, spare tub of test strips, ketone test kit with strips and make sure her pump is full of insulin which is around 200 units and that will last about a week. Also spare insulin pens with insulin incase pump fails and we need to inject. Like you I take extras incase we'll be delayed, better to be prepared

I don't take any control solution. I may be wrong but I didn't think you need to use this with every change in strips. I only use it about once a year or if I'm concerned that the readings are not matching up with what I think they should be. So far in the 6 years whenever I've used the control solution the results have been accurate.

edit: the other thing in the pouch is a card with emergency contact details and it says that she has type 1 diabetes.

 

[Sarah69]

All I take out for a day is my novorapid!

 

[Ambersilva]

Depends how long I am away from home. I take my kit with testing paraphernalia and humalog pen crammed into a small handbag. In my pocket, two glucose tabs and eight jelly beans in tiny polythene bags in a tiny purse. In the glove box in the car are some more glucose tabs and biscuits. In addition, for a day away from home, I have a snack bar or two in my hand bag just in case I get marooned far from civilisation! And of course my smartphone in case I need to find a Pharmacy or Restaurant.

 

[noblehead]

Work I take just bg meter, novo pen, glucose and old test strip tub to keep used strips and needles in, I always carry ID at all times too.

 

[jopar]

What I take out with me is dependant where I'm going..

I have an insulin pump, so always got insulin with me

But my meter and hypo kit goes everywhere with me, even if I'm just popping down the road!

At work I keep a spare infusion set..

Dependent where I'm going and how long I'm going to be, will determine whether I take my pump emergency kit or not..

A whole day out, I will take spare pump battery, syringe, infusion set and lunar lock/collar.. If I'm more than an hour away from home then I will take spare cartridge for pump and a vial of insulin..

 

[LaughingHyena]

I usually have 3 or 4 jelly babies in an plastic bag in each of my coats so if I'm popping out on foot for a short trip to pick the kids up from school that is all I take.

My handbag has jelly babies/dextrose tablets, a cereal bar and my one touch meter and comes with me most places. I've got an ID car in my wallet, and also the phone number for the diabetes clinic in my phone. Hopefully that would give someone a clue if I'm unconcious (and I don't put a unlock code on my phone for that reason)

Personally I only tend to carry insulin if If I think I'm likely to be out over a meal time, I put the needles I need for the day in my pen case each morning (helps me check at a glance I've not forgotton to take it) and just stick an empty strip pot in my bag for the used ones. I may add a spare needle if I'm going out later in the evening just in case.

going away for longer takes a bit more planning, I take a spare penfil of each kids of insulin plus a backup pen and 2 meters. I use a baby changing bag for all the medical kit. all those little pockets inside means iit's pretty good at keeping things organised.

 

[johnstoc]

These are all great thank you. Some good stuff.

 

[nmr1991]

If I am going out e.g. going college for just 3-5 hours, I wouldn't take anything if it is in the afternoon (12 - 4pm) since I would have ate at home beforehand, I would have money to buy any sugary food while studying etc and I know what my blood sugar is because I am used to what kind of state of mind I am currently in, e.g. if my blood sugar is high I would feel agitated, tired, weak, where if my blood sugar was low, I would feel like I am rushing myself, feeling more sweaty or shakier than normal.

However if I am going to college all day, or if I have a night out to a restaurant with family, I would take:

1. A sports bag, which is small that you would take if you had P.E or something which is good for travelling.
2. I have a plastic box/container to put my home monitoring diary in, a wallet for BS monitor, finger pricker, test strips and lancets in the zip compartment along with my Lantus Solostar pen, NovoRapid pen and about 10 '4mm' needles all in the same box.
3. I would also have a plastic beaker which is a suitable storage for sharps, and whenever it gets full I empty it into a larger plastic container which would normally be used as a pastry storage box and/or fill up into a yellow sharps bin (if available which is very rare).
4. To prepare against hypo's I would just take a 150ml can of cola.

I rarely have anything to counter a hypo other than the can of coke since my diet is high in carbohydrates and I keep my blood sugar between 5 and 8. GlucoTabs are hard to come by and my local hospital are the only ones who provide them.

I've never had a holiday abroad since I got diabetes so whenever I do it will be the first experience.

 

[Mileana]

Going out for a few hours, I bring my meter, strips and a small portion juice and Glucose Tabs. In my meter bag I also keep my ID card.

Going out for more than that, I bring both my insulin pens, kept in travel tooth brush thingies - 1 fits in each, and so does two pen needles. Both go into a neophrene pencase along with some extra dex-tabs and a few more needles.

This keeps them from bouncing around too much. This is what I bring for work or over-night visits with family - I would sometimes bring an extra Rapid Acting insulin if I expect to be away for more than 24 hours or not be within a few hours of my home. In case...

After my hypo a few days ago, I'm going to get a bracelet for my sports activities - It's little good people think I'm drunk when I can't make myself understood.

I'm type 2, though, or so I'm told.