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Needle accident!

K

Kirstin Anne

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
What does everyone keep their used needles in when they’re out and about?

Just had the worst experience of a needle falling out of its case, the cap fell off and I went to get keys out of my bag while in Tesco, stuck myself with it, reacted and it flew somewhere near the self check out. Had to ask a member of staff to look with me and it seemed to have vanished! We looked for ages! She told me to go and that she’d warn the cleaners and keep looking. I feel awful! So much that I called them when I got home but they didn’t seem to care. Has anyone had any experiences like this? Stressing about other shoppers even though it’s a tiny needle, it is used
 
Kirstin Anne said:
Had to ask a member of staff to look with me and it seemed to have vanished! We looked for ages! She told me to go and that she’d warn the cleaners and keep looking. I feel awful! So much that I called them when I got home but they didn’t seem to care.
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You did well, not much more you could have done.
Kirstin Anne said:
What does everyone keep their used needles in when they’re out and about?
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A small empty water bottle does the trick nicely.
 
I’m a fan of the BD needle clipper. Very small, convenient and easy to carry around. It was recommended to me on here when I first joined looking for some travel advice.
 
I keep used needles and lancets in old test strips tubs when out. Both glucose test strip tubs and ketone test strip (for urine tests) tubs work.

An AccuCheck Instant glucose test strip tub holds 5 used needles without covers and a few lancets, or 2 needles with covers (I use BD Ultra-Fine, others might be a different size) plus two lancets.

Ketostix ketone test strip tubs hold a lot more than that (maybe 50 needles plus some lancets), so I keep them set aside for travel.

I'm in Germany so the tubs in the UK might be different sizes.

An old spice jar or medicine container could work too. This might be going too far, but some chapstick containers could probably be adapted to hold used needles. I'd still keep it inside something unless the lid was screw-on.
 
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I'm not a needle user, but I do recycle my test strip tubs and any slightly larger suitable ones with an attached/hinged lid. I've used the latter for years pre T2, as they are useful both as mini storage containers for various small items, or as mini waste bins... And they're handbag, pocket etc, sizes so nice & portable too.
 
letsgo182 said:
the local council will pick them up and collect them from you.
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That must depend on where you live, I recently moved and neither the old council or the new council will do that. I have to take them to my doctors but they will only take ones that have been prescribed by them.
 
The subject of some council's providing/collecting sharps bins and others not, has been posted in another thread before now, and it does seem to be another postcode lottery unfortunately.
 
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