Type 1 and going out

Luke2 said:

When going out and about, whether that be a day out or out with friends for a couple of drinks etc. Does anyone take a bag with them with hypo treatment, insulin and finger prick equipment?

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Yes, I don't go anywhere, not even for a quick trip to the supermarket without my small rucksack with insulin, something to treat lows (usually a bag of winegums or the likes), phone for sensor readings, glucose meter.
The bag usually holds my wallet as well, a pair of reading glasses, some cash in case I forgot my wallet again, sometimes a book. No keys because I keep my door unlocked and my car keys in the car.

Yes, I don't leave the house without insulin, needles, finger pricker, glucose meter, test strips, fast acting carbs, and phone for sensor readings. I keep a bag ready, that I take to the bedroom at night.
On the very rare occasion I'm out of town, add in spare pump cannulas, cartridges, and pump charger.

If I didn't have a willing girlfriend (with handbag) I used to sometimes take a man-bag out with me, otherwise injection and blood tester, taken out of their cases, will fit into a jacket's pockets (along with a handful of needles) which works fine if it's going to be cold or wet. At a push a pen and some needles will fit in a jeans pocket (just be careful to not sit down before removing it, whether it's in the front or the rear pocket!)

I'll happily go without a blood tester most of the time though, even before CGM, and make an assumption about my pre-meal BG based on feel. Even easier nowadays with CGMs. I do always take at least a single packet of funsize Skittles in a pocket as an emergency hypo treatment, but will always try to sort this out by buying something (e.g. a half of coke) as the Skittles may be required to get home once the bars and shops have closed.

I take everything with me.
But, I reduce the bulk by taking my meter out of its case. I have a small bag in which I can fit both insulin pens, meter, test strips, hypo treatment, credit card and phone.
Depending upon what I am wearing, this could for in a jacket pocket.

I now have a pump which means the pens are not required. Instead I need to carry a syringe and vial of insulin in case my pump fails.

if I’m just going out for the day I take my insulin pen and glucose tabs , also if I go for drinks if I have low sugar I buy a can of coke . I also have my phone which keeps me right for blood sugar . My car however is a different thing

Luke2 said:

Hi all,

When going out and about, whether that be a day out or out with friends for a couple of drinks etc. Does anyone take a bag with them with hypo treatment, insulin and finger prick equipment?

I do have a CGM but when having a low I do sometimes do a finger prick just to be sure I’m low (even though I usually do feel it). I don’t usually finger prick test at all otherwise, I think I just need to trust it more for lows.

I find it fairly cumbersome to take all of this stuff. I will obviously take hypo treatment and my insulin I just find it a bit annoying to have to take a bag all the time haha!

Any ideas are welcome what other people do

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Yes absolutely take your glucose meter, finger pricker device and glucose (absolutely) !!

I find when doing unusual events like this means my glucose levels can move at a faster pace than my CGM will pick up on, so having a back up to check is essential - I know it's a PITA but get a body bag that will go over one shoulder, it's actually on trend to have one of these and more so with the t1d, I see loads of lads wearing them, I think they do so mostly for the 'label' than as a medical need but they still look cool.

Also make sure you have 1 mate who knows what to do and the signs to look out for if you go low, sometimes when alcohol is mixed with t1s the low signs are mistaken but having a good sensible pal helps as they can step in and get you to check/take glucose if necessary, chances are you'll be fine, just run slightly higher than normal and always finish the night with some carbs. Have a great time.

A sling bag like this one is ideal:

I generally don't take insulin with me if I'm not planning to eat out, but if I am I take insulin in a pouch thing which also holds my needles, a bag of sweets which live in my bag and my phone. My meter I leave in my car. I have a cross body bag which is really my handbag but is big enough to shove diabetes kit in too.

ATB123 said:

I generally don't take insulin with me if I'm not planning to eat out, but if I am I take insulin in a pouch thing which also holds my needles, a bag of sweets which live in my bag and my phone. My meter I leave in my car. I have a cross body bag which is really my handbag but is big enough to shove diabetes kit in too.

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Take care leaving your meter in your car when hot or cold as it can damage the strips.

Hi,

It depends on what & how long I’m out for..

A quick pop to the shops, cash phone & hypo treatment.

Gigs, I can be out half the night. So I take the lot..

Eating out, movie night, work doo? Most my clothing have accommodating pockets.
I normally have the needle pre loaded on the pen with a spare floating about, just in case.

I've now started to take my bolus insulin out irrespective of whether I plan to eat - I will invariably go low if I'm out and about (cf being at home) so it's not to correct highs, but rather if we (the kids and I) decide to stay out longer than expected and they want something to eat. I once had to sit through them eating a fry-up while I couldn't and have learned my lesson! In these cases I usually have a shopping bag slung over my shoulder so it's easy, otherwise it's shoved in shoulder bag/jacket/jeans pocket depending on weather/event.

Same is true on the bike, if I'm going for more than a couple of hours I'll take bolus insulin + needles, if it's more than say 5h I'll also take blood tester just in case CGM fails, though I'm sure I could muddle through on feel if needed, but reducing any niggling concerns is a important factor for these, so in it goes.

Re needles, I will happily wander around with used ones (with both caps back on) in my jeans/jacket pocket. I've only ever had one come completely undone and that was in a messenger bag which I'd not emptied for a long time - I wondered what the sharp pain in my bottom was every time I took a step (though it might be a hair follicle or similar) and eventually ran my hand over the back of the bag and found a needle sticking out and doing acupuncture on me every time it swung back and forth!

In a word. Yes! It’s one of the bug bears isn’t it. You cannot just leave the house without paraphernalia. I have everything in a lunch bag which I can just grab and go. It goes upstairs at night and back down in the morning. I keep it stocked with all necessaries so I don’t have to think too much.

Yes, I always have my CGM reader with me and treatment for a low. I don’t usually take insulin and needles unless I’m planning on being out over a meal time. Finger pricking equipment only goes with me if I’m going to be a while from getting home.
I typically play pickleball for a couple of hours most days and after one disaster involving friends having to call an ambulance many of the people I play with now know where in my bag ( which is clipped to the fence next to me), to find my hypo treatments and how to use them. Interestingly we also had a poster added to the court fences with the actual street address as when my friend called the emergency number no one knew the actual address of the courts we were at and the emergency call controller was at a central location in another part of the country entirely.

I just take a pen and a packet of dextrose sweets , both fit easily in my pocket and of course my phone for the Libre which I would carry anyway .

Dextrosol
phone
pump pdm
insulin pen in case
finger pricker
blood glucose monitor
strips
wallet
keys

its a pain in bum and it looks terrible in trousers as i keep it all in my pockets

I need to try and stream line it better.

my strips are in a sort of cotton real sized tube.... a flatter case would be better and perhaps i dont need to take a pricker out just the stabber part.

I wish the omnipod could be used as part of the phone as 2 "phones" is frustrating.

To be fair though i feel very ungrateful moaning. This stuff is thanks to decades of inventions and medical science keeping us alive so im sure i can handle a buldging pocket.

Man bags are quite fashionable nowadays !

jaywak said:

Man bags are quite fashionable nowadays !

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Not according to my partner.
Or maybe that's just an excuse to fill my (small) handbag with his rubbish.