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What to do when you forget to bring...

J

Jelaca

Well-Known Member
Messages
225
Location
UK
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Today I was at college, and I couldn't eat any of my lunch because I forgot to bring my Novo Rapid.. I know it was a stupid mistake, especially seeing as my BS levels were high anyway :?

Well anyway I was just wondering if this did happen again, what would you suggest I do?
Did I do the right thing..?
 
Been there, done that! It's a horrible feeling when you realise you have forgotten to bring it with you. I'm sure my sugars levels start to rise the second I realise I've left my insulin at home too!

When I've been in this situation I've tried to get home as soon as I can as I know my levels climb if I miss an injection. I'll also try and avoid sugary/carb-rich foods.

Not sure there is a right or wrong way to handle it, if I'm honest!
 
I also keep some spare cartridges and syringes at work. They are kept user lock and key and are guarded by our first aiders. It just means that I have spares incase I ever forget to bring my pen. Might be worth seeing if college could do something similar?
 
Difficult one because if I ate non-carby lunch such as meat and eggs I would still see a postprandial rise, I would have to do likewise and miss my lunch.

A good idea by Emma to ask if you can keep a Novo pen in your locker at college or somewhere more suitable, but remember that insulin should only be kept at room temperature for 4 weeks after taking out the fridge.
 
This may sound obvious, but I'd suggest skipping lunch and using it as an excuse to test if your basal rate is correct. Not eating for a few ours probably will not kill you
 
Ive gone out for meals before and forgotten to take mine I just have some insulin as soon as I get home!
 
I change my pump reservoir every 3 days and when rushing on the 3rd day theres been many times when it's been depleted at work, I meant to bring all the stuff with me to do it but forget often. Good job I'm only 15 minutes drive from home eh.
 
I imagine there shouldn't be an issue with being able to keep insulin at the college. The practicality of that may depend on how you take it, ie if you use a pen, you may not have a spare that you want to leave at college, however if you use needles and vials, then maybe it'd be possible to leave a vial with some insulin in and a couple of unused needles in a first aid box in the staff room.

It may be worth having a chat with your union rep first, and getting them on saide before going to staff, as if the staff get the funnies in the first instance, going to the union afterwards may get you on the wrong side of the staff, however if you go to the union first, and then mention that to your tutor, he/she may well go along with the proposition just so as to avoid allegations of discrimination.

I have no great love for student or trade unions, as I see then as a bunch of Mafioso style protection racketeers, and driving force of the fascist state we now live in. however one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, so if the NUS can help you, then maybe that'd be worth a go.

Failing that, just make your excuses and go home if you've forgotten it in future. If your BS goes too high, you'll not be focusing on your work anyway, so if you're not going to get the work done, might as well not get in done with an average BS rather than a high one.
 
You've sorted out your recent incident, so now it's more important to concentrate on not letting situation arise again.

For me, I find that keeping one short acting insulin kit in kitchen at home, plus a pencil containing a pen containing short acting insulin, plus a spare cartridge of both short acting and long acting insulins, which I keep in my rucksack / briefcase depending on location where I'm working at which job I'm doing. For me, relying on college lockers (when I was studying) etc would be too complicated, with 28 day out of friddge limit, risk of extremes of temperature (if heating goes wrong), studying in several location etc.
 
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