Sarah Howard (nee Tackett) has dedicated her career to supporting the T1D community ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Manager of Marketing at T1D Exchange.
I wait for CGM to expire because insurance won’t allow me to get additional CGMs. For infusion sites I use a Tru Steel for TSlim. The trusteel I can take out and prepare another location to insert the same one. I only go 2-3 days with it, so it works just fine. The worst part with either CGM or infusion site is whether it is a bleeder or I get it too close to a rib or other bone, or something like hitting a nerve. A bleeder, dexcom will replace. Most bleeders I have found to work after a couple days but have to calibrate a lot during that time from pump requests. I take baby aspirin daily. I get annoyed with the new Dexcom insertion that wakes me up with wild numbers that make no sense either high or low, and invalidated with finger pricks. But overall, Dexcom is the very best and I look forward to the G7 and easier access and smaller. I have had very few replacements in the overall scheme of things, I think. Perhaps 2-3/year. I don’t know. Is that high? A little less than 10%. Hmmm
Other. Closet next to secondary bathroom. Why or why are closets not listed? Also in there are towels, pillow cases, other medicines, old Christmas wrapping paper, USB rechargers, spare eye glasses, pill boxes, appliance instructions, cough drops and other absolutely delightful curiosity items. Some closet, that one. (>‿◠)✌
Kitchen: insulin, sharps container, snacks Bedroom: mores snacks plus syringes, strips, lancets, spare meters, spare inject-eases, extra glucagon kits, glucose tablets, simpatches… all the spare stuff, basically Living room: test kit (logbook, calculator, and inject-ease plus syringes, lancets, and strips for the day) and CGM sensor (at least while I’m home and not I’m not out and about)
I keep insulin and glucagon kits in the refrigerator in the kitchen. The rest of my supplies, such as sharps container, blood glucose test strips, Beta-ketone test strips, lancets, glucose tablets, insulin set changes, CGM supplies, log books, batteries, USB chargers, etc. are kept in my bedroom.
I keep a stash of supplies in an upstairs bathroom, and bring them downstairs by packages as needed. I keep all cgm supplies in a downstairs closet, and all insulin is kept in the refrigerator, even the vials in use. This is kind of a personal question, you just do what works for you with your floorplan and living arrangements. If you want something to pray about today, think of the type 1 diabetics living in Texas this week without power, heat, water, food and security. The pictures are horrifying and I can’t help but think of the insulin dependent diabetics.
I use a shelf in my closet for things I use often (meter, insulin pens in use currently, pen needles) and a drawer below with extra supplies and other items and extra pens in the kitchen fridge.
In addition to storing the bulk of my supplies and equipment in the master bathroom, I keep a two-month supply in a downstairs storage room in an emergency evacuation tub prepared for my car. I rotate the supplies through there so nothing goes out of date.
Insulin in refrigerator in kitchen. Omnipods, G6 sensors in bedroom closet. Alcohol wipes in a candy box on table by sofa, because I usually sit there to change stuff. Lancets and test strips in a decorative box in dining room, only reason is because that’s where the box is.
Although I only take one fingerstick test a day on average, I have glucose meters in the kitchen, bedroom, and “one for the road” (travel). My other supplies (pump and CGM) I keep in the bedroom closet. Keeping a set of everything in the basement in case of emergency (like a tornado, we live in the south) is a great idea and one that I’ll implement immediately.
Between my insulin pump, CGM, and related belts, cases, adhesive tapes, and insulin coolers for travel, I keep my supplies in cloth storage cubes in my closet. There are way too many pieces of my diabetic supplies to keep them in my limited bathroom or kitchen cabinets.
I keep all insulin in the fridge besides the next full cartridge to use which is in a closed bag on the kitchen counter. All other diabetic supplies are in their specific shelf I have in a hall closet with other shelves for other supplies: medications, colostomy supplies, and bath room supplies.
My youngest sons’ bedroom (he’s 34 now) has become my “medical room”. I have a cute desk I keep wipes, test strips and other odds and ends. Plus lots of pictures of my grandkids. I remember when I first started using the Dexcom G5 I would watch videos of my grandson. Made it a lot easier. Then I keep my supplies of pods and sensors and used sharps, etc in the closet. That’s a good idea about keeping supplies in the basement. We have tornados here in the Midwest too. I keep my bag on the kitchen table that has my testing supplies in it
Most diabetes supply stuff is kept in a hallway linen closet between the dining room and living room. Spare injectable hormone replacements not currently in use (Novolog, Victoza, Fiasp, Basaglar) are stored in the fridge. Glucagon supplies are kept in the linen closet, as well as an up-to-date grab & go diabetes stuff supply kit. The few oral meds I take everyday are kept on a countertop in the kitchen.
I had an extra Tupperware divided vegetable/dip serving tray. It has 7 compartments. I keep it on my kitchen counter. Separate sections for needles, lancets, alcohol swabs, enzyme pills, blood tester, meter, test strips, etc. Extra insulin in fridge. Extra supplies in my living room, in a drawer and cabinet at one end of my entertainment center.
I also use the linen cabinets outside my bedroom. Everything is I. There except for the whole shelve I. The refrigerator for all my supplies that need to be refrigerated. My emergency kit is always in this cabinet right outside my door. Easy to grab if I have to run out of the house.
I wait for CGM to expire because insurance won’t allow me to get additional CGMs. For infusion sites I use a Tru Steel for TSlim. The trusteel I can take out and prepare another location to insert the same one. I only go 2-3 days with it, so it works just fine. The worst part with either CGM or infusion site is whether it is a bleeder or I get it too close to a rib or other bone, or something like hitting a nerve. A bleeder, dexcom will replace. Most bleeders I have found to work after a couple days but have to calibrate a lot during that time from pump requests. I take baby aspirin daily. I get annoyed with the new Dexcom insertion that wakes me up with wild numbers that make no sense either high or low, and invalidated with finger pricks. But overall, Dexcom is the very best and I look forward to the G7 and easier access and smaller. I have had very few replacements in the overall scheme of things, I think. Perhaps 2-3/year. I don’t know. Is that high? A little less than 10%. Hmmm
The comment above was supposed to go to a different question. Don’t know how that happened, sorry
Don’t worry, Carol. Something at t1d exchange has broken – emails no longer link to the correct questions!
Other. Closet next to secondary bathroom. Why or why are closets not listed? Also in there are towels, pillow cases, other medicines, old Christmas wrapping paper, USB rechargers, spare eye glasses, pill boxes, appliance instructions, cough drops and other absolutely delightful curiosity items. Some closet, that one. (>‿◠)✌
Other – I keep insulin I’m not currently using in the basement fridge.
Kitchen: insulin, sharps container, snacks Bedroom: mores snacks plus syringes, strips, lancets, spare meters, spare inject-eases, extra glucagon kits, glucose tablets, simpatches… all the spare stuff, basically Living room: test kit (logbook, calculator, and inject-ease plus syringes, lancets, and strips for the day) and CGM sensor (at least while I’m home and not I’m not out and about)
Other than insulin, I keep other supplies in a hall closet.
I keep insulin and glucagon kits in the refrigerator in the kitchen. The rest of my supplies, such as sharps container, blood glucose test strips, Beta-ketone test strips, lancets, glucose tablets, insulin set changes, CGM supplies, log books, batteries, USB chargers, etc. are kept in my bedroom.
I keep a stash of supplies in an upstairs bathroom, and bring them downstairs by packages as needed. I keep all cgm supplies in a downstairs closet, and all insulin is kept in the refrigerator, even the vials in use. This is kind of a personal question, you just do what works for you with your floorplan and living arrangements. If you want something to pray about today, think of the type 1 diabetics living in Texas this week without power, heat, water, food and security. The pictures are horrifying and I can’t help but think of the insulin dependent diabetics.
First floor hall closet, near kitchen.
Bathroom and hall linen closet.
I use a shelf in my closet for things I use often (meter, insulin pens in use currently, pen needles) and a drawer below with extra supplies and other items and extra pens in the kitchen fridge.
In addition to storing the bulk of my supplies and equipment in the master bathroom, I keep a two-month supply in a downstairs storage room in an emergency evacuation tub prepared for my car. I rotate the supplies through there so nothing goes out of date.
Insulin in refrigerator in kitchen. Omnipods, G6 sensors in bedroom closet. Alcohol wipes in a candy box on table by sofa, because I usually sit there to change stuff. Lancets and test strips in a decorative box in dining room, only reason is because that’s where the box is.
Although I only take one fingerstick test a day on average, I have glucose meters in the kitchen, bedroom, and “one for the road” (travel). My other supplies (pump and CGM) I keep in the bedroom closet. Keeping a set of everything in the basement in case of emergency (like a tornado, we live in the south) is a great idea and one that I’ll implement immediately.
Between my insulin pump, CGM, and related belts, cases, adhesive tapes, and insulin coolers for travel, I keep my supplies in cloth storage cubes in my closet. There are way too many pieces of my diabetic supplies to keep them in my limited bathroom or kitchen cabinets.
I answered other. It should have been bedroom and bathroom.
I keep all insulin in the fridge besides the next full cartridge to use which is in a closed bag on the kitchen counter. All other diabetic supplies are in their specific shelf I have in a hall closet with other shelves for other supplies: medications, colostomy supplies, and bath room supplies.
My youngest sons’ bedroom (he’s 34 now) has become my “medical room”. I have a cute desk I keep wipes, test strips and other odds and ends. Plus lots of pictures of my grandkids. I remember when I first started using the Dexcom G5 I would watch videos of my grandson. Made it a lot easier. Then I keep my supplies of pods and sensors and used sharps, etc in the closet. That’s a good idea about keeping supplies in the basement. We have tornados here in the Midwest too. I keep my bag on the kitchen table that has my testing supplies in it
Most diabetes supply stuff is kept in a hallway linen closet between the dining room and living room. Spare injectable hormone replacements not currently in use (Novolog, Victoza, Fiasp, Basaglar) are stored in the fridge. Glucagon supplies are kept in the linen closet, as well as an up-to-date grab & go diabetes stuff supply kit. The few oral meds I take everyday are kept on a countertop in the kitchen.
I had an extra Tupperware divided vegetable/dip serving tray. It has 7 compartments. I keep it on my kitchen counter. Separate sections for needles, lancets, alcohol swabs, enzyme pills, blood tester, meter, test strips, etc. Extra insulin in fridge. Extra supplies in my living room, in a drawer and cabinet at one end of my entertainment center.
Both of our cars
I live in an rv I keep my supplies in the cabinet over the couch in the living room insulin in the fridge and what is use in the day in my purse
I also use the linen cabinets outside my bedroom. Everything is I. There except for the whole shelve I. The refrigerator for all my supplies that need to be refrigerated. My emergency kit is always in this cabinet right outside my door. Easy to grab if I have to run out of the house.