Spring is the perfect time to do a little T1D housekeeping.
Springtime is a time of renewal and for many people this involves cleaning – the yard, the cabinets/closets, the floors, clothing, garage tools, etc. Out with the old and in with the new with many projects around the house you may have put off until the windows could be opened with fresh air. This is 100% my favorite season – I love to see the green leaves pop out in my yard overnight, early flowers sprout up, and the grass turn green. The ability to get things cleaned up allows you to see what you need, what needs to change and what might be out of use.
If you are anything like me, you have prepared for the zombie apocalypse and you have a closet or maybe a cabinet or dresser (like me) stockpiled with supplies. Many people do this just in case there is a shortage or something happens.
“Be Prepared” is something I heard often in my house growing up with a dad who was heavily involved with Boy and Girl Scouts for my brother and me. What I learned from my years in scouting certainly comes in handy when living with T1D and this time of the year is a perfect time to do a bit of Spring cleaning to be prepared for what might come in life with diabetes.
I use this time of the year to look at my tools for diabetes that I have stockpiled or saved from years past.
I evaluate:
- T1D to go bags – throw out expired, replace supplies, add new items
- Travel bags and supplies – does anything need to be replaced? Is it all up to date?
- I keep things in my travel bags, so I don’t have to restock every single time I go away from home.
- Spare batteries to fit all my devices
- Charging cables – do they still work?
- Take stock of pump supplies – check dates for “expiration.”
- Evaluate CGM supplies – look at expiration dates
- Evaluate blood glucose meters – does it still turn on? Do the batteries need to be changed?
- Test strips for BG meter – not expired and stored in a dry and stable temperature
- Evaluate old tools (pumps, tubing, infusion sets, pods that I have saved just in case I have to go back to using them)
- Ketone testing supplies – do I have stripes, are they up to date?
- Check the status of my prescriptions – any that need to be renewed?
- How long will my current supply last if I wasn’t able to order or if there was a shortage/backorder?
Organize things in bins that have a label so it is easy to identify where a supply is when you need it quickly.
I find it helpful to keep monitoring equipment and the cords and batteries that go with them in one drawer, while the other drawers are backup supplies and my pump supply drawers. I have an emergency drawer for quick grab items and supplies I may need for illness – ketones monitor, test strips, anti-nausea meds, electrolytes, shelf-stable glucose and glucagon kits.
Simple steps like this can help you stay on top of all the things you need and avoid missing out on replacing items you didn’t realize were not working or serving your needs. It is always helpful to be prepared and when you live with so many variables, having your supplies in an organized place can make that part of navigating quick and easy.
