Forgot a diabetes supply? Never a problem in a house where D lives

This evening we have a guest who has Type 2 diabetes.  He is very conscious of his diet and testing his blood but because of uncontrollable circumstances, his meter did not arrive at our house with the rest of his things.

I heard Larry tell him that he was sure my son could help him out.  He knows that we have a number of spare diabetes supplies so finding an extra meter or lancet would most likely not prove difficult.

After overhearing the conversation going on the living room about supplies, I turned to my son and asked if he could help the gentleman out. He didn't think that would be a problem. What type of meter did he want?  I suggested he grab one of the meters that we rarely use so we didn't mess up logging the wrong person's readings.

My son then asked "What type of lancing device?"

I was sure it really didn't matter. 

"Well, there is one for the hand or the finger?"

The finger would be preferable.

"Hmm, well there is a bigger one or a smaller one?"

Oh my! I never knew there was such a variety! He calmly told me that there was. I told him that I would leave it in his capable hands.  I just wanted a lancing device with new lancet, a meter, and some strips please.

This is just the first few meters and lancets I found in his drawer!

You want me to test how many times?!?

I took my son to the orthodontist first thing this morning. It had been a weekend of amazing diabetes readings and all was good with the world.

As we were returning to his school, I asked him if he knew what class he was supposed to be in at the moment.  He didn't but he did remember that he had sports during lunch. Since he has only had his class schedule for a few days I was not surprised that he didn't know where he was supposed to be. Since there would be sports though, I reminded him that he needed to test before and after the activity.

We did a quick recap of some of his classes and I noted that his gym classes occurred first period basically once a week. I then reminded him that he needed to test before and after gym class as well.

He looked at me with both shock and disgust. "You expect me to do nothing but test all day? How much do I really need to test?"

I wanted to laugh or slap some common sense into him but instead I just shook my head. "You test two hours after your meals, before you eat and before and after strenuous activity." 

"Yeah but now you want me to test an extra few hundred times."

"Nope.  We just said that gym is first thing in the morning. You have to test before gym which also happens to be about two hours after you have eaten your breakfast. No extra test required.  You have to test after gym. One spare test per week. As for lunchtime activities, you test before you eat...probably before the activity.  You test after the activity...again ONE extra test."

He grumbled and agreed but I knew that he still felt he was being abused.  He was being asked to lance himself unnecessarily and interfere with his school day. Sorry, but that is what keeps him safe and allows me information to keep him healthy.  More joys of teens, diabetes and trying to have a normal life!   

After 60 days...

I was cleaning all of the meters, test strips and lancets off of my kitchen table and for some reason decided to read a bottle of strips.  I rarely remember to look at the number for coding so I am not sure what drew my attention to the bottle this time but something made me read.  


There on the side was a cute little spot for you to write the date that you opened the bottle of test strips.  Below the date was a warning "Discard 6 months after opening".  I began to laugh. 


I am sure that we probably have test strip bottles around the house that are older than six months.  We do not often have test strip bottles that have been opened that have test strips in them after six DAYS let alone six months. Let's see, bottle have 25-50 strips in each container. We test 10-12 times per day so that means?? Nope not making it to the six day no matter how you slice it. 

I understand that the warning is for people with Type 2 who don't test very often or people who have been told to watch their readings.  For a house that has lived with diabetes for too many years, it simply provides a source of amusement for the day!