As some of you know I'm a type 1 diabetic since my early years and regarding what the future may bring it is also good to be prepared and to have medical stuff for diabetes available and or for other diseases. Simply because if there isn't insulin anymore available even with a ketogenic diet it will be hard to survive and consequently would lead to death. As always it is better to prepared now, then then to be sorry and even if nothing bad happens, medical stuff can still be used.
I know there are many difficulties to get medics and it depends in which country you are living, which insurance you have and so. What to keep in mind that these are my experiences and may differ from person to person and is a description for emergency situations where normally I wouldn't recommended it.
My main therapy concept is using an insulin pump. And for this I stocked up as many thing as I could if no doctor is not available anymore.
This means:
* infusion sets
* cartridges
* insulin
* batteries
* test strips
* and general emergency food
* lancets
* disinfection
Of course an insulin pump is a technical gadget with small and tiny electronics and a motor and if such a thing fails it certainly can not be easily repaired, though it is also important to switch back to a conventional therapy (with a long lasting basal insulin and a fast one). What would you need:
* syringes and or pens
* needles for pens
* insulin (I'm using Levimir which lasts about 18hrs (basal) when injected and Novorapid (for bolus))
As you can see, going with the conventional therapy who would need much less stuff and in case you would need to leave the house it is easier to carry.
What is also important to have are some carbs, because it is easier to level out a blood sugar with food. Beside food is a must when you use pens or syringes, because once insulin is injected it can takes it's toll, where with an insulin pump you could adjust the hourly basal rate to a minimum and just wait until you feel better again. I'm mainly using tinned carrots as emergency food, but for traveling simple sugar would be much better and faster till it gets absorbed.
Insulin
Regarding insulin and shelf life. As I tested it, it has a much, much longer shelf life as what stands on the package since it is artificial produced (or that's my theory). So I used an insulin that was about 1.5 years above the shelf life and wasn't even stored in a fridge all the time since it was just sitting in a pen. And it was still working, maybe I needed a bit of it, but still it was working and would sufficiently do in emergencies. And with a ketogenic diet you need much less insulin, since you don't eat carbs anymore :).
Needles
You could use them more then one day, even if every doctor would cringe now ;). What is important to change the places where you inject it, that your skin doesn't harden and cannot take insulin anymore, beside also don't overuse it, try to keep it as sterile as possible, because infections in an emergency situation are hard to deal with. Though maybe one day usage could be better to be on the safe side.
Test strips
Test strips are pretty expensive and in an emergency situation you should try to use as less as possible. Before bedtime and in the morning should be enough in an emergency to get a broad overview. But if you are not sure, better to test before injecting insulin, though that as a consequence you need to eat later on again.
Blood sugar meters, lancets for lancing device
Keep as many spare test meters as possible which use the same test strips and also keep in mind that most meters use special batteries.
I hope this is a bit of help.
I know there are many difficulties to get medics and it depends in which country you are living, which insurance you have and so. What to keep in mind that these are my experiences and may differ from person to person and is a description for emergency situations where normally I wouldn't recommended it.
My main therapy concept is using an insulin pump. And for this I stocked up as many thing as I could if no doctor is not available anymore.
This means:
* infusion sets
* cartridges
* insulin
* batteries
* test strips
* and general emergency food
* lancets
* disinfection
Of course an insulin pump is a technical gadget with small and tiny electronics and a motor and if such a thing fails it certainly can not be easily repaired, though it is also important to switch back to a conventional therapy (with a long lasting basal insulin and a fast one). What would you need:
* syringes and or pens
* needles for pens
* insulin (I'm using Levimir which lasts about 18hrs (basal) when injected and Novorapid (for bolus))
As you can see, going with the conventional therapy who would need much less stuff and in case you would need to leave the house it is easier to carry.
What is also important to have are some carbs, because it is easier to level out a blood sugar with food. Beside food is a must when you use pens or syringes, because once insulin is injected it can takes it's toll, where with an insulin pump you could adjust the hourly basal rate to a minimum and just wait until you feel better again. I'm mainly using tinned carrots as emergency food, but for traveling simple sugar would be much better and faster till it gets absorbed.
Insulin
Regarding insulin and shelf life. As I tested it, it has a much, much longer shelf life as what stands on the package since it is artificial produced (or that's my theory). So I used an insulin that was about 1.5 years above the shelf life and wasn't even stored in a fridge all the time since it was just sitting in a pen. And it was still working, maybe I needed a bit of it, but still it was working and would sufficiently do in emergencies. And with a ketogenic diet you need much less insulin, since you don't eat carbs anymore :).
Needles
You could use them more then one day, even if every doctor would cringe now ;). What is important to change the places where you inject it, that your skin doesn't harden and cannot take insulin anymore, beside also don't overuse it, try to keep it as sterile as possible, because infections in an emergency situation are hard to deal with. Though maybe one day usage could be better to be on the safe side.
Test strips
Test strips are pretty expensive and in an emergency situation you should try to use as less as possible. Before bedtime and in the morning should be enough in an emergency to get a broad overview. But if you are not sure, better to test before injecting insulin, though that as a consequence you need to eat later on again.
Blood sugar meters, lancets for lancing device
Keep as many spare test meters as possible which use the same test strips and also keep in mind that most meters use special batteries.
I hope this is a bit of help.
