From self.com
In a sticky situation, the right supplies can be lifesaving
Richard Brack was camping alone in a dark tent when he accidentally shot himself with a long-term dose of (what was supposed to be) short-acting insulin. Brack carries insulin because he has type 2 diabetes, which interferes with his body’s ability to produce or respond to insulin naturally, potentially messing with his blood sugar levels. He was diagnosed after a heart transplant in 2009 (which can be a complication that occurs in roughly one-third of these surgeries).
“That super-dose would have landed me in the hospital,” Brack tells SELF. Deep in the woods with no cell phone signal, and hours from the nearest hospital, he began to panic. Luckily, Brack always carries a diabetes emergency kit with him that contains supplies to help manage his type 2 diabetes. It contains honey, which can help prevent his body from going into hypoglycaemia, or when blood sugar levels dip to dangerously low levels. Brack was able to eat it right after the injection to balance things back out.
Brack’s emergency kit prevented a major, potentially life-threatening health issue. All people with type 2 diabetes should have a kit of essential supplies, and they should keep it with them at all times, Joseph Aloi, MD, an endocrinologist and professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, tells SELF. “Even if you’re not leaving your home, [severe] weather can interrupt your access to medications and blood glucose monitoring supplies,” he says. “We have learned this lesson from hurricanes and snowstorms that have left people with diabetes without access to their medications for several days.”
An emergency kit really only requires a few small items (your medications, a few snacks, and maybe some identification) to offer you peace of mind and crucial help in a sticky situation. Though a doctor can guide you on its exact contents, here’s what you should consider putting into yours.
When you have type 2 diabetes, watching your blood sugar closely is super important: If your levels plummet, you might get dizzy or lose the ability to think clearly. When they’re too high (especially for prolonged periods), you might be at risk of permanent damage to your eyes, nerves, kidneys, and blood vessels.
To keep a close eye on your blood sugar ranges, your doctor will likely recommend that you carry a blood glucose meter with you wherever you go, according to Dr. Aloi. There are two types: a traditional blood glucose meter (where you prick your finger and squeeze a drop of blood onto a test strip) or a continuous blood glucose monitor (CGM) that reads your levels from a tiny sensor inserted under your skin, typically in your stomach or arm. Dr. Aloi notes that CGMs are often connected to an app through your phone.
If you use a traditional blood glucose meter, Dr. Aloi says one should be in your emergency kit 24/7. And if you have a continuous blood glucose monitor, the sensor needs to be changed every one to two weeks, so keeping an extra one in your emergency kit is a good idea too (the idea is to have what you need on hand if you’re going on a month-long vacation, or you’re stranded somewhere, for whatever reason, for longer than two weeks).
Before Brack got a continuous glucose monitor (which he had with him on that solo camping trek), he kept plenty of extra glucose test strips for his blood glucose meter in his emergency kit. (FYI: Most folks with type 2 diabetes need to check their levels roughly once or twice per day, but your doctor may recommend more or less, depending on your symptoms. You can only use a single strip once, so depending on how long you intend to be outside your home, plan ahead.) Another tip: Make sure each strip stays sealed until you use it and note the expiration date on the package—some strips can give inaccurate readings if they’re too old.
If your blood glucose monitor reading is lower than 55-69 mg/dL (a.k.a. you’re in hypoglycaemia), you’ll need to act quickly to boost your levels, Disha Narang, MD, an endocrinologist and the medical director of weight management at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, tells SELF. If you’ve had type 2 diabetes for a few years, you might be able to spot hypoglycaemia without a meter reading (watch out for a racing heartbeat, shaking, sweating, confusion, dizziness). When this happens, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends consuming 15 grams of sugar ASAP (you can do this in the form of candy, honey, or juice) to bring plunging blood sugar levels back up—ideally between 80 and 130 mg/dL right before a meal and less than 180 mg/dL two hours after the start of a meal.
While doctor’s orders to schlep a candy stash around might seem like a sweet tooth’s dream (just make sure what you put in your kit adds up to at least 15 grams of sugar for each instance of backup you’re including), if you can’t carry candies or just want a different option, glucose tablets (which typically contain four to five grams of sugar each) and gels (which often contain about 15 grams of sugar per tube) are ideal. Brack throws roughly a half-dozen individual honey packets he scoops up at fast food restaurants (which contain 12 to 14 grams of sugar, depending on the brand) in his emergency kit.
Your doctor might prescribe medications to help manage your diabetes—and tracking them all might get confusing if you take a few different ones. That’s where some strategic storage can come into play: “Use a pill box to organize your medication by day and time,” Dr. Aloi recommends, noting that having a few extra days of doses with you at any given time is a good rule of thumb (though you’ll want more for longer trips, or if you intend for your kit to cover you for more time, in general). You can find pill boxes online (Amazon is a good first stop), at a pharmacy, or through your doctor.
When you have type 2 diabetes, your cells don’t respond well to insulin, a hormone that helps control blood sugar by moving glucose from the blood to the inside of the cells. (This makes your pancreas have to work a lot harder, which can pump up your blood sugar.) An injectable insulin pen can often help here—and Dr. Aoli says that keeping it handy at all times is really crucial (and Brack doesn’t leave home without one). Keep in mind, though, that an insulin pen can be stored at room temperature (59–86°F) for about 28 days, so make sure to use yours within that time window.
When your blood sugar dips, you could be at risk of losing consciousness, or not being able to think or communicate as clearly. In those cases, Dr. Aloi recommends carrying a laminated card that lists your name, birthday, medical diagnoses, current medications and dosages, allergies, and the name and phone number of an emergency contact, with you in your kit at all times. (He adds that this is a good idea for anyone with a health condition, whether it’s diabetes or not.) Stash it in an easy-to-find place (like your wallet or at the top of your kit) so the person assisting you can help get you to wherever you need to go—urgent care, a hospital, back home—without too much confusion.
What kind of emergency kit should I buy?
Brack prefers the Vaultz Locking Medicine Case, with a suitcase handle and a combo lock, as his emergency kit when he travels. “It keeps my supplies together and safe from grandchildren,” he says, adding that it’s small enough to carry into public places (like a restaurant) without feeling burdensome—it takes up about as much space and weight as a purse or handbag. (One thing to note: A locking kit makes your supplies inaccessible to others, so if you’re worried about fainting or being incoherent when an emergency strikes, you might want to consider a bag or case without a lock.)
Another solid (albeit smaller) choice when you want something to fit into your tote: the Gelozid Insulin Cooler Travel Case, which can house two insulin pens and a small upper compartment for candies and gels (though, you may want separate space for your glucose monitor and test strips, if you’re carrying those). It’s fitted with an ice pack to keep the insulin cool (it’s safe to keep yours at room temperature for up to 28 days if you need to). The YOUSHARES Insulin Cooler Travel Case has a similar design with insulation, but it comes in fun patterns, while the LUXJA Diabetic Supplies Travel Case comes in three colors and has room for three pens. (While it doesn’t have built-in space for an ice pack, it does have two additional pouches for storing test strips and glucose tablets or other little sweet things.)
Living with a condition that messes with your ability to think clearly can be really scary. But that’s why your care team has you hooked up with supplies to help you keep you living your life the way you want to, sans any fears about fainting or doing long-term damage to your health. Just keep them nearby, and you’re golden.
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