[mids1999]

After having hopefully the last of many blowout with my fiance about who gets to use our bathroom at what time \
I have just been given the ok to dedicate our spare room to managing my diabetes.

What would you do if the only limits to what you could do were space, financial, and no changes outside the room?

Lets put a flexible $500 limit on any one item in the room.

The rooms specs
Carpeted but otherwise completely empty.
10'x12' 8' tall
1 door on the right corner facing into the room.
1 window on the left wall in the center of the wall when facing in.

Plumbing is allowed and planned.

[Belinda]

You are kidding I hope? Designing a room for diabetes...I am not sure what you would need a whole room for? Is it the fact that your fiance doesn't like to see you taking care of yourself? If so, ummmm ditch him! Is it that you leave stuff lying around and he doesn't want to see it or that there are small childen involved? Seems to me a cabinet in the bathroom would suffice. If it is pump supplies and there are many...I just had my brother in law put another wire rack in the laundry room closet (about the standard one) and stack everything up there...it made such great use of space he did all my closets that way. You don't need a whole room for diabetes care unless you plan on lying in the bed and letting the diabetes control your life

[SueM]

Well I just checked the date and it's not April the 1st
But you are joking arn't you? Please say you are.
All my day to day needs fit into a 2ltr ice cream tub.

[JasonJayhawk]

*gulp*

If you "isolate" your diabetes management in its own room, there may be some undiscussed issues here that need to be considered. How much of your "management" do you want to be a part of your life? Just entering a room like that (which would have the smell of a hospital, probably) would raise my blood glucose, just like going into a doctor's office. You don't need a room for it. Diabetes is part of you...don't try to "hide it" in a different room.

If you are messy with throwing away strips or used sharps, you should modify your behavior. This room may very well be used for some other future purpose, such as a library, office, or even a future baby's room.

[mg_2204]

Sharps and used strips I will put in an empty jar. I do try to put my meter always at the same place so I or any of my family member can get access to it quickly. Aside from that I do not need a room for diabetes management. I'd rather have a nice cosy reading space...

[Penny]

I keep all my supplies in a plastic box, along with another plastic box containing my 3 month supplies of medicines. I need to keep my insulin in a shelf in the refrigerator, but other that that, everything is in just this one room. But it contains my computer, a TV, and my bird in his cage. If I had the means, I might keep a small refrigerator in here for insulin, and water for my pills. I only did this after a child visiting my granddaughter, opened and ruined a box of strips and destoyed a needle, before I caught her. No child is allowed in this room without adult supervision. So it is a room designated for diabetes care, but also used for other things. Maybe this is something you could do with the room, maybe a computer/diabetes or computer/tv room.

[mids1999]

I think you are taking this the wrong way.

My fiance wants me to take care of myself and I think using the room would be a good thing.
Think of a personal media center with a sink.
Computer, tv, comfortable seating, personal fridge, sink.

I will be able keep diabetes supplies organized and easily accessible and not have to worry about other people getting into things. Like a cabinet but much much larger.
Not like they are now in a box on the kitchen counter.

It also frees the bathroom up so she can use it as needed. She spends hours and hours in there.

It is in no way confining myself to a room.
It is more like designing the dream room with a purpose.

Penny has the right idea of what I want to do.

[mids1999]

I think relaxation should be covered under treatment and therefore also falls under my definition of management.

I dont want some sterile hospital like room.

I am looking for ideas for making the room into more of a personal relaxation or management place like a second living room or a library or a media center with the things I find are needed for diabetes management like a sink.

[spike]

Originally Posted by mids1999

After having hopefully the last of many blowout with my fiance about who gets to use our bathroom at what time \
I have just been given the ok to dedicate our spare room to managing my diabetes.

What would you do if the only limits to what you could do were space, financial, and no changes outside the room?

Lets put a flexible $500 limit on any one item in the room.

The rooms specs
Carpeted but otherwise completely empty.
10'x12' 8' tall
1 door on the right corner facing into the room.
1 window on the left wall in the center of the wall when facing in.

Plumbing is allowed and planned.

I SO don't get what you mean by a room for DM management!!

[spike]

Originally Posted by mids1999

I think relaxation should be covered under treatment and therefore also falls under my definition of management.

I dont want some sterile hospital like room.

I am looking for ideas for making the room into more of a personal relaxation or management place like a second living room or a library or a media center with the things I find are needed for diabetes management like a sink.

You can't relax in the other rooms of your home??

[poodlebone]

My question is, exactly what part of your diabetes management is being done in the bathroom?! I know that it's not recommended that you store any testing supplies in there, because the humidity can damage meters & strips. I certainly wouldn't store my insulin in the bathroom, or my pump supplies. I actually do NONE of my diabetes care in the bathroom, except once in awhile I'll bring an infusion set there to insert, if I need the mirror to see (putting it off to the side/back). Otherwise I test at the kitchen table, or bring my meter in the bedroom at night in case I wake up and need to test.

[am1977]

I don't really understand why people are getting so agitated b/c she wants a room for this... . If she thinks it's going to help her better manage her Diabetes, then I am all for it .

As for designing the room, wish I could help you... but I'm not real UP on interior design. My suggestion would be to keep it simple and comfortable. Maybe a comfy chair, a cabinet with drawers for your supplies, a bookshelf for your books & magazines, & some good lighting to keep it nice and bright in there ...

Good luck

[spike]

Originally Posted by am1977

I don't really understand why people are getting so agitated b/c she wants a room for this... . If she thinks it's going to help her better manage her Diabetes, then I am all for it .

As for designing the room, wish I could help you... but I'm not real UP on interior design. My suggestion would be to keep it simple and comfortable. Maybe a comfy chair, a cabinet with drawers for your supplies, a bookshelf for your books & magazines, & some good lighting to keep it nice and bright in there ...

Good luck

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm not so sure that anyone on this thread is "agitated". I think there is a lot of confusion over what the OP wants in the way of advice. Maybe the OP will weigh in here, with their opinion of the responses so far. I for one, just don't "get it". I'm hardly "agitated" over it though. I'm hoping for more dialog explaining more about their needs.

[4519]

I don't think agitated is the correct word, more judgmental. And again, maybe not. Quick responces like we do in verbal conversation come across a lot defferent in print. The reader does not have the normal inflections and the visual contact with the writer creating a more 'judgemental' look to it - even if this was not at all what the writer intended. As example when Spike said, "...I SO don't get what you mean by a room for DM management!!...." that on its face comes across judgemental - had spike it face to face I doubt that would have come across the same way. The double "!!" do make it jump out. It is a writing vs speaking thing. You have to downplay the first blush response and give some time for the next statemtents to explain it a little more. Just my take on it..

Looking back judgemental is probably not the correct word when I quote spikes response.

[spike]

Originally Posted by 4519

I don't think agitated is the correct word, more judgmental. And again, maybe not. Quick responces like we do in verbal conversation come across a lot defferent in print. The reader does not have the normal inflections and the visual contact with the writer creating a more 'judgemental' look to it - even if this was not at all what the writer intended. As example when Spike said, "...I SO don't get what you mean by a room for DM management!!...." that on its face comes across judgemental - had spike it face to face I doubt that would have come across the same way. The double "!!" do make it jump out. It is a writing vs speaking thing. You have to downplay the first blush response and give some time for the next statemtents to explain it a little more. Just my take on it..

Looking back judgemental is probably not the correct word when I quote spikes response.

I wasn't being judgemental at all. I was confused by the OP's post. I still don't "get it". I don't feel as that's a judgement call; it's my expression of confusion over the notion of a room designed for DM managment. Perhaps you can explain your thoughts on what the OP meant? Do YOU understand what would make a room special for DM management? Maybe I'm just denser than the average bear!! (Don't read too much into any of my double or triple "!" or "?" either. I use them liberally without them meaning a whole **** of a lot!! It's more of a typing pattern than anything. Same as when I bolded my posts. Some one who shall remain nameless thought I was seeking to draw attention to my posts by bolding them. The real reason was so I could easily proofread them. Now that the font sizes on the website have been increased, the std font is easy for me to see. I was trying to explain all that before, but some folks are SO suspicious ("eye of the beholder" effect)...

I guess I expected that my expression of confusion would elicit some further explanation of why a room would be devoted to DM. It never dawned on me that someone(s) would misinterpret that comment. When I say I don't get something, or I SO don't get something, it means I don't understand. Nothing more, nothing less.