Taking stuff with you

[JanTx]

Okay, hubby and I are going to the nearest big city for a night in a hotel and the first of our season tickets to a musical. We'll eat in the hotel, walk to the theater, split a dessert at a restaurant afterwards, walk back to the hotel, sleep in tomorrow, have lunch with our kids who live there, then head for home. We'll do this 6 times during the "season".

I just changed sets yesterday evening so should be good to go. I know I need my meter, but what else? Do I need to take a new set, tubing, insulin, inserter, etc? Or take a Novolog pen and needle as a back up instead? This is my maiden voyage away from home after 2 whole weeks of pumping. Not taking 2 kinds of insulin, needles, syringes, and a purse large enough to cart all that seems wonderful. But don't want to be foolish either.

[JediSkipdogg]

Take whatever you need that would causeyou to not drive back home if something happens. I always go everywhere with 1 extra infusion set. That seems to be the biggest area of failure when pumping. You may also want to fill another insulin cartridge up and take just that with you, instead of the entire vial. If you don't use it, just put it back in the bottle or use it first next itme you change a cartridge.

My rule of thumb is if you can't go back home, or don't want to go back home, then take what you need away home.

[JanTx]

Thanks - I have a vial I've made up of leftovers from reservoirs. I was putting in as much as the trainer said to and changing everything every 2 - 3 days. This time I filled the reservoir and don't plan to change until it's empty. So anyway, I have that vial that I'll take.

My husband is still a bit unsure about all this. He was used to the MDI routine. So when I can leave the extras in my suitcase and we can walk out with my ultra mini case on his belt - our lives will be greatly simplified! Now to put my pump on vibrate so a delicate little "ding-ding-ding" doesn't chime out in the quietest part of the show!

[JediSkipdogg]

I forgot to ask....what show you seeing?

[JanTx]

West Side Story. Never seen a live show of that so looking forward to it. My husband is a high school theater teacher and I'm a music teacher so --- busman's holiday? :)

[am1977]

Take it from someone who has plenty of experience with being unprepared... take all the necessary back-up stuff you need- you never know when you might need it :top:. It's better to have that stuffwith you just in case then take a chance and be left w/o the things you need.

Enjoy the show :)

[notme]

I have pulled out sets accidently while traveling. I keep and extra set of supplies in my car especially a canula. I can always slap a new one on if I pull out a site and just re-attach the tubing.

[Emm]

Take it from someone who has plenty of experience with being unprepared...

Ditto that - and ditto everyone really when I say: Take *everything* you could possibly need, just in case.

I went out without my jabs yesterday. BAH!!!! I had a small salad for lunch with hardly any dressing, and was starving til I got home 6 hours after lunch. That sucked!! A good reminder to be prepared!

Enjoy the show!

Em.

[Rexy]

My husband takes everything he will need to change out a setup - plus backup batteries for the pump and the glucometer. And if he will be gone longer than 3-4 days - he takes a second set of everything. He also takes the bottle of Novalog that is currently open and insulin syringes, just in case the backup supplies are bunk.

He uses a very small laptop case - just big enough for a 12" laptop and he puts everything in it - that way he can take it out in the hotel and have everything together. It is flat and fits nicely into his suitcase or he can hand carry it if he wants.

He travels a lot and so he just keeps these supplies in it at all times, ready to go - minus the insulin, of course.