[owlyn]

Okay, so you have a One Touch UltraSmart, or some other meter into which you can enter your food, insulin, exercise, etc. I enter carbs, insulin, and exercise, as well as "feel hypo". Okay, anyway...

I figured out how much Insulin I'm about to take (just ate, or just checked and BG is high, whatever the reason), I enter it into the meter, and then the phone rings, or someone comes to my cube at work, or... well, I forget to take the insulin (or did I???) I dunno.... Start rooting through the trash can looking for the little pull tabs from the pen tips counting them and hoping that the most recent is still on top, or that the janitors really completely emptied the can at work so I know whatever I do find in there is from today...

Please tell me this happens to you, too... (see meditation below on memory...)

[belyro]

Originally Posted by owlyn

Please tell me this happens to you, too... (see meditation below on memory...)

Three words......

All

The

Time

[SugarLESSlie]

Do it all the time -- good thing about my pump is all I need to do is hit ESC, and I can see if I took it or not!

[pooh3465]

Before I got my pump that was my problem I was so stressed with family stuff and going through a separation and depression I never remembered if I took my insulin or not and a few times gave myself double shots that was scary, try keeping a piece of paper by you and just put a check on it when you take your shot, if you don't record everything. or make your own record sheet with a space on it to check off when you take your shot. This pump has saved my life I don't always remember to bolus but I am trying to write it down so I can keep track of it, and doing much better now we all have those kind of days you just need to find some kind of vice to help you keep track like keep all the lids to the needles in the a bowl so you can keep track of how many you have taken that day. Hope it helps April

[jenet]

It's a good thing my pump's got a memory, because I sure don't. Yes, when I was on MDI, it was a regular struggle to keep track of "did I or didn't I" - not only for meals, but also the twice daily Lantus.

Good luck with figuring it out.
cheers,
j

[Dervish]

You mentioned pen tips, so... Dial up the dose on the pen, enter it in your meter, then inject. If you get interrupted, you can just look at the pen to see whether the dose is still dialed in (you didn't take it) or at 0 (you did take it). Same thing works with syringes. I doubt it would with a pump, but it sounds like they provide other ways to keep track of it.

And, yes, I've had the occasional problem with forgetting whether I've taken a shot yet or not. That's why I've devised ways to tell just by looking at my syringe/pen/insulin vial instead of relying on my memory.

[owlyn]

Originally Posted by Dervish

You mentioned pen tips, so... Dial up the dose on the pen, enter it in your meter, then inject. If you get interrupted, you can just look at the pen to see whether the dose is still dialed in (you didn't take it) or at 0 (you did take it). Same thing works with syringes. I doubt it would with a pump, but it sounds like they provide other ways to keep track of it.

And, yes, I've had the occasional problem with forgetting whether I've taken a shot yet or not. That's why I've devised ways to tell just by looking at my syringe/pen/insulin vial instead of relying on my memory.

Dervish,

Great idea! It'll take some doing to break the current habit, but I'll give it a go.

Everyone else,

Thanks! Now I don't feel so dumb.

I have that problem with my AM long-acting insulin dose-I guess after taking insulin for so many years, it just became like a habit. Sort of like brushing your teeth, and not remembering if you did or not. Anyway, I ended up having to write the day/date on the back cap of a syringe with a permanent marker the night before, and placing it inside the insulin box with the insulin. After injecting in the morning, I throw away the syringe, but the cap that has the day/date written on it stays in front of the box of insulin until lunch. That way, I know I've taken it. And you thought you a memory problem??

[ant hill]

Originally Posted by owlyn

I figured out how much Insulin I'm about to take (just ate, or just checked and BG is high, whatever the reason), I enter it into the meter, and then the phone rings, or someone comes to my cube at work, or... well, I forget to take the insulin (or did I???) I dunno....

Hum, I know the feeling like touching wood that i haven't messed up. I'm a MDI and i need to it properly and promptly too and on top of that i have a annoying boss who gets me to do things for him. Just when i had my bolus and i had to tell him if i don't eat now i'll be unconchance on his floor!!! Anyway i did have a understanding boss and so i ate and did the task at hand.

[Scratch]

I always jab first, then enter the amount of the injection into the meter. Doing it that way works for me to never forget the injection.

[Funnygrl]

Yeah, I've done this before I got my pump. It was honestly one of many, many reasons why I wanted a pump. I still have to check on a fairly regular basis to see if I had given the bolus yet or not. Home screen #2 for the win!