What’s in the Bag(s)?

Some of my lifesaving gear is kept in these bags.

As everyone with diabetes knows, we are slaves to the medications and equipment we use. If you’re a multiple daily injection (MDI) diabetic (meaning, someone who uses syringes or insulin pens), having your meds and testing gear available is an everyday necessity.

If, like me, you use an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor (CGM), you know how finicky (and, sometimes, inaccurate) the CGM can be, and there’s nothing worse than running out of insulin.

So here’s where the case comes into play. But what all do I keep in my go bags?

Over the years I’ve used several different med supply bags. My current model, which I’ve been using for the last year, is the Myabetic Banting Diabetes wallet. (No lie, although it’s called a “wallet,” it looks like a purse. But people with diabetes have had to deal with issues much bigger than gender stereotypes; we are actively keeping ourselves alive every day before we even do any of the other awesome stuff we accomplish. So there.) I like supporting companies that provide products for diabetics, by diabetics, and Myabetic was founded by Kyrra, who has type 1 diabetes.

This case is great. It has the standard features that all the bags have: Elastic test-strip holder, a holder for the lancet device, a place to store the blood glucose meter (in my case, it’s a Bayer Next Link Meter, which is the preferred product to use with my Medtronic 670G pump), a zippered pocket where I keep my insulin vials, and plenty of additional storage space.

A little interstitial: The most important piece of equipment I carry on a daily basis that isn’t connected to or flowing into me is my glucose meter, which helps me determine if my CGM is working correctly, confirms if I need more insulin (or some emergency carbs), and helps me be sure my blood sugar is where it’s supposed to be.

In the additional space in my bag, I keep two backup batteries, extra lancets, and the Medtronic Quick-serter infusion inserter. (Note, I typically keep the infusion sets and reservoirs either in my backup go bag–more to come on this–or in my computer backpack I take to work.)

The coolest feature of this bag, though, is a little detachable pocket that will hold all of the used test strips that accumulate in every diabetic’s life. (Seriously, if you ever want to find a diabetic, just follow the trail of used test strips.)

That’s the everyday stuff that I keep with me almost all the time. It’s almost always nearby in case my pump/CGM needs a calibration, mostly, but a lot of that gear is needed if I have to do a big insertion for new equipment, too.

Which brings us to my backup go bag, which contains everything else.

This go bag isn’t the high fashion model that my Myabetic bag is. In fact, it’s just a freezer bag.

I’m it I keep a sandwich bag that contains my CGM insertion necessities, like the items I described in my last post: the Sweeney & Nephew wipes; the Medtronic CGM overtape; TacAway wipes, used to clean adhesive off my CGM transmitter; and the important Medtronic Guardian CGM transmitter charger.

Other items I keep in the freezer-cum-diabetes caryall bag is a bunch of GrifGrips tapes, which I described in my last post, as well as the CGM sensor inserter. I also keep a backup infusion set and reservoir, just in case something goes wrong and I need to switch my infusion on short notice.

Note: I’m not sponsored by Myabetic, or Ziplock, or Medtronic, or any of these other products. … But I’m willing to be sponsored. Drop me a line if anyone wants to give me any free stuff.