Today’s Topic: Yesterday we kept stuff in, so today let’s clear stuff out. What is in your diabetic closet that needs to be cleaned out? This can be an actual physical belonging, or it can be something you’re mentally or emotionally hanging on to. Why are you keeping it and why do you need to get rid of it? (Thank you Rick of RA Diabetes for this topic suggestion.) To read all of the other posts in this category, click here.
I think that I took the easy way out with this topic and never addressed how to get rid of diabetes stuff–physical or mental. I just took photos and wrote about diabetes paraphernalia of which I have a lot. I’ll enjoy my free pass today and look forward to reading the more-on-topic posts by my fellow D-bloggers….
I keep backup diabetes supplies in two places. The first is a large drawer in my bedroom where pump supplies, meter strips, glucose tabs, spare batteries, etc. are stored. It is neat and tidy and except for the fact that I have too many boxes of reservoirs, it contains supplies that I will use soon.
Down the hall there is a closet where diabetes gadgets and supplies go to die. Occasionally I end up retrieving and using a couple of the devices, but mostly it’s stuff that sits there for years and is finally thrown away. I seem addicted to keeping boxes and I can’t quite figure out why. On one hand I wish that I had kept every meter and lancet device that I have ever used so that I could have a personal museum. But since I didn’t, I have to question why I need multiple Dexcom boxes and a bottle of expired control solution.
In case you’re interested, here is the current inventory:
1 Animas Vibe box (at least I threw away the Ping box), 1 Medtronic Revel box (it contains an old, but working pump), 4 Verio IQ meters (two were used for a while and two have never been opened), 2 One Touch Ultra Mini meters, 1 One Touch Ping meter/remote (I no longer own the pump, so why do I have the meter?), 1 One Touch Ultra Link meter, 3 Dexcom Kit boxes (1 for current receiver and 2 containing old receivers), 2 Dexcom transmitter boxes (containing old non-functional transmitters), 1 Brookstone travel hair dryer (in the diabetes section because its case looks like a meter case), 1 Freestyle Lite case (empty), 1 Freestyle Lite box (empty), 1 box Medtronic Silhouettes (half-empty), 1 box Medtronic Reservoirs (half-empty), 1 One Touch UltraSmart meter (was considered “smart” in its day), plastic bags of various cases and clips, and 1 plastic bag with a lancet device, lancets, and expired control solution.
On one hand it’s obscene how much “stuff” I have when there are adults and children around the world dying because they lack insulin and supplies. #SpareARose. There are also many people in the US, Canada, and abroad who have no insurance coverage for insulin pumps and CGMs. So I am indeed fortunate. However I get to whine a little. Can you believe all the crapola it takes to stay healthy with diabetes?!?!?!
Test Guess and Go 
I agree – a longer shelf life for Dexcom would really be nice!
Why do we all hold onto this crapola? It’s time I take a peek to see what’s lurking in my closet. I’m sure I have some old meters and empty boxes as well.
I love seeing the insides of people’s drawers—small thrills! I couldn’t bear to look, really LOOK, at my supplies areas this week but I definitely need a clean up!
Haha, I love the FIFO econ lesson 🙂 I do that too!
For the longest time I held on to meters that I got for free to test out, but obviously never used. I held on forever, but finally got rid of them when we moved from New York to Minnesota. I just couldn’t imagine schlepping all that crap 2,000 miles away! We had limited space to move! 🙂
Great post! I wish my insurance still covered my Freestyle Lite test strips!!! They were so much more accurate. Either that or the lottery, I’d be happy with either!
You bring up an excellent point. We are lucky that we have the means to stock up on supplies – many people in the world can’t. And I do like stockpiling the supplies in your first photo, as it saves me from having to visit the pharmacy every week – so long as they are in date.
Yes, I can believe all the crapola — and it’s natural to keep backups to the stuff we use every day, and then backups to the backups, and so on and so forth. Even if its obsolete, we still tend to hold onto it, just in case. It makes no sense.
Yet, a part of me wishes I still had my Glucometer Elite meter, my original Accu-Chek meter, and a pack of BD Glucose Tablets — just for old-time’s sake. It’s that window of time that exists somewhere between obsolescence and nostalgia (probably closer to nostalgia) in which we tend to find the need to purge old supplies.