Honestly, I got nothing here.

Today’s post suggestion was: Share the (non-medical) tips and tricks that help you in the day-to-day management of diabetes.  Tell us everything from clothing modifications, serving size/carb counting tricks to the tried and true Dexcom-in-a-glass trick or the “secret” to turning on a Medtronic pump’s backlight when not on the home-screen (scroll to the bottom of this post). Please remember to give non-medical advice only! (Thank you Rachel of Probably Rachel and Kelley of Below Seven for this topic suggestion.)

My advice my life hacks are nothing great. I mean everything I do, anything I can suggest is all common sense related. It makes my life easier, but it is nothing big.

I mean putting my Dexcom in a glass to amplify the noise if I am low or high seems like a great idea. I know I should do it. However, I sleep with my Dexcom. Let me rephrase that. I sleep on my Dexcom. I lose it in my bed. Are we seeing a theme here? Do I hear it. Sometimes, should I be trying something better than sleeping in the same bed as it. Probably. I mean, we aren’t even married….

My common sense things. Non-medical related of course. I have bottles of glucose tabs all over the place in my room. I have two bottles on my nightstand at all times. I make sure before putting said bottles there, the plastic is off, the cotton removed, etc. I am ready if something happens. If I have had a meal that I know periodically f’s my sugars up at night. Or I know it was a weird day and I am not sure how X, Y, or Z is gonna play with me at night. I take said bottle of glucose tabs and sleep with them too. The worst thing in the world is having a night time low, you know the one I am talking about, when you wake from a cold sweat and your muscle coordination is not all that great?!? Yeah that one, sometimes even rolling over and getting my hand around the bottle can be a bit of an effort. So I have been known to sleep with my tabs, just in case (never needed them) I have an easier time getting my hands on that bottle. It’s stupid, but it’s the best I got.

When it comes to diabetes, you know your shit better than me. You know your own quirks and stuff. You have your routines.

I mean for me, when I need to change my pump I have a simple process:

1. The night before I go into my perfectly organized closet and grab one of my pump supply bags.
2. I open the plastic around the infusion set.
3. I open and prep the tubing for the morning, removing the little white tape.
4. I take the insulin cartridge and fill it up the night before. Trying my hardest to remove bubbles. (If there is a bubble issue it usually sorts itself out by morning.)
5. In the morning, I use the insulin I have left to bolus for breakfast.
6. Than I remove the pump and rewind as if I am about to change everything.
7. I take my shower.
8. Than I do the rest of the site change.

This way with everything prepped the night before I don’t have to be all that awake to do things, plus I am not waiting for what seems like forever for my pump to rewind. You know all 45 seconds.

That’s all I got. It makes my life easier and makes a morning set change about 3 minutes.

PEACE!