Looking at all of the tools of the trade of diabetes can shock a parent. You can easily fill two large kitchen drawers with the supplies and tools you now need to keep your child healthy. Finding a smart way to organize and tote them around is a great first step toward integrating diabetes into your life as seamlessly as possible.

Organization

It's time to scope out a place for diabetes central. This will be the place in your home where the bulk of diabetes supplies are stored. Some parents opt for a kitchen cabinet, others for a couple of kitchen drawers. Utility closet shelves or a cabinet in a laundry room or powder room are also good choices. Whatever space you select, clean it out, empty it, and make sure it is only for diabetes supplies.

Drawers work well because it's easy to locate what you are looking for. Cabinets, however, have more space and hold more. If small children are involved, you will need to consider childproofing the space immediately. Syringes, lancets, and other supplies are not something you ever want a child toying with.

Once you've cleaned your space, fill it with your supplies in categories. Test strips and meter supplies such as lancets, control solution, and backup meters should be stored in one area. In another area, place syringes, alcohol swabs, and other site-preparation solutions or wipes. At the very front of your space, place your glucagon and backup glucagons, as well as a package of glucose tablets or another fast-acting sugar, such as Skittles or jelly beans. Just under those supplies, place a reminder sheet that spells out what to do in case of a low blood sugar emergency.

In a third area in the same storage space, place ketone-testing supplies, such as ketone strips, a ketone meter, and ketone meter strips. Always keep a set of the instructions to translate the ketone results in that same place. It's amazing what can flee your mind when you are in a panic.

Now you need to turn to other parts of your home and life. It's a good idea to assume you'll be running out in a rush from time to time. For that reason, pack a diabetes travel kit and keep it packed and ready at all times. It should hold a few syringes, some lancets, alcohol prep wipes, glucose tablets, and a glucagon kit. Back that up by placing yet another glucagon and syringe in the glove compartment of your car. Also, place ketone strip bottles in the medicine cabinet of each bathroom, and glucose tablets in a drawer in your child's bedroom. This way, you'll have everything close to you at all times and seldom will you forget. (Although, forget you will. We are all human.)

Storage

Most diabetes supplies will stay well in a cool, dark place. Things like meter strips and glucagon do not need to be kept chilled, and as long as they are protected from direct sun and high temperatures, they'll be fine in almost any spot.

Insulin, on the other hand, needs to be handled carefully. Insulin that gets too hot or too cold can be unusable, and the only way you'll find out is when your child's blood sugar goes high despite having been given a dose.

It's best to store insulin in your refrigerator. Most folks choose the butter dish area. Ask a person with diabetes to try to find the insulin in your house, and the first place she'll look is in that butter dish. That is because that area gives you the cold of the fridge in a kinder, gentler (keep that butter softer) kind of way. It's easy to find there, too. It peeks out at you at eye level and never gets pushed behind the juice boxes or milk cartons or leftover Chinese food.

Insulin does not need to be kept cold. In fact, when it comes to pumps, many endocrinology teams recommend patients use room-temperature insulin. The rule is that once opened, insulin stays good up to three months when refrigerated. At room temperature, it stays good for only one month. Sealed insulin, refrigerated, is good up to the expiration date on the bottle. Sealed at room temperature, it stays good for only one month. Most parents of newly diagnosed children or of very small children opt to keep insulin in the fridge at all times, since they use such a small amount.

If you do keep your insulin at room temperature, make sure you store it in a cool, dry, dark place. Direct sunlight or exposure to any kind of heat or cold could dilute the insulin. Tucked to the side in a spice cabinet, or on a shelf in a medicine cabinet is a good bet.

Keep in mind, though, that some children complain that cold insulin hurts more during injections. If this is the case with your child, keep one vial out and dispose of it at month's end, even if it is not completely empty.

Totes

So what about carrying all those supplies around? Parents and caregivers new to diabetes can look down at what's needed to take along with you and feel like only a Sherpa could do the job. With good planning and good equipment, you'll find that bringing it all along is possible.

First, shop for some small carrying cases. There are cases specifically for diabetes supplies that you can find at your pharmacy or online. These cases are handy because they have special loops just the size of your insulin bottles and compartments for each item needed. They are helpful in that each compartment reminds you of something you need to have.

You will always need to carry a meter. New meters are small and portable; some even slip into a child's jeans pocket. But it's a good idea to encourage your child, and yourself, to carry them in their case. Some girls like to find cute wristlets that are popular now to carry their meter and glucose tabs in. Boys seem to prefer large pocketed shorts or jeans to tuck their meter case into.

When you are with your child, you should always bring along insulin, syringes, a glucagon kit, a meter, and extra strips. Meter batteries are a good idea to tuck away in your purse or glove compartment. You never know when you're going to need them.

What should you expect your child to tote along when he's out playing? The rule is simple: If he's in the neighborhood, he only needs to have a fast-acting glucose supply on hand, and perhaps (if it's not too bothersome) his meter.

Outside the neighborhood, your child must understand that she needs all her supplies within close distance. This can be a bone of contention, particularly for children struggling with this new part of their identity. Work with your child to come up with a plan. If she carries a cell phone and you will be close, perhaps she can just carry a meter, strips, and glucose. If the readings were high, she could call you to come meet her with insulin and a syringe. If she is playing in another neighborhood, perhaps a good friend would be willing to let you temporarily keep supplies at her house while your child is playing.

Storage and toting of supplies to and from school will be discussed in Chapter 10.