Syringes - Needles ??

[Sue too]

Hi All,

I have a question about the need for syringes.

My son is leaving for college for the first his freshman year. I am not too worried about him managing his d because he's not let me in that area of his life for some time. (grrr, but that's another story - but I will say that he has very good A1Cs)

He is a pump wearer and I've packed his supplies for the semester, etc etc. The dr. office gave him a levimir <sp?> pen as a long acting insulin in case of pump failures and he will have novolog pens as well. Do i really need to send him with emergency syringes to use his novolog from the bottles? Are teh pens/needles enough?

I also need to look up Levimir. My kids haven't been withoug the pump for over 7 years and te last time we used a long acting it was Lente. I don't think that's even on the market anymore.

Any opinions? Or info on the long acting insulin?

[ccarrol4]

I think you should definately send back up syringes. Sometimes, the pens do not work with the pen needles (I'm not exactly sure why) and you have to use the syringe to draw the insulin out of the pen. I hope that made since. I know what I'm trying to say, I'm just not sure I said it so others can understand, lol.

[OSUMom]

How far away from home is he going for school?

What would it hurt to throw in a few syringes into the box of diabetes supplies, ya know? Is there a pharmacy close by if he ends up needing more as that "backup back-up"? He could go get more in the event he needed them at that point.

[Connie(BC)Type 1]

I haven't taken a shot in 10 years, I just change my site if I have problems. And I have a back up pump from Roche if I have a pump failure.

[Hollyb]

Hi Sue,

My son has never used a syringe and we've never had any trouble with the pens/cartridges. As long as he has the penfill insulin cartridges in the fridge, I don't see what he'd need the syringes for in terms of delivering insulin (plus if he does need them, he can get them at any pharmacy right?)

That said I have a couple of syringes tucked into our glucagon box in case we need to administer a mini-glucagon dose. Never done it, but apparently it can be really useful for cases where the blood sugar is low and you're vomiting and can't keep carbs down.

On the Levemir -- your doc might want to suggest an initial dose but I think the rule of thumb is take your typical total daily basal and reduce by a couple of units to start. I think many people need a little more, not less, but you don't want to overdo at first. The other thing to watch is that many people don't get a full 24 hours out of Levemir -- it may poop out after 18 or 20. Many people take two doses, but since your son would just be using it as a tide-over he might just be aware of this and prepared to correct with extra Novolog if needed.

Hope he has a great time at college!

[OSUMom]

I wondered how far away from home he was because we actually in the past haven't sent any back up pens. We're just shy of 2 hours away or the pharmacy is within walking distance. So compared to us, you're ahead of the game just with the pens!

[U of I Mom]

My son is in his second year of college, first with the pump. He just returned to school yesterday.

He took Humalog and Lantus pens plus pen needles as pump backups as well as some syringes. He has had trouble with his Lantus pen before and had to use syringes to draw up the insulin.

[bgallini]

I sent syringes along with Alex. He's never used a pen needle before so if he needs to use the Lantus Pen (not sure why Dr prescribed pen this time) or the back up Novolog pens, he'll just use the sryinge to draw out the insulin. But he's on the pump too and has never used Lantus. I imagine we'll have to call the Dr or ask on here if he ever has a total pump failure and has to use the Lantus.

[Sue too]

Hi Everyone.

Thanks for your advice. Well, he's off. My hub and I brought him today. A bit of a trip down memory lane as he's at my al-mamater (I have NO idea how to really spell that). He did try to rush us out - so we went to lunch, parked back in the parking lot, hugged, (I cried - a little) and he walked to the dorm and we walked campus to "explore."

Anyway, I did decide to send a small number of syringes.

He is only 1 1/2 hours from home, but I really don't want him to come home too often because he really really needs to be "on his own." I am there for him if he needs, but I tried to provide him a whole semester's worth of supplies.

While we're over 10 years into this d crapola, I guess the college/independence while I'm not there thing has me quite in a tail spin. I worry about things like if he doesn't wake in the morning and is unresponsive beyond the ususal, who is going to put the juice box straw to his lips? And the fact that he won't wear d-ID

While son and I were in the room, his step-dad went to the "bathroom." We thought he had gotten lost in the high-rise, but as he told me on the way home, he found the RA and "tattled" about d. Made him PROMISE that he would tell DS (dear son, do I have the acronym right?) that he was informed by health services. I still hope he tells his RA on his own. *and that RA is discrete!

Also, when he went for his menegitis shot, I was barely within earshot and the nurse asked him is he had any chronic illness. He said no, and then apparently within a moment or two, he did tell her about d. Then all I was able to make out was the he MUST get the flu shot. Apparently, the Univ. will send out a flu shot email reminder to all students to sign up and she was very clear that if there are any problems with reserving one, he should make sure the health dept knows about his T1-D. Go Nurse Go!

In the same vein of my "tail spin", here is the list of what I sent with him. Would you take a look and see if I maybe forgot something?

40 infusion sets
35 resorvoirs
4 boxes (100 ea) bg strips
1/2 box IV preps
2 spare meters (incl. prickers)
Extra pump batteries
spare pump battery and reservoir caps
lancettes
6 syringes
Novolog Insulin bottles
Novolog Pens
Levemir Pens

Oh wow, as I'm typing this, I realize that I need to get him some 2032 batteries for the glucometers. AND I don't see any pen needles on my list but I'm SURE I packed them in the box. I'm going to send an email off right after this to have him double check he has pen needles. (yikes!)

Looks like droning on the keyboard when you've had a week of stress induced sleep deprivation and a long day of college move in, etc. has helped me remember somethings.

Thank you all for "listening".

Signed, one physically and emotially tired mom of two. Take Care!

Sue

[OSUMom]

Sue!!!!!!!!!

How are you doing?? I'm sorry I just am now reading your last post here for the first time.

How's it been going for your son too?

For me it was so hard when my son left for college as a freshman. He had just been diagnosed with type 1 too.

Thinking about you!!!