My Diabetes New Year’s Resolutions

I have been thinking a lot about  New Year’s resolutions.  I have decided this year to concentrate on diabetes to see if I can improve  management.  With that in mind, I asked people in the diabetes community what might be good New Year’s resolutions for me.  I got plenty of feedback but will share three resolutions I have decided to adopt for 2016.

1.  Change my lancet more than twice per year.

I know if you are reading this it sounds sort of gross, but the truth is most of us do not change  lancets.   I long ago adopted the notion that I would chance twice per year, at the change for day light savings time.  In my world, that is twice more than most of my contemporaries change their lancet.  One fellow I know last changed his in 2002.

So this year I intend to step up.  I resolve to change my lancet at least (this is a stretch) 4 times this year.  I even changed it on New Year’s Eve so I have a few months before I have to dig deep and do it again.  Oh and as for the twitter campaign, #RickChangeYourLancet, I will not bow to pressure, no matter how high this trends.  I am steadfast in my 4 per year change routine.

2.  I resolve to dispose of 14 year old alcohol swabs.

Yesterday I found an ancient alcohol swab  which was dry.  I was shocked; just when I needed the swab most it was dry.  Then I looked at the use by date and it was November 28, 2002.

I figure anything that is 14 years old or older can probably be safely disposed of.  Let’s face it, if I have not used it in 14 years I bet I can live without it.  If I do need it,  they make new ones.  So I resolve anything that expired 14 years ago or longer  will be disposed of.  You ask why only if expired 14 years ago, why not 10 years ago?  Well a man cannot be too radical in his thinking;  little steps are best to start.

3.  I resolve to clean out my meter bin.

Like many people with diabetes, I have an army of glucose meters.  I inventory and store them because I know some day I will need a spare meter.  The trouble is I have stored some meters now for five years, Test Strips are no longer available for some of these meters and yet I have kept them.  I look at my meter bin and it reminds me of an archeological dig site.  A technology grave yard of good ideas, now passed over.  So I resolve to reduce the number of meters I have by at least 50%.  This is a big resolution, I find comfort in my meter bin, when I look at it I am reminded of good times past, when that technology was new.  Parting is such sweet sorrow.

And now as I go into 2016, I will have ridded myself of old alcohol swabs and old meters and even some lancets all that occupy my diabetes closet.  Which means of course, I now have room to acquire more things.  After all I did not resolve to stop being a diabetes supply hoarder, and with more room I can acquire more stuff.  Hmm I just heard about a new lancet system, maybe I need to check that out?

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