Since I'm only 3 months into this with my son (9 dxd 3/20/10). Clearly
everything I've read says to always have a glucagon kit 24/7. This isn't too
difficult when Vincent is with me or my husband. But when Vincent is out and
about playing with friends in neighborhood outside or else where without an
adult. How do other more experienced parents deal with this issue. I'd love to
hear any suggestions. Thanks moriah
I don't carry one all the time. I just make sure there is one in places like school, daycare, grandma's, our house and she always has one in her schoolbag just to be safe. I do make sure when she goes places that she has at least a juicebox or a tube of cake frosting. I never carry one with us. I have been T1 for 30 years and personally never carried one or even had one until 2 years ago when my daughter was dxd. She is only 5 and doesn't always feel her lows so like I said, I cover the bases at the places where she spends the most time and the rest of the times she carries something else. I let her pick out a cool insulated bag and decorate it so she doesn't mind carrying it with when we go places. Good luck!
My son is 4, dx'd just over a year ago. We don't carry one everywhere either. We have one for home and one for daycare, and I have another that is in our travel kit that I take when we go out of town. If we are just out for a day, then I don't carry one.
I would rather tell people to just call 911 if John would pass out from a low BG vs training all of them to do glucagon anyway. I have learned from other parents that have used glucagon that even they ended up doing it wrong (gave too much for their child's size) and that the paramedics probably wont use it, they will just get an IV started to raise the BG.
The other thing to tell parents/other caregivers is that if they suspect a low BG and can't check BG, treat it with food first and then check the BG. It is better to risk going even higher (at least temporarily) than to let the kid pass out because they didn't have a meter right then.
Our son (9) was dx just over a year ago. If we're going out as a family and we'll be away for a few hours, I take our "full pack" which includes a pump change kit, extra insulin, and glucagon. If he's just out playing at a neighbor's house, or were up at the local park, or the grocery store, I have him wear his SPIBelt containing a tester, strips, alcohol wipes, and glucose tablets, and the adult in charge carries the PDM. For me, a test kit and glucose tablets are more important on a practical level than the glucagon kit, and they easily fit into a SPIBelt so he doesn't mind wearing it.
Mo
It isn't necessary to carry one along with you everywhere. We only make sure that we have one available wherever out daughter is sleeping at night. She is six and was dx at 3. We always stay on top of her blood sugars as much as possible during waking hours and treat lows as needed just fine. I have had one time in three years to have to use the kit though! If you ever need to, just be sure to fill the syringe with air before pullig up the mixed glucagon. In our extreme case of panic, we didn't do that, and of course it was hard to pull up and squirted all over the place! She did get enough in though.
My daughter was diagnosed at 4, and is 8 now. I don't make her carry one all the time, but she does have to carry a juice or glucose tablets at all times. I make her keep a little ziploc bag of glucose tablets in her pocket, and make sure all neighborhood friends/parents know to give him juice or candy if he is low. We have had a lot of experiences where people think diabetics shouldn't have sugar, and try to tell my daughter not to have any sugar (or worse, try to take away her juice box!) Just make sure you check his pants pocket before you wash them!
Melissa
we have 3. one for school, one for home, and one to carry in his "pack." and his pack goes EVERYWHERE he goes, usually right beside the basketball goal lol. and all the neighbor kids know to let me know if he starts acting "funny" when playing outside.