i thought it best to put a little guide in here about packing for a convention, a check list if you will. my fiance knows how much i love check lists and this just proves that sometimes OCD can actually be your friend. i know that it can be hectic packing up for something big and we all swear we packed that extra bottle of test strips. but, oops, i guess we over looked them. so here it goes, my shot (haha) at a must bring list for us insulin junkies to bring along to a con. *please note that i am a pumper*

- insulin pump. should be a no brainer as it's attached most every moment of every day.
- at least one extra set of batteries. even if your battery is at full bars when you leave you never know, you could get a short in it. that actually happened to me in the doctors office when i first was learning to pump. put a brand new battery in and started fiddling with it at home, went to the doctor's office and then doctor static-fingers touched it. the battery when dead. had to replace it.
- syringes. if something goes wrong with the pump, you always have these.
- that being said, both your short acting insulin for the pump and a stand by long acting insulin should you have to resort to shots. i keep a spare bottle of lantus in the fridge just in case. and i think it's best (even for short little convention trips) to bring and extra incase something happens to the current bottle.
- infusion sets and resivoirs. i might have to change my pump once or twice at a convention (given the time span) but as my last convention taught me, it's smart to bring extra sets. you never know when that pesky little grain of sand is going to cuase you to change out your pump site. standard adive is double what you think you'll need. so for me, i tend to bring four.
- meter. it tells you if you need insulin or food. please bring it.
- an extra battery for the meter. see extra batteries for the pump.
- loads of strips. travel, differing activities from the norm and unfamiliar food can play havoc with your blood sugars. you may end up testing more than usual, so you need to bring plenty more than you think you'd use most days.
- sugar. for those pesky lows that can sneak up on you. i prefer starbursts in the blue package. they're delicious and so much more fun than glucose tabs. they're also much cheaper. ^_^
- all those extras. the little things that are still very important such as lancets, alcohol wipes, and IV prep if you need it. and don't forget your little stickum if you use a quick set like me. it's a pain to put in an infusion set without this handy device and tends not to work out in my favor.
- perscriptions. these are important, not only if you're traveling by plane, but also incase you need to do an emergency pharmacy run.
- phone numbers. you're endo, your usual pharmacy, and the pump manufacturer's numbers are always good to have. i'm sure there are more you'd need to. i just haven't had my weight in coffee yet, so i dread to think of them all.
- medical alert jewelry. you really should be wearing this all the time, but let's face it, it's especially important when you're away from home. mine looks like a lovely little charm braclet and is engraved with my name, the fact that i have diabetes (although insulin pumps are a big clue too), and my fiance's cell phone number, should someone need to contact him.

i think i've covered everything fairly well, but if need be, i can always add on ^_^