Watch dLifeTV
Wondering about the show or how Jim manages his diabetes life? Find out as he answers questions from the dLife community.
Q. How come [Jim] uses hypodermics instead of pens? - oliveoil from the dLife Message Board
A. I’ve tried the pens. My doctor tries to get me to use them and gives me one every time I see him but I really find the pens to be too bulky. I like the size of the small syringe I use. But then of course I have to carry around a bottle of insulin and the total bulk of it all is probably more than a pen. So you know what? It’s probably just that I’ve always used syringes and change makes me nervous. Pumps make me very nervous and would make me feel like a farm animal so I stay far away from those things. But I need to see my doctor in the next month so I’ll give the pen another shot, as it were.
Q. I was watching dLife this past Sunday (by the way, my family greatly enjoys dLife and appreciates all the great information that you provide - our 4-year-old son Grayson has type 1 diabetes and just watching as the audience checks their blood sugars and [knowing] they are not all perfect just helps make us realize that it is hard for other people too!)
There was a segment of the show where you showed a typical day for Jim and it showed him working on a set and testing his blood sugar and giving himself his insulin shots and it appeared that his bottle of insulin had some sort of insulated or protective cover over the bottle to keep it from breaking if dropped or possibly to also keep it cool. I was wondering where he found that cover - we would like to get one of these for our son.
- Becky Wilcox
A. Becky, Thank you so much for watching, and enjoying, dLife. It's so nice to hear from folks out there about what we're trying to do.
The Insulated cover that I use for my insulin bottle was purchased at Rite-Aid, a pharmacy here in Los Angeles. I actually get asked about it frequently by other diabetics. It doesn't keep the insulin cool - which I have never worried about - but protects it quite well when I drop the darn thing. It costs a couple bucks. Let me know if you can't find it at your local pharmacy.
All the best,