A few more things about test strips that have wandered through the vast land of emptiness between my ears.

1) I found a test strip in my basketball sneaker. And it had a very worn look to it. Now I know it had not been there long, because like any “Good Diabetic” of long standing, I check my shoes for foreign objects before I put them on. This strip looked like it had been run through a few wash & dry cycles, and then set out in the Texas sun for a year. All this from what had to have been a single day of basketball. This does not, however, even come close to comparing to Julia’s twig in bra episode… On a side note – that was perhaps the funniest post I have read. Ever. Go check it out.

2) I wear my pump, test strips and lancing device in a slightly over sized pouch on my belt. The test strips are the FreeStyle type, and similar to the One Touch strips they have an over sized tab on the lid of the bottle. This is, I suppose, to make the bottle easier to open – something to push against with your thumb. This tab makes it a pain in the ass to fit the bottle into tight spots. Most of the time I put the bottle in my waist pouch upside down, then align the pump next to it on top of the tab. Well I pulled the bottle out of the pouch, and the tab had come open. The strips went every damn where. And do you think it was a mostly used bottle, that had only a few strips in it? Nope, almost brand spankin new. I heard the entire bottle of test strips flitter to the floor. I spent the next few minutes picking up test strips off the floor, painstakingly picking debris from them so I could put them back into the bottle and use them again.

3) This one happened a long time ago, and is very similar to #2 above. I was out for lunch one day at Perkins. Sitting in one of those weird half booth things – where there’s only room on each side for one person. I was working to open my vial of test strips. I have no idea how this actually happened, but right as I was applying pressure to the tab to open the vial, I fumbled it and the bottle went flying. Strips went everywhere. I’m talking up in the air, then raining down on me in my little “special person” booth and all accross the floor. It was like that card game you play on with your kids – “52 pickup”. Frrrrrrrtttt. Everywhere. I was thankful that they didn’t land on anyone, or in their lunch. No, they were just littered all across the busy walkway between my row of funny booths and the regular people booths next to the windows. Again, full bottle. And once again, I spent the next few minutes picking up test strips off the floor, painstakingly picking debris from them so I could put them back into the bottle and use them.

4) The Test Strip Contest is wrapping up. Winners announced tomorrow. I looked at my “diabetes drawer” at home, and am truly embarrassed about the sheer mountainous quantity of used test strips I have in there. I was going to do another contest, with a picture of that drawer – but I’m not so sure about that anymore. It’s really scary. Plus I don’t know if I can count that high…

5) FreeStyle test strips are packed 50 strips per vial. One Touch strips are packaged 25 per vial. Shame on One Touch for using so much packaging – it’s wasteful. But dammit – I can’t fit my finger into the FreeStyle vial to get the frickin’ strip out!!!! I hate how I have to tip the bottle, dumping the strips partway out in my hand just to get a grip on one to remove it. Very funny how these little things, which you would think should be barely noticeable, drive you crazy. Maybe they should use more plastic and pack 25 strips per vial.