# Needle capers



## fencesitter (Jun 28, 2011)

Son (14) says to me this evening ... "Oh, I've run out of needles" ... and he has 
I am cross about this as he has promised to keep on top of his supplies, especially after a recent debacle over testing strips that had us rushing all over Milton Keynes in search of an emergency box! Hopefully we can get some needles quickly in the morning, but he has a course he needs to get up early for (and his nighttime insulin) so we had to do something.
We decided to raid the sharps bin (easier said than done) and I boiled 5 needles for 10 minutes, then wrapped them in silver foil. He has used one for his Lantus this evening. Anyone else found themselves in a similar situation? Do you think this will be OK?


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## Pumper_Sue (Jun 29, 2011)

Oops 
Would his GP allow a spare box and 1 extra box of strips to keep as spares?
So all you need to do is rotate.
I do this with my steroids 1 lot spare as soon as the one in use has 1 weeks supply left I order new and use the spare and keep the new in stock if you see what I mean.

The secret though is don't tell son you have the spares


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## Northerner (Jun 29, 2011)

Pumper_Sue said:


> ....The secret though is don't tell son you have the spares



Smart thinking Sue!


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## fencesitter (Jun 29, 2011)

That is a great idea. I could even take a dozen needles out of the new box straight away and keep them back for emergencies. Thanks for the tip


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## HOBIE (Jul 7, 2011)

Hi willsmam , I have been t1 since England won the world cup(1966 to long ago age 3) and used to use glass syringes and NOT dissposable needles which were more like pannel pins. These nails(needles) were boiled in a pan every few days & lasted years. Dissposable needles only became available since Drugs came on the scene. Tell your son in a nice way he doesnt know how lucky he is with todays tech.    Kids !  I have 2 and they are stressfull when they are ok but are worth having ! (bless them)


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## Pumper_Sue (Jul 7, 2011)

HOBIE said:


> Hi willsmam , I have been t1 since England won the world cup(1966 to long ago age 3) and used to use glass syringes and NOT dissposable needles which were more like pannel pins. These nails(needles) were boiled in a pan every few days & lasted years. Dissposable needles only became available since Drugs came on the scene. Tell your son in a nice way he doesnt know how lucky he is with todays tech.    Kids !  I have 2 and they are stressfull when they are ok but are worth having ! (bless them)



How come you had to boil your needles  Mine were kept in industrial spirit.
I was diagnosed in 1965. I never had nails either it was harpoons honest gov


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## Robster65 (Jul 7, 2011)

If I go out somewhere and have to take a few needles 'just in case', I tend to leave them where they are for emergencies, so if I run out, I've always got several little stashes in various pockets, bags, etc.

The hard part is finding them again when you need them. 

I forgot to take my syringe on holiday once as a teenager. We spent the first evening driving to the nearest A+E to get some disposables until Boots was open the next day to buy enough for the week.

Rob


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## trophywench (Jul 7, 2011)

LOL at Sue!

That's exactly what they told me to do, Sue!

I asked in every pharmacy in Kidderminster and Boots in B'ham city centre, where I worked and got my scrips filled, so they knew I was a genuine real diabetic.  No-one had ever heard of Industrial Spirit.

The 2 needles I possessed and the syringe got rinsed out under the cold tap, wraped in lint and boiled up once a week if I remembered to do it.  I frequently forgot the gas was on and tried to weld the syringe to the bottom of a saucepan ..........

Then hubby was promoted to a sales rep and was allocated a new van driver at work to train to replace himself; she was married to a sales rep from Arnolds, the veterinary suppliers and he got me a whole box of disposable insulin syringes (not then available to the public) at cost price.  Whole month's salary, paid him by instalments.  Lasted me for years!  (used em for about a week each)


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