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Surviving a natural disaster when living with T1D
If there's one thing diabetes has taught me, it's to prepare for the unexpected. Surviving a natural disaster can be stressful enough without the added worry of managing type 1 diabetes (t1d). Making preparations before disaster strikes is key, and focusing on staying calm in the moment will help you be flexible and adaptable — necessary traits to manage this disease during any off-nominal situation.
Make a plan
As a resident of the Gulf Coast, I'm warned every year to prepare for hurricane season. Even if you don't live in a hurricane-prone area, picking an annual preparedness sync point is incredibly beneficial, diabetes or not. Take this time to update your important phone number list if needed, make copies of new insurance cards, take stock of diabetes supplies and reorder backups, replenish low blood sugar supplies, and update insulin dosing or basal rate requirements. Diabetes management, insurance, and supplies seem to change constantly, so making an annual review part of your emergency preparedness plan is a great idea.
Have a checklist
How you prepare for a natural disaster, in general, is dependent on where you live, who you live with, who you take care of, where you plan to evacuate to, and the nature of the disaster itself. There are a few unique considerations when making emergency preparations with diabetes such as gathering the following:
- Important phone numbers (doctor, pharmacy, supplies, etc.)
- Insurance card
- Backup supplies to have with you at all times, plus reserves at home or places you visit often (such as in your desk drawer at work)
- Small cooler and ice packs
- Charging cords or extra batteries for diabetes devices
- Shelf-stable low blood sugar snacks (keep some in the car, too!)
- Medical ID
The Diabetes Disaster Response Coalition also has an excellent checklist for disaster preparedness.
It's great to have paperwork and backup supplies physically ready to go, but these days, it's also handy to store information in an easily accessible place on the cloud such as the Notes app on your mobile phone or a shared Google doc.
Execute the plan
When you're in the midst of surviving a natural disaster, the most critical action is to remain calm. Easier said than done, I know. Becoming frantic can send your perfectly prepared plan into a downward spiral — now, not only are you stressing about the situation, but it's likely that stress response will affect your blood sugar and consequently your ability to recognize and arrest the spiral. If possible, face the natural disaster or the resultant situation with a buddy — someone who knows you have diabetes and understands how to help you with the basic logistics — just to take some pressure off.
When time allows, alert additional family or friends to the situation so they can help you, even if it's just writing an email to your doctor or calling around to different pharmacies. If traveling or evacuating alone, I recommend sharing your location with a trusted family member or friend via phone GPS.
Know some natural disaster resources
No matter how good you are at planning, there will be situations that require re-planning, creative thinking, or adaptability. For instance, you may have a "go-bag" prepared at home, but what if the natural disaster hits while you're at work? Now, that just-in-case backup plan is unavailable. This is when you'll need to call on additional resources. Here are some ideas:
- Your endocrinologist's office, which may have reserve supplies to lend out
- Local diabetes support groups, either in person or via social media
- 24-hour pharmacies
- Diabetes device companies that have overnight shipping capabilities (most do)
- Inquiring about a loaner insulin pump from your provider, if necessary (usually available for trips out of the country)
In my experience, these organizations are more than willing to lend help if possible, so take them up on it. Surviving a natural disaster is stressful for everyone, but being prepared and open-minded will help you stay calm in the midst of chaos.
Looking for tips on preparing for activities much more fun than natural disasters? Check out this article with tips for managing diabetes during socially-distant summer gatherings.
