Last week my pod expired at work. You know my pod as Gizmo 2.0 – a wireless insulin pump that helps me manage my blood sugar levels and keeps me alive. It will always alert me to its pending expiration date by two consistent beeps … four hours… two hours… oh and it has less than 10 units left… one hour… expired.

I rarely let it hit that expiration mark, but that’s mainly to prevent the one long annoying beep (similar to when an EKG goes flat) that literally requires me to use a hammer to smash the pod until it stops (yes, I’ve done this – inserting a pen into the pod to deactivate this sound has never worked).

I have back-up supplies at my work desk (I like to be prepared). And even though I carry a vial of insulin with me and an extra pod, I failed to carry any alcohol swabs. I use these to wipe the dirt and grime from my skin before inserting the pod for a three-day life cycle. But this is an office, so I checked the first aid drawer in the kitchen (underneath the drawer with the ladles, who would have thought?) and found some hydrogen peroxide. It would have to do (three days later I ended up with a rash on my skin where the pod had been so note to self: hydrogen peroxide is not a good alternative).

Once the business of changing my pod was done, I asked my colleague if she had a dryer sheet. She almost laughed. I explained that in the winter, static electricity can deactivate my pod (this once happened the minute I put on a wool sweater), so I wipe the pod with a dryer sheet to keep the static at bay. She did not have one, so I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

With November being National Diabetes Awareness Month, I figured this would be an appropriate month to talk about some of the more humorous moments living with Type 1 diabetes. Follow #LOLT1D.

I always carry a dryer sheet in my purse, for example. On that particular day, I didn’t have one because I had given the dryer sheet to another colleague. We were at a board meeting, and she asked if her dress seemed too static-y. I asked her if she wanted a dryer sheet, and she just looked at me like she couldn’t believe I had a dryer sheet. Sure enough, I pulled it out of my purse and handed it over. Another dryer sheet saves the day.

This post is part of my #LOLT1D series.