For the second time in almost 30 years, I've managed to break a vial of insulin. Usually vials are fairly sturdy and if you drop them, they don't break. I was walking along my hallway (ceramic tile) and opening the insulin box while I was walking. I managed to get the box opened but dropped the vial. It fell on the floor and broke spilling the insulin on the floor. (I suppose the same would happen if I dropped a vial on concrete; I've dropped vials on carpets or hardwood floor many times with no real consequences (except occasionally having to look for the vial)).

The first time a vial broke on me, I don't think it was my fault. In my pre-pump days, I always carried a vial of insulin with me. In this case, it was a cold day and I had the insulin vial in an inside pocket of my coat (between the coat lining and my body). Something felt odd, and when I took the insulin vial out, I discovered that it had shattered. The only thing that I could think happened was that the vial froze and then shattered (I don't think I found frozen bits of insulin in my coat though).

That's why I always take 2 vials of insulin with me on vacation. Hotel bathroom floors are invariably tiled.

I am glad for this reminder. I am in the middle of moving into a new apartment, and the new one has hard tile (like stone or something - it's real nice) all in the living room/dining room area and the kitchen. I'll have to be careful getting insulin out.

Also, I think I'd better go down and get an area rug to put under the table where I change my sets. I've dropped a lot of insulin vials when I'm doing that. I've not yet broken a vial. I don't want to start now.

Tom

I'm a klutz but actually have not dropped many vials, and have never had one break. The floor of my kitchen is covered in some horrible linoleum or something so it's not rock hard. That's pretty much the only place in my apartment that I fill reservoirs or taken an injection if needed.

I take two when I travel in the US but three when I travel abroad. On our trip next week I plan to take three vials of insulin and about 4 sensors. I also take many infusion sets.

Oh a good reminder for us all to watch those hard surfaces. By good luck & not good management I always manage to do my set changes over a carpeted area but will remain mindful about that, especially if away from home.

I had a 3ml catridge of insulin in my work fridge from my insulin pen days and when I went to retrieve it the other day the whole thing was totally shattered! It was still inside the plastic foil thing, so what on earth must have happened to it that it got crushed like that?? I am also klutzy, so have dropped my share of cartridges in and out of packaging....strange.