Other Essential and Helpful Information and Tools
We’ve been there—facing a hospital stay, a health scare, or just the worry of “what if.”
That’s why this section is packed with tools we’ve found helpful ourselves: how to safely switch from a pump to injections, a sick day checklist, a step-by-step guide to creating your own Personal Medical Resume, and a Life Planning Worksheet that gently walks through the stages of health, from thriving to end-of-life.
You’ll also find tips for organizing healthcare directives, estate documents, and building a team of advocates who truly understand your wishes.
Because planning ahead isn’t about fear—it’s about dignity, strength, and peace of mind.
Additional Resources
Extended Emergency Go Bag for Insulin-Using Diabetics
Guide on how to put together a larger go bag for T1Ds who require insulin.
Preparedness Resources
Additional preparation resources.
Essential Packing List for Traveling with Type 1 Diabetes
Supplies and documentations to carry for people traveling with T1D.
Medical IDs
Reviews of medical bracelets and other IDs and their advantages and disadvantages.
Instructions for Emergency Contacts in Android Smartphones
Step-by-step instructions of how to add emergency contacts in Android phones.
Instructions for Emergency Contacts in iOS (iPhone) Smartphones
Step-by-step instructions of how to add emergency contacts in iPhones.
Taking a Pumpcation or Pump Failure
How to temporarily switch from an insulin pump to injections (and back again).
Switching from Pump to Multiple Daily Injections
Guide on how to transition from an insulin pump to multiple daily injections
Sick Day Checklist
Printable checklist for how to survive a sick day.
Planning Ahead: Advance Directives & Estate Organizers
How to plan for medical situations so your loved ones don’t have to make these difficult decisions for you.
Last updated 07/22/2025.
Recent Stories
The Wit and Wisdom of Fran Carpentier: 57 Years with Type 1 Diabetes
“I think that my first husband felt that I made life hard for us. I couldn’t be as spontaneous as he probably wanted me to be. You know this was pre-insulin pumps and CGMs. We were young, he wanted to go out and do things and I felt I had to do things a certain way to keep my sugar really well-controlled. I think I’m the most fun person in the room, but he felt that I was a wet blanket. There was probably truth to it forty years ago. Today, technology has freed up life for us T1Ds. Of course that freedom means relying on all manner of medical apparatus and being visible about it.”
Museum curator, 77, Learns Gen Z (AAVE) Slang and Goes Viral: “Honestly, she ate.”
The National Gallery of Art’s deputy head of sculpture stepped behind a 16th-century urn and began to describe it to the camera. “Chat, I’m about to buss it down Roman Empire style,” said Alison Luchs, 77, using Gen Z slang she recently learned. “Haters will say this urn is mid, but they don’t know we’ve clocked its tea.”
Aging with T1D: In Living Color
Haidee Merrit is a New Hampshire-based artist best known in theT1D community as a cartoonist whose three books of diabetes-themed cartoons and illustrations share a humorous, and often edgy, take on life as a type one. She is also a colorful artist whose works are vibrant and lively, often featuring vividly detailed insects or splashy abstract landscapes. She met with us at T1Dto100 to talk about what led her to her specific art forms and her philosophy about living with T1D.