Mike,

I am a type I, insulin dependent diabetic. While it may not be recommended, I successfully keep a backup kit (needles, alcohol prep pads, and 1 vial of insulin) in my desk drawer at the office. In general, though, my excess insulin stays in the fridge at home.

However, I am guessing your inquiry is in regards to keeping the excess insulin supply as cool as possible in the event of a power outage. This is a difficult question and one I have thought about off and on over the years. A few possible solutions I have considered include:

- Generator to keep the fridge going
- Keep the insulin cool in a cooler - make sure the insulin does not freeze; one of the coolers with a tray in it might be best to keep it from coming in direct contact with the ice; of course this relys on having a source for ice which may not be possible in the event of a widespread outage
- If you are close to a running stream or river, place the insulin in a waterproof case and place the case in the running river - be sure it is well anchored and easy to retrieve; the running water over the case should keep it cool enough

To be honest, though, as I mentioned before my backup supply at the office hasn't seemed to be affected by not being refrigerated (to be fair it is in at least a somewhat temperature controlled environment at the office). Likewise, the vial I use, which travels with me wherever I go, does not seem to be affected either (but it is used up fairly quickly). As long as you keep it from extremes of heat and cold, short term it should be ok from my personal experience. Longer term, there are much bigger concerns. As always, YMMV

I am flight nurse and we keep Humulin R in our main medication kit. It is subject to whole kind of temperature change. We change it every 2 weeks.

http://www.diabetesnet.com/about-diabetes/insulin/insulin-basics

Whooaa there. In the midst of normal conversation, a puzzle appears. Did someone say ... "There is a legal option that I feel obligated to mention but cannot in good conscience recommend: poppy seed tea. "

Is this actually true??

Can someone actually extract enough morphine from poppy seed tea to create a significant dose of morphine? That would be pretty amazing if it is correct. I would have thought that it would take a LOT of poppy seeds to produce any significant amount of morphine.

I am not asking because I have any interest in morphine as an illegal drug. I am asking because if the above statement is even close to being correct, then poppy seed tea could be a helpful pain reliever. But I've never head of anyone doing this - surely it would be well known if true.

Pete #2

WB Edited to specific

Hopefully this answer helps:

Why I know what I know:
At one time I was a Medic on a SAC base (Strategic Air Command - the B-52's with the big bombs). I was on the NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) warfare team and received lots of interesting training.
Later on - while a firefighter and a reserve LE Deputy I attended more CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) accident/incident classes - basically re-learning what I had been taught before)

I-131 is a radioactive isotope of I (Iodine) formed during the explosion of an atomic bomb OR during a severe accident at a nuclear reactor. It has a half-life of 8 days. SO 64 days after 100 grams is formed you have 0.390625 grams left.
(
amount decays by 1/2 per half-life.
creation 100g,
8 days later 50 gram,
8 days later 25 gram,
8 days later 12.5 gram,
8 days later 6.25 gram,
8 days later 3.125 gram,
8 days later 1.5625 gram,
8 days later 0.78125 gram,
8 days later 0.390625 gram,
you get the idea.
)
I-131 is treated by the body just as if it were normal Iodine and will be absorbed into the thyroid. Get too much - your thyroid can die. Get a little bit - your thyroid is subject to a greater chance of a cancer.

To prevent I-131 uptake by the thyroid, you have to flood it with non-radioactive Iodine.

There are two types of Iodine available:
- KI (Potassium Iodide) and
- KIO3 (Potassium Iodate)
that can be used to saturate your thyroid.

<< As a FYI, SSKI drops is a super saturated solution of potassium iodide>>

There seems to be some controversy/intense discussion concerning whether KI or KIO3 is best.

We were always issued KI pills.

Concerning which is best, I have read the papers quoted and for the most part MIS-quoted.
I am satisfied that either will do the job and that both have their downsides.
Neither downsides - in my opinion - are as bad as thyroid problems.

KI4U.com is a good place to read up on it.
Also the Medical Corps website is a good place to read up on it.

As it stands right now, based on what I know and for my location, I am not worrying about saturating my thyroid. You may want to check with local authorities for your area.

If you have any questions, concerns, comments, or just want to chat more about this, please do so.

WB