How do you say battery in German?

Some non-diabetics may find it incredible how much we diabetics – especially those who are insulin-dependent – depend on our glucose monitoring systems. You can’t make decisions about diabetes treatment without them. I understand that it sounds a bit discouraging, but either you know how much glucose your blood is carrying at any given time, or your treatment will most likely be diverted into unknown and most likely undesirable paths.

I’ll tell you an anecdote to illustrate this. I was to travel to Munich, Germany, for a conference to which I had been invited. Making an intercontinental trip from Puerto Vallarta to that city in southern Germany via a couple of cities in the United States has its complications, much more so for an insulin-dependent diabetic. After a night in Los Angeles and a stopover in Philadelphia, where I met up with my colleagues from Mexico City, we were finally flying over the Atlantic to Europe.

When I travel, I only need one of my four glucometers. I always carry the smallest one, which in my collection is the One Touch Ultra Mini. I happened to think it prudent to know what glucose level I had when I arrived in Germany a few minutes before landing so I decided to do a glucose test right there on the plane as it was about to descend. To my surprise, my glucometer wouldn't turn on! I had been using it already without any problems for two days of travel! Shaking it several times didn't help, and trying new test strips didn't either. The battery was dead. My most trusted ally in diabetes management decided to "go on strike" the very moment I arrived in Europe. "Don't do this to me now and here," I admonished it; in response, I received nothing but empty, cold indifference.

Losing my glucometer momentarily in my city is relatively manageable; having it happen in a faraway place with an unknown language, not so much. In unexpected situations like this it is very important that you have communicated to others the demands that diabetes imposes on you. I must say that when I informed my three traveling companions that I had to get that 3-volt Cr2032 battery right there in the terminal building before continuing our way to the city, they paused for a moment to assess the situation (someone in our entourage would soon be waiting for us) and soon resolved not only that this search would be conducted, but that we would do it together. What a comforting answer for a diabetic frustrated that his glucometer had decided to "go on vacation to Germany."

My traveling companions were amazing and so supportive.

So it was that we walked the airport, one of the most beautiful and organized I have ever seen and of course found an electronics store. Gee, I thought, “How do you say “battery” in German?” A beautiful and efficient employee instantly understood, in English and without any problems, what we were looking for. Voila! Not only did she locate the required battery within a few minutes, but she helped me put it in the meter, something I had never done before.

Meters have different features depending on their manufacturers and sizes. I have another, larger One Touch meter that does offer a “low battery” warning, unlike the version I took to Germany. This is a bit annoying because you must turn it off after reading the message – which is clearly stated – and then turn it back on to use it; however, that forcefulness does provide a bit of urgency and time, usually about two days of operation, to replace the batteries (this larger model uses two Cr2032s).

After my European experience with the One Touch Mini I have become a little more cautious – bad diabetic experiences are pointless if we don't learn – and now I buy a battery pack to deal with unforeseen events immediately, at home or at any far-off destination. Plus, it turns out that the other brand of glucometer I use, Accu-Chek, also uses that exact type of power supply. So, as you can see, fortunately not everything was a tragedy in this eventful story.