If I am conscious and without cognitive impairment, I should have full responsibility for treatment of my diabetes -- without outside interference.

 My blood sugar meter and blood sugar control medications, including insulin syringes, should not be confiscated by hospital personnel. This is a barbaric practice that is rapidly being abandoned in modern hospitals.*

If I am unable to care for my own blood sugars, I expect that the hospital staff will exercise every effort to maintain my blood sugars within the range of [00-00].

Sincerely, cc: [Hospital administrator]

                       [Close relative or friend]

This letter may also be of value if you are to have certain outpatient procedures, such as endoscopy, cataract surgery, hernia repair, and so on. These are frequently performed in physicians’ offices or in hospitals without the requirement for staying overnight.

*Many hospital pharmacies do not stock the products that we commonly utilize in this book, such as 25-30–unit insulin syringes with 1/2–unit markings, detemir (Levemir) or glargine (Lantus) insulins, and lispro (Humalog) or aspart (Novolog) insulins.