Jim Lovell’s mismatched filters. Carbon dioxide was building up.

If your insulin may run out, start calling before the last dose. In Houston, look for a community health center or low-cost clinic that accepts uninsured patients, then ask whether it can help with a prescription, a short-term supply, or a medication-assistance application.

In April 1970, Apollo 13 was losing the resources that kept three astronauts alive. After an oxygen tank exploded, Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise moved into the lunar module while NASA’s Mission Control in Houston worked through limited oxygen, water, and power.

The safe return was far from certain. Engineers had to solve one problem before it became fatal: carbon dioxide was building up, but the command module’s square filter cartridges did not fit the lunar module’s round openings. As documented in Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger’s book Lost Moon, the ground team built an adapter from materials already aboard and talked the crew through assembling it.

The lesson for a person watching an insulin pen, vial, or supply of syringes run low is practical. Do not wait for the resource to reach zero. Identify the next source, confirm what it can provide, and keep a second number ready in case the first plan fails.

Make the first calls before your supply runs out

Start with the clinician who last prescribed your insulin and the pharmacy that filled it. Ask whether any refills remain and whether the prescription can be renewed without a full visit. If you recently moved, lost insurance, or cannot reach the original prescriber, say that plainly.

Do not change your dose or ration insulin without guidance from a qualified clinician. If you have already missed insulin, feel seriously ill, or believe you may be in immediate danger, call 911 or seek emergency care.

Next, search your Houston ZIP code for safety-net primary care. CaminoCare lets you filter nearby options by uninsured access, sliding-scale fees, Medicaid acceptance, and Spanish availability. Each result includes an address, distance, phone number you can tap to call, the source of the listing, and when the information was updated.

Clinic details change, so treat search results as the beginning of the call, not the end of the plan. A clinic may appear nearby but have no same-day appointments, no pharmacy support, or requirements that affect your visit.

Ask questions that produce a usable answer

“I need diabetes care” may lead to a general scheduling conversation. A more specific opening helps the person on the phone understand the time pressure:

“I use insulin, I do not have insurance, and my supply may run out soon. Can your clinic help me get a prescription or connect me with a low-cost supply?”

Then ask:

• Can you see an uninsured patient who needs help before an insulin supply runs out?
• Do you offer sliding-scale fees, and what documents should I bring?
• Can a clinician handle diabetes medication during the first visit?
• Do you help patients apply for manufacturer or pharmacy assistance?
• Is there a pharmacy connected to the clinic?
• If you cannot help in time, where should I call next?
• Is help available in Spanish?

Write down the staff member’s answer, the appointment details, and any documents requested. Ask for the full expected cost of the visit when possible. “Sliding scale” can mean different things, and the amount may depend on income or household information.

If the first clinic cannot help soon enough, call the next one. A three-call plan is useful because appointment availability and medication support can differ between locations, even when both serve uninsured patients.

Build a backup plan you can use today

Your first choice may be a community health center that can provide ongoing diabetes care. Your backup may be another low-cost clinic, a free or charitable clinic, or an urgent option recommended by a clinician or pharmacist.

Keep the plan simple:

1. Call your current prescriber and pharmacy.
2. Call two nearby safety-net clinics.
3. Confirm which location can address the insulin issue soonest.
4. Save the address, phone number, documents needed, and expected cost.
5. Ask what to do if the appointment comes after your supply runs out.

CaminoCare’s Guide can turn a few plain-language answers into a shareable care-navigation plan without requiring an account. It asks only for a ZIP code for basic navigation and does not ask immigration questions. The plan helps organize where to call and what to bring; it does not diagnose diabetes, recommend a dose, or guarantee eligibility.

For another practical example of preparing two callable options before a health problem becomes an emergency, read The Two Clinic Numbers Elena Had by Breakfast.

Leave yourself more than one way forward

Apollo 13 returned safely because the crew and the team in Houston acted while they still had materials, time, and communication. They did not depend on a single perfect fix appearing at the last moment.

Use the same structure here, on a smaller and personal scale. Call before the final dose. Confirm what each clinic can actually do. Keep a second clinic number and the pharmacy number beside the first appointment details.

The next useful step is concrete: check how much insulin and related supplies remain, place the first call, and write down the answer before dialing the second number.