Flying

[NoKindOfSusie]

Hello

Tomorrow I have to fly from London to Melbourne. I used to love travelling and I am going home to see my family which would normally be good so tomorrow should be an exciting day. However I am now less than 2 months from diagnosis and this whole situation scares the absolute living **** out of me, and I probably shouldn't be doing it, but the only alternative was to waste the ticket and accept that I am a useless sickly invalid who will never travel on her own again, so er how about no, I'm doing it anyway.

Still if anyone has any experience of how this is all likely to work out I would be very grateful to hear about it. I will go through security at Heathrow and Changi in Singapore. People keep telling me not to check in any of my diabetes stuff, as if, who on earth would risk them freezing/losing/breaking stuff and in any case I'll need it, the flights are 12 and 7 hours. Also I have visions of dodgy customs inspectors going "aha drugs" and taking me aside into the rubber glove room if I'm not there to say "um actually..." Of course they can do that anyway and there's no real way to stop them.

My biggest fear is dozing off and waking up in the air at some horrible low number ("Shakes on a Plane?") which happened for no readily apparent reason on Friday and made me think "hm it can't kill me but it can make me wish it could." Yes obviously I can take stuff with, and they have those little cans of coke and stuff which are probably about right, but I don't really want to be staggering around economy class like that. I don't know what jet lag is likely to do to me either, especially as if I keep taking the Lantus every 24 hours it'll then be in the evening rather than the morning.

Worst of all I will arrive in time for lunch and sometimes we go out to eat straight from the airport. I will try to avoid this as I don't really want to spring it on them in a public venue, so I may have to order carefully and scurry off to the bathroom with my stuff. Or just have diet mineral water and a low-cal air sandwich protein style but that might seem weird.

Mindi

 

[Deleted Account]

Hi Mindi,

Flying is no problem with diabetes. I have done it lots and lots and lots of times.
Security are familiar with diabetes stuff but probably won't even spot it.
Make sure you have a letter from your doctor just in case. I have been travelling with diabetes for 15 years (probably over a hundred flights) and only needed it once.

I assume you are on multiple injections and carb counting - keep doing that as you normally would including taking your Lantus every 24 hours.
Take at least twice as much of everything as you think you will need. If you have spare pens, I recommend taking them for piece of mind.

When you check in, you will be asked if you have any sharp objects in your hand luggage. I get a sneaky enjoyment out of saying "yes" and then hesitating as the check-in person starts to panic before adding "I have diabetes". Then they relax.

Jet lag affects everyone in different ways whether you have diabetes or not. So it is not easy to say how it will affect you. The best thing to do is test, test, test to find out and then react accordingly. For me, I sometimes see a slight rise in BG but nothing major.

You mention your concern about injecting in public. I guess this has nothing to do with flying. It is reasonable to feel uncomfortable about this at first. But I always say there is a big difference between injecting in public and injecting publicly. If someone around you has problems with your injections or BG test, that is their problem not yours. They can choose to look away. You can't choose not to take insulin.

Have a great time in Melbourne - I'm jealous; not only because it is Spring there now but also because I used to live there and miss ambling along the beach in St Kilda, eating in Papa Gino's on Lygon Street and talking about doing the Great Ocean Road but never making it all the way.

 

[NoKindOfSusie]

I don't care about injecting in public, I could not care less. I care about injecting in front of my parents before we have had the "I have something I need to tell you" conversation. Otherwise, they'll freak out utterly, who wouldn't.

I don't have a GP in London (I doubt I have one in Melbourne anymore.) I have the prescriptions with my name on them which I am told will be OK. I'm only there for ten days so I shouldn't need anything there but one day I will have to work out what my healthcare status is in Australia these days and what I'm going to have to do about getting supplies, and whether I can even afford to ever go home for long periods.

Thanks for the good wishes but I am dreading it. I have to tell my parents what the situation is and I can't imagine they're going to be very happy with me, I should imagine it will be a pretty stressy ten days. When I booked this flight (months and months ago) I was happy about spending money on it because it was travelling and seeing my folks and all my old buddies, but now it's just something else that's a bit ruined. It feels like I ought to be able to leave diabetes here and just go home and be normal. I can't imagine wandering around places I know really well with all the stuff in my backpack, it's just weird.

And I believe the term "diabetes" actually means "no more italian food for you ever."

 

[Fairygodmother]

Of course you can travel! Of course you can.
But . . . I’m trying to work out why your parents aren’t going to be very happy with you. Is it just a way of saying they’ll be upset that you’re now T1? Can you forewarn them or is it something you want to do face to face? A coffee at a cafe, before lunch?
And you can eat Italian - get the carbs and Cals app for your phone and use it. I’m not sure if Australia’s got a policy of places telling customers what the carb content of their food is but they may.
If you let the cabin crew know you have T1 then they’ll no doubt be kind and helpful.
And enjoy the wandering around old places. You can. As time goes on it’ll be second nature to do what makes you happy while carrying the kit needed.
Have a great stay in Melbourne! X

 

[NoKindOfSusie]

They'll be upset I didn't tell them sooner. A very helpful friend recently said that I should just tell them the truth, that I didn't want to upset them and I'm sorry that I don't have any choice but to upset them somehow.

In theory yes I could go and eat a massive pizza, I'd love to, but I have so far managed reasonably decent numbers and I don't want to spoil that. I don't want to be sitting here in 20 years with horrible stuff happening thinking, if only I hadn't eaten all that pizza/pasta/potato/whatever. Yeah it's no fun but nobody said to me it was supposed to be fun.

 

[isjoberg]

@NoKindOfSusie it's probably been quite a rollercoaster since you got diagnosed, so maybe if you explain that they will understand why you haven't told them yet. Have you spoken to your doctor about your basal insulin injection times? You may want to move it forward/back by a few hours each day until you fly so you're in Australia time, or you can just give it in the morning if you normally give in the evening or vice versa.

About pizza, you can very reasonably achieve decent numbers with it, if you account for the carb content and split your dose? It is a bit of a tricky food to get on board BUT it isn't impossible and takes a few trial and error attempts. Same for all food, you can eat what you like and have good control!

I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time and think of the warm weather and seeing your family!

 

[Circuspony]

So Spain isn't Australia, but I flew out on hols 4 weeks after being discharged from A&E as a newly diagnosed type 1.

I avoided the ridiculously long check in queues at Gatwick by playing the 'i'm type 1 and I need to eat' card. I told anyone and everyone at check in and security that I was carrying insulin and needles - they didn't care. In fact my needles are 4mm which you don't need to declare.

I totally get the parent thing. Mine know but I haven't seen them since I started taking insulin so would probably just disappear off to the toilets rather than have them stare! My friends don't care and I'm 100% capable of carrying on a conversation while checking my bloods, attaching a needle to a syringe, shooting a stream of insulin into the air and then sticking it in me. You will be too. Your friends will be fine.

Stick all your gear and jelly babies in your hand luggage and run a bit high if it makes you more confident.

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[TheBigNewt]

I've never had anyone in an airport even ask to look at an insulin pen, syringes in my carryon, insulin vials in my carryon, lancets, nothing. I always carry on everything that has to do with diabetes too. I've never had a doctor's prescription with me for anything either, pills, insulin, glucagon pen. That includes international travel. The only thing I'll mention is the UAE won't let you bring in prescription narcotics like Vicodin I don't think, or if you do it's a huge hassle.

 

[NoKindOfSusie]

@Circuspony, you're probably right and I should try to be less messed up about it. I have some very good friends here in London who have been absolutely chilled out about it (at least they seem chilled out) and that helps. I do need to have my mum and dad on my side though, maybe I'm still 8 years old inside but I need to feel that they're okay with it like my buddies here are, so I don't want to hide it from them. It's just tough when there's something so visible and obvious connected to something that is so hard to process mentally. I guess I am just a lot more screwed up than most people, I'm not even very good at being diabetic.

@isjoberg I don't theoretically have a doctor, I have a dissolute collection of diabetic specialist nurses who come and go and don't listen to me much. At some point I will just take it on myself to make decisions about when to take stuff but I really want a CGM before I get to doing that as otherwise I just have to put the whole day aside to test and test to make sure I'm not killing myself.

 

[Fairygodmother]

They'll be upset I didn't tell them sooner. A very helpful friend recently said that I should just tell them the truth, that I didn't want to upset them and I'm sorry that I don't have any choice but to upset them somehow.

In theory yes I could go and eat a massive pizza, I'd love to, but I have so far managed reasonably decent numbers and I don't want to spoil that. I don't want to be sitting here in 20 years with horrible stuff happening thinking, if only I hadn't eaten all that pizza/pasta/potato/whatever. Yeah it's no fun but nobody said to me it was supposed to be fun.

Good luck! Please don’t inject in the toilets - too many ‘germs’ around! Your parents will probably find out soon enough so imo if you tell them straight away you’ll give them time to get over any upset and to enjoy your stay. Just thinking about how it’d be if one of my daughters arrived home with news that she’d got a lifelong condition that required monitoring for her to stay healthy and live long. I’d be upset, certainly, but I’d want to do everything I could to help her so if she was nervous about eating a whole pizza I wouldn’t press her to.
I imagine your parents will be the same. Above all, they’ll be overjoyed to see you.
Have a great trip! X

 

[NoKindOfSusie]

Thanks folks, OK, I'm going, I'm out the door, here goes nothiiiiing....

 

[isjoberg]

Thanks folks, OK, I'm going, I'm out the door, here goes nothiiiiing....

safe travels!

 

[Juicyj]

Have a great trip @NoKindOfSusie

 

[slip]

 

[DobbieTheElf]

Hello

Tomorrow I have to fly from London to Melbourne. I used to love travelling and I am going home to see my family which would normally be good so tomorrow should be an exciting day. However I am now less than 2 months from diagnosis and this whole situation scares the absolute living **** out of me, and I probably shouldn't be doing it, but the only alternative was to waste the ticket and accept that I am a useless sickly invalid who will never travel on her own again, so er how about no, I'm doing it anyway.

Still if anyone has any experience of how this is all likely to work out I would be very grateful to hear about it. I will go through security at Heathrow and Changi in Singapore. People keep telling me not to check in any of my diabetes stuff, as if, who on earth would risk them freezing/losing/breaking stuff and in any case I'll need it, the flights are 12 and 7 hours. Also I have visions of dodgy customs inspectors going "aha drugs" and taking me aside into the rubber glove room if I'm not there to say "um actually..." Of course they can do that anyway and there's no real way to stop them.

My biggest fear is dozing off and waking up in the air at some horrible low number ("Shakes on a Plane?") which happened for no readily apparent reason on Friday and made me think "hm it can't kill me but it can make me wish it could." Yes obviously I can take stuff with, and they have those little cans of coke and stuff which are probably about right, but I don't really want to be staggering around economy class like that. I don't know what jet lag is likely to do to me either, especially as if I keep taking the Lantus every 24 hours it'll then be in the evening rather than the morning.

Worst of all I will arrive in time for lunch and sometimes we go out to eat straight from the airport. I will try to avoid this as I don't really want to spring it on them in a public venue, so I may have to order carefully and scurry off to the bathroom with my stuff. Or just have diet mineral water and a low-cal air sandwich protein style but that might seem weird.

Mindi

I flew around the same time as you after diagnosis, and it was fine. I recommend keeping all your spares in your hand luggage, because anything can happen in the hold. They didn't bother me about the sharp objects and the 'drugs' when I went through. They are probably told about them.