Travelling

[helenc]

Hi
Has anyone travelled abroad with diabetes for a long period of time? (i.e. 2-6months or longer)
I am looking into travelling around Australia/Thailand next year and would like to hear from anyone who has experienced similar and how they coped with the heat/medication supplies/how to keep insulin safe and at correct temperature!

Thanks

 

[suzi]

Hi Helen,
Billb has travelled all over the world and if you go onto california dreaming i'm sure he'l answer any questions you have. At present he's in the USA and due to return home next week, he now lives in Luxenburgh.
Suzi x

 

[jopar]

Hi Helen

A friend who travelled around india, change his insulin pens for disposal ones before he went, so has each pen was finished he could be chucked...

I would contact you diabetic clinic, as I know mine will help and advice, not only amounts of insulin, avaiblity in countries that you want to travel to, but also help with guidence of how to readjust your regime to match a new time zone, all the require is enough information from you and of cause enough time for them to workout the details...

A piece of kit I have found brillient to help to keep my insulin cool, is a filo wallet, you dunk this in water and it keeps the insulin at the right tempreture, the lengh of time depends on how hot it is, but you can just reactivate by dunking in water again and again...

jo

 

[Geoff]

Hi Suzi, I am at present working and travelling to and from the U.K. to India every three months. I take three months supply of NovaRapid ad Levimar insulin with me in a frio travel bag on the flight out to India, this is a bag with two 200ml cool box frozen strips either side of the bag, and the insulin in a seperate pouch in the middle. I ask the flight attendants to put it in their fridge wile flying and keep my Nova pens that I am using in a frio cool gel bag for use on the flight and each night I keep this in my appartment fredge in India, to take with me to work every day.

I have been doing this for the last six months, and have not had a single problem with the storage and use of my insulin, temptures range from 20 to 35c, in fact I have been able to keep the same insulin for up to four months at a time without any loss of effect.

 

[Jen&Khaleb]

Hi, As I live in Australia I thought my info would be very helpful to you. The resources and support for diabetics is excellent here. I am in Queensland. I couldn't tell you if you would have to bring all your supplies out here but it is easy to buy most products over the counter at selected chemists. Hospitals would be able to offer assistance and all ambulances carry hypo-kits. Even if you were out west the Royal Flying Doctor Service would be available if the worst happened. I'd suggest you get travel insurance and make sure it covers an existing condition. I would imagine the biggest hassle would be the time change but with some guidance from your educator I'm sure it could be worked out. You might just need a midnight snack for a few days. If you needed any blood tests while you were here it is easy to see a GP and get a referral to a pathology lab. If you were planning to stay in backpacker hostels (I worked in the backpacker industry for 6 years) it would be worthwhile telling the receptionist or putting the info on your card that you are diabetic. We had a blind and deaf person stay at the hostel I worked at for a few days and everyone looked after him so diabetes is nothing. There are sharps disposal places in most public toilets but this is mainly for drug addicts. I tend to put my sharps in an old softdrink container and then bin them (this is ok with the council here). Anyway, if you decide to come out it would probably be pretty easy for me to find anything in particular for you.
Cheers, Jen.

 

[helenc]

Hi Jen

Thanks for your advice! Do you know if medication is similarly priced to the UK?

 

[j4d]

Hello Helen,
I went travelling a few years ago around Asia, Australia, New Zealand and America for 10 months.

I took cartridge pens since cartridges take up less room than disposable pens. To keep them cool, I kept them in a flask and put chilled water in every day.

I bought some insulin in a hospital in Bangkok (The hospitals there are amazing) but it was very expensive. If you can last out until Australia, where you can get a Medicare card and pick up supplies for free or very little (http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/pub ... jsp#N1008F)

When I set off, I was a bit nervous since I didn’t know anyone else who had been travelling with diabetes, but I didn’t have any problems and had the best time.

 

[Jen&Khaleb]

Sorry I didn't get back to reading your post.

Medication prices in Australia can vary and I hold a health care card for my son so scripts are all $5. As for buying Lancets, Needles, Test Strips I get a subsidy by being a member of Diabetes Australia. Lancets are about $15 for a box of 100 (mine are accu-chek) but they all seem much the same price. You can look up the Diabetes Australia website and see the cost of most stuff. If there is anything particular you want to know, just ask. The Diabetes Australia website probably has a place to contact them also and they are helpful whenever I contact them.

How are the plans going for your travels?

Jen.