I've travelled quite a bit since having my pump. I was initially a bit anxious but haven't encountered any major issues. I'd be much more worried about going back to injections than I am about taking my pump abroad! Here are a few notes based on my experiences:
> Definitely carry the letter with you. In larger airports, there is typically someone who speaks English so you should find the letter is sufficient to explain the situation. I've travelled through some small airports, and for those I took the precaution of writing down "I am diabetic. This is an insulin pump." in the local language, just in case they didn't understand (I've only needed to use it once, I think).
> You don't need to notify the airline in advance of travelling. However, if you are going to a country where the pump company can't get a replacement pump to you quickly (this only tends to be more out-of-the-way places), you may want to let them know so you can arrange to take a backup with you. Animas are fantastic about this - they have a pump loan scheme where you contact them two weeks before travelling and they send you a "loaner" pump to take on holiday. They courier it to you and pay for the return courier to collect it, too. They also provide their own letter for travel which explains about not x-raying the pump, etc.
> When it comes to going through security, I've done different things but the easiest one seems to be telling the security person before the scanner that I'm wearing an insulin pump which I can't take off (I've also just walked through, but usually I set off the scanner if I do that). That person usually tells someone on the other side so they can expect me to "beep" when I walk through. The UK airports I've flown through will usually do a pat down security check, and often want to swab the pump (i.e. wipe it with a cloth, which they then put through a machine). I basically expect to spend an extra few minutes at security now I have the pump, but the security personnel mostly seem familiar with insulin pumps so it is a very painless experience. I feel worse for the person I'm travelling with, as they typically need to hang around and wait for me for those extra few minutes.
> You can walk through the "old-style" scanners wearing your pump but not the newer full body scanners (the ones that look like a tube sitting on its side) - at least, that's the guidance for my pump. If you're at an airport where they have both, then just try to choose a security line with the old-style ones. If you're at an airport where they only have the newer ones, then you can't go through the scanner. It isn't a big deal, though. In those cases, I tell the security staff, show them my letter and they will do a manual pat-down security check instead.
> In terms of a backup for my pump, it seemed wasteful to me to be ordering pen cartridges that I was unlikely to use so these days I just take my regular pump insulin (i.e. insulin vials) and a packet of syringes (I was able to buy these in Boots for a couple of pounds). Given that Animas can typically get a replacement pump to me quickly for most countries I travel to, the possibility of using syringes for 24 to 48 hours doesn't seem unreasonable and I'm happy with that as a backup.
Wow, Thank you for the reply.
I'm going to America so no worries with the lingo.
I think I am going to stay on a pump rather than going back to pens (seems a bit backward to me having done lots of training and reading up to go back now)
RoDnEyBoY.