How many is too many?

Muggins · Jun 22, 2015

Hey there, I'm going on my holidays in about 2 weeks time and I was wondering if anyone knew how many boxes of blood strips, insulin pens etc.. is necessary? I'm going for a week

Any reply is helpful, thanks!

satindoll · Jun 22, 2015

Well I would ask, how many strips do you use a day and times that by the amount of days you will be away plus a few extra, how many units of insulin do you use per day times the amount of days away plus a days worth, and work it out that way, but always have a spare pen and an extra cartridge of insulin, as pens can get dropped and cartridges broken. and don't forget to take extra needles..

noblehead · Jun 22, 2015

Muggins said:
Hey there, I'm going on my holidays in about 2 weeks time and I was wondering if anyone knew how many boxes of blood strips, insulin pens etc.. is necessary? I'm going for a week

Any reply is helpful, thanks!

Take more bg strips, insulin cartridges than you would usually use in a week and take spare pens too together with a copy of your repeat prescription, also Frio Wallets are great for keeping insulin cool in warm temperatures so are worth purchasing, you should also ask for a Dr's letter to say that you have diabetes and need to carry insulin, needles and other supplies with you, you'll likely not get asked to produce it but its there if you do.

There's some good information in the following about travelling with diabetes:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/travel

Clairey78 · Jun 22, 2015

I went on a 2 week holiday to America. I worked out what I would need for one week and doubled it, per week.
It's also worth finding out what your drugs and equipment are called in the country you are going to and have it all written down - just in case. But it'll all be fine and I'm sure you'll have a great time x

Muggins · Jun 22, 2015

Thanks everyone for all your help! I really appreciate it

️

Matt J · Jun 22, 2015

noblehead said:
Take more bg strips, insulin cartridges than you would usually use in a week and take spare pens too together with a copy of your repeat prescription, also Frio Wallets are great for keeping insulin cool in warm temperatures so are worth purchasing, you should also ask for a Dr's letter to say that you have diabetes and need to carry insulin, needles and other supplies with you, you'll likely not get asked to produce it but its there if you do.

There's some good information in the following about travelling with diabetes:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/travel

I never knew you needed a doctors letter for a week in Bognor

itconor · Jun 30, 2015

Muggins said:
Hey there, I'm going on my holidays in about 2 weeks time and I was wondering if anyone knew how many boxes of blood strips, insulin pens etc.. is necessary? I'm going for a week

Any reply is helpful, thanks!

i went on a 2 week honeymoon and took 600 tests with me... i didnt use them all but it gave me a sense of security

ginny s · Jun 30, 2015

Last year for a week in Tenerife I took double of everything what I would normally use in a week. Grip wallet was invaluable and check for fridge in accommodation. Don't forget a spare meter. Have a fab holiday

ginny s · Jun 30, 2015

That was meant to be frio wallet!

Samsquamch · Jun 30, 2015

I usually take what I'll use x2 and a few spares, and pack one set in 1 set of luggage, and the other set in another just incase something happens to your supplies (could break, get lost etc)

happier than you · Jun 30, 2015

Yeah umm, take as much as you need, plus vat.

Markpick · Jul 1, 2015

Muggins said:
Hey there, I'm going on my holidays in about 2 weeks time and I was wondering if anyone knew how many boxes of blood strips, insulin pens etc.. is necessary? I'm going for a week

Any reply is helpful, thanks!

I always take double what I need and always split it I carry half the wife carries the other, always take double after the mother in laws hand bag was stolen from undue our noses

Ilya83 · Jul 1, 2015

how many boxes of blood strips, insulin pens etc

As many as you can carry. Just in case

lizdeluz · Jul 2, 2015

Frio wallet was useful in Spain! I'd forgotten what a hassle diabetes is when you're checking in! I had remembered not to put insulin in my hold luggage! (Where it would be likely to freeze and be rendered useless). All the gubbins for testing, injecting, treating hypos ... takes up a lot of room in your hand luggage! I'd forgotten also that access to insulin in my hand luggage may not be that easy to achieve in practice: "Excuse me, can I get you to move", (so that I can reach up to the lockers and delve around for my testing kit and my insulin)? Thank you!" At check-in, I'd declared insulin in my hand luggage but I'd forgotten the liquid glucose in my hypo kit! So my hand luggage got sent back along the conveyor belt and I was searched, as usual!
I felt holier than thou, though, when I saw the amount and size of bags passengers were bringing into the lockers above the seats. I'd only brought a medium-sized backpack. Other passengers seemed to have huge trolley-cases plus other bags! The cabin staff had a hell of a job to stow it all, and much of it got shunted away from the relevant seats. Be warned if you're intending to go hypo mid-flight!

Muggins · Jul 2, 2015

lizdeluz said:
Frio wallet was useful in Spain! I'd forgotten what a hassle diabetes is when you're checking in! I had remembered not to put insulin in my hold luggage! (Where it would be likely to freeze and be rendered useless). All the gubbins for testing, injecting, treating hypos ... takes up a lot of room in your hand luggage! I'd forgotten also that access to insulin in my hand luggage may not be that easy to achieve in practice: "Excuse me, can I get you to move", (so that I can reach up to the lockers and delve around for my testing kit and my insulin)? Thank you!" At check-in, I'd declared insulin in my hand luggage but I'd forgotten the liquid glucose in my hypo kit! So my hand luggage got sent back along the conveyor belt and I was searched, as usual!
I felt holier than thou, though, when I saw the amount and size of bags passengers were bringing into the lockers above the seats. I'd only brought a medium-sized backpack. Other passengers seemed to have huge trolley-cases plus other bags! The cabin staff had a hell of a job to stow it all, and much of it got shunted away from the relevant seats. Be warned if you're intending to go hypo mid-flight!

What's a frio wallet? Never heard of it before

lizdeluz · Jul 2, 2015

There's an inner bag which you soak in cold water for about 10 minutes. The bag gets quite fat as it absorbs the water: it keeps your insulin pens cool for about 12 hours, and the fatness of all that absorbed water cushions the pens. Though it's wet, you dry off the outside with a towel, and then the bag is put inside an outer bag which you then put in your luggage.
My description sounds gruesome! Frio wouldn't employ me to write their adverts. Good product though!

azure · Jul 2, 2015

lizdeluz said:
Frio wallet was useful in Spain! I'd forgotten what a hassle diabetes is when you're checking in! I had remembered not to put insulin in my hold luggage! (Where it would be likely to freeze and be rendered useless). All the gubbins for testing, injecting, treating hypos ... takes up a lot of room in your hand luggage! I'd forgotten also that access to insulin in my hand luggage may not be that easy to achieve in practice: "Excuse me, can I get you to move", (so that I can reach up to the lockers and delve around for my testing kit and my insulin)? Thank you!" At check-in, I'd declared insulin in my hand luggage but I'd forgotten the liquid glucose in my hypo kit! So my hand luggage got sent back along the conveyor belt and I was searched, as usual!
I felt holier than thou, though, when I saw the amount and size of bags passengers were bringing into the lockers above the seats. I'd only brought a medium-sized backpack. Other passengers seemed to have huge trolley-cases plus other bags! The cabin staff had a hell of a job to stow it all, and much of it got shunted away from the relevant seats. Be warned if you're intending to go hypo mid-flight!

Yes, the amount of hand luggage some people bring on is shocking. One woman was dragging an enormous suitcase up the aisle. I swear she had two weeks worth of stuff in there. It is annoying when younparanoidly check and recheck your own hand luggage is the right size (because you obviously don't want it sent to the hold) and then people waltz on with big cases because they can't be ***** to wait at the carousels (heard one couple say that).

For anyone flying though, do check with your airline. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that mine allowed one piece of normal hand luggage but also an EXTRA piece for anyone with medical equipment. That made packing an awful lot easier as on other airlines I could hardly take anything on board after I shoved all my diabetes stuff in my hand luggage.

As well as taking double supplies, I also change any batteries before I go. Once my blood meter decidd to suddenly run out of batteries at the airport. Luckily I got some more, but it'd have been awful if it had done that on the plane.

I also take plenty of glucose tablets as travelling can be tiring and cause unexpected lows.

Scardoc · Jul 2, 2015

itconor said:
i went on a 2 week honeymoon and took 600 tests with me... i didnt use them all but it gave me a sense of security

****, if you slept 8hrs a night then that would be enough to test every 22.4mins whilst on holiday!

lizdeluz · Jul 2, 2015

Scardoc said:
****, if you slept 8hrs a night then that would be enough to test every 22.4mins whilst on holiday!

And?

I agree, but I found, probably @itconor might have felt the same, that I wanted to pack more diabetes stuff than needed. After all, no friendly family GP round the corner!
A test every 22.4 mins, that made me laugh!

Muggins · Jul 2, 2015

lizdeluz said:
There's an inner bag which you soak in cold water for about 10 minutes. The bag gets quite fat as it absorbs the water: it keeps your insulin pens cool for about 12 hours, and the fatness of all that absorbed water cushions the pens. Though it's wet, you dry off the outside with a towel, and then the bag is put inside an outer bag which you then put in your luggage.
My description sounds gruesome! Frio wouldn't employ me to write their adverts. Good product though!

I'll look into one thanks a mill!

How many is too many?

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Guru

Member

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Expert

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Active Member

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency