Long haul travel with T2

Allan, I would opt for wearing compression socks - and for asking for an aisle seat if possible. Then you may be able to get up and move around a bit ever so often without bothering your fellow neighbours. And remember to also wriggle your feet and legs regularly.

As to the food - ha! - I was so silly as to ask for a gluten-free diet at my latest long haul (Denmark - VietNam), - thought it might be more diabetes friendly. Alas! The most bland and boring food I have ever had - and lots of sugary fruit salads. And absolutely no spices .... . I kind of hoped that they had forgotten about my diet request at the return flight - but not so - I was always singled out and had my totally bland meal served to me before the food trolley came around. - Next time, I will just pick out the best options of whichever foods they normally serve from the trolleys. - And a few days with higher carb foods will not cause lasting harm - it is your long 'haul' (pun intended!) that matters.

annelise

Hi Qualman, Allan. and welcome.
This has been brought up a few times and this is the link.: flight socks | Diabetes Forum • The Global Diabetes Community
If you let the airline staff aware of your diet requirements, they will be most helpful.
If the link does not work, flight socks are ok and just get your doctor to confirm.

Could you buy some bits and bobs from the shop/café at the airport once you have checked in and gone through? They may have some low carb salads that might be OK for one of the meals. They may not be appealing, but there again, neither is the stuff they serve up on the plane!

Mud Island Dweller said:

We are flying to SA next year and l will be taking a load of snack bits with me.

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It is a while since I flew, but when I did we were not allowed to take any food through security. We had to buy it once through security. Has this changed?

qualman said:

Hi - I am newly diagnosed and have to do my first long haul business travel flight from London to Los Angeles - about 12 hours on a plane. with the outbound and return journeys separated by about 10 days. Any advice? I usually use compression socks to avoid DVT, but see that I am meant not to restrict blood flow to my feet so I am really unsure of what to do or not to do. Similarly with eating, I guess that for 1 day each way, just eating what the airline gives me is all I can do and not likely to cause lasting harm.

Any advice appreciated!

Thx, Allan.

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I've done plenty of that in my 10-11 months of being T2. I posted some of my views and experiences on a thread created by @Jill the tt , in readiness for her holiday.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/thr...als-for-a-long-days-travel.60845/#post-605631

There could be some useful comments on there.

Personally, I have never used flight socks. I always have an isle seat, and make sure I get up and have a stroll regularly. And the added value is I get some extended people watching in.

Have a good trip.

Edit: Edit to add thread url.

Bluetit1802 said:

It is a while since I flew, but when I did we were not allowed to take any food through security. We had to buy it once through security. Has this changed?

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Food is ok, liquid isn't. I'd be flamed if I posted what I took through though

It may be OK to take food through to air-side, but taking some foods into other countries is a bit of a minefield. Most immigration forms I have completed ask about carrying foodstuffs.

Last time around, I had a couple of 25g packs of salted peanuts with me in case I ended up in dire straits. A bit like the umbrella analogy.

I do a lot of travelling for work - usually more than 2 flights per week. There are ways around all this.
1) Use compressions socks - and make sure they are good ones as there are some real shoddy ones around! I of course have hypertension as well and swollen ankles takes a day or two to improve otherwise.
2) Airline food is about as bad as it gets for BG - I always travel with dried food or diet packs - as they are dry then no problem with airport security. I use either Kee Diet VLC or ULC products or Boosssh (Skinni Take Away Meals) - if you take a plastic container then the airline people are always happy to provide hot water. Plastic drinks shakers are very light, can be used to stuff all sorts of things into so no added bulk!

Plus I have only ever had to explain the food packs in one country so far - Russia!

Hope this helps.

Robin101 said:

I do a lot of travelling for work - usually more than 2 flights per week. There are ways around all this.
1) Use compressions socks - and make sure they are good ones as there are some real shoddy ones around! I of course have hypertension as well and swollen ankles takes a day or two to improve otherwise.
2) Airline food is about as bad as it gets for BG - I always travel with dried food or diet packs - as they are dry then no problem with airport security. I use either Kee Diet VLC or ULC products or Boosssh (Skinni Take Away Meals) - if you take a plastic container then the airline people are always happy to provide hot water. Plastic drinks shakers are very light, can be used to stuff all sorts of things into so no added bulk!

Plus I have only ever had to explain the food packs in one country so far - Russia!

Hope this helps.

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50/50 on the compression socks, if you suffer from any form of peripheral vascular problems.
Sometimes you just can't win!

I travel long haul all the time (20 long hauls per year) and I am Type 2.
I have the diabetic meal as it takes away temptation to eat the served up junk..
Its bland but OK its only for 12 hours.
Drink lots of water get an aisle seat to get up and about.
Buy some nuts or fruit of whatever does not spike you take it with you.
You will be fine its not a big deal really.
Dont forget to take your meds with you.