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My logistical nightmare and other worries!

Claire007

Well-Known Member
Hello everybody, I am hoping all you wise pumpers might give me ideas on how best to handle my basal rates for my upcoming travels! I am anxious about how it's all going to pan out and the plan that I had in place, might not now work. Here goes!
I am making the following journey, first time long haul with diabetes.
London - New York
New York- Boston
Boston- San Francisco
San Francisco - LA
LA- Miami.
I have the accu check insight and I also use the libre. Libre wise, I'm not touching it as far as time differences go, as I know it wipes data and the time doesn't matter, it's just for info so all good.
But basal wise, my idea was to still use my pump but use an average daily flat rate basal due to the many time zones, instead of changing the time every 4 or so days and convincing my body day is night or night is day! That was before my basal needs went a bit haywire!
Basal rates now vary between .33U/h to .66U/h with the higher rate being to combat DP between 6 & 10am
So wise people, what would you do? It's going to be hell isnt it?!? The other thing is my basal needs change a fair bit depending on my cycle which is erratic and I've still not worked out a proper strategy other than tweaking it up for two weeks, norptching it down again.

Christ can I just have a working pancreas back for 3 weeks???

Other quick Q. I'm going for 3 weeks, so will take plenty of supplies as well as pens/insulin. How to transport insulin that's not in use? Previous holidays I've shoved a few cartridges inside a frio made for pens, is that a safe enough way? Then in and out of a fridge and chuck it all away when I get back?


Your thoughts are as ever much appreciated.
 
For that kind of trip and with your daily variation, I'd change the time on my pump. If you stick with a single basal, you may as well use MDI for the trip.
I recently did a 8 day trip with 3 different time zones which I managed by changing the pump time and it was fine.

As for the insulin, I have been away for 3 weeks, mostly camping in hot conditions, used Frio bags (which I regularly replenished), had no fridge in sight and the insulin was fine: no need to chuck it when I got home. However, I kept a close eye on my BG when I got home to check.

But most importantly, have an amazing trip. I'm jealous reading your itinerary.
 
Thanks for your reply, I think I will need to change the time. Is it best to change it as I board to go to the next time zone or when I land?
I can't get my head round how my body clock will react though! I think I'll be getting Dawn phenomenon at midnight, well, not quite but, at least I'll have the libre.
 
Hi Claire, a year after getting my pump my husband and I set off to walk the Inca trail in Peru with travel via the US. My advice would be to change the time on your pump whilst on the plane each time and just keep using the libre to check what's happening on a regular basis. I generally find my basal rates go haywire when I go on holiday, even if I'm in the UK. My routine and exercise levels are so different to normal that I often end up on temporary basals for much of the time, but sensor information becomes invaluable.
 
hi there @Claire007
I deffo agree with changing the time on your pump
I recently flew Manchester to Portland Oregon. ( 8 hours behind us time wise )
I changed the time 4 hours backward half way through the flight and the other 4 hours upon landing.

this worked pretty well for me.

also agree with leaving libre on its own time and subtracting in your head.

this worked good for me

as has also been said -- holiday basals can be different to normal at home -- just due to different exercise , eating patterns and jet lag etc lots of scanning with the libre !!

have a fab time !!!!!!!!!!!
 
Thanks, yes you're right, when I started on the pump my basal was pretty much flat rate, but I think my 2 year long honeymoon is over as my bolus ratio has changed a fair bit too.
I'm a mix of apprehension around airport security and time zones, and excitement around seeing my teenagers faces when we arrive in New York!
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
 
Most of my travels with my pump have been to the US - Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, ... and my experience of US security is better than the guys in Heathrow. Be prepared to highlight your pump, wait a bit and be patted down. In my experience, they will absolutely no way touch your pump ... which is fine. They have always been polite about it and slightly apologetic about having to put you through the ordeal. But the great thing is that they know what an insulin pump is, what they do about it and have never questioned why I will not go through the body scanner.

Focus on the excitement ... I bet it will be on your face as well as your teenagers'
 
Check your airline regulations as to the insulin too. On a Manchester-Chicago flight I was told insulin is a prescription medication so needs to be in the original packaging, on the way back I was told that as a liquid it needed to be clearly visible and in my plastic bag.

Oh, and at high terror alerts they can request you keep only one needle/syringe and temporarily give the rest to the flight crew (really hoping this doesn't happen for you).
 

I would totally agree change time remembering pump is master change time on pump first then check hand set use TBR for cycle problems and check BG levels more often best of luck.
 
Hi, you might have been and returned by now, but just in case: we've just returned from the US. My son was diagnosed with T1D in Nov 2016 and this was our first long haul (also the US) and indeed holiday with diabetes. I bought two mini fridges (for insulin meds) from Amazon which store: up to 3 filled Lantus/ other pens in one and glucagon and two unopened vials of Humalog in the other. The fridges stay cold for hours in hand luggage and you just plug them into a USB socket on the 'plane if you need more than about 10 hours of life in them. As we went from hotel to hotel, we asked for fridges and used them. As we hired a car, we used the fridges in them. The fridges have a car USB post connector with them as well. We also used frio bags for the convenience of day to day use. If we were going again, I might be tempted to just stick with the frios and bring less insulin. But for the first trip, I wasn't as confident as I'd be now.
 
Sounds like a crazy exciting itinerary!

You could try calling the companies you're flying with and asking for their specific policies for insulin. You might get lucky and even persuade someone to give you something in writing that you can keep with you on the flight, just in case you get hassled by attendants or handlers.
 
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