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Newly Diagnosed and Travelling

B

Binks

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Rude people and terrible drivers.
Hi All. I was diagnosed in Feb 2024 with high blood sugars and therefore Type 2. It was a real shock but has answered a few question.
I have medication and now recently on insulin and checking fasting blood sugars. I’m trying to get my head round a new diagnosis and travelling. We travel a lot and I like to be super organised. Last time we went away I had started meds and brought extra and also brought some snacks.
I’m looking for advice on a few things
-what do you use to travel with insulin and all other equipment? Not just insulin but needles/sharps box/figerprick test equip?
-what do you do before/during/after a flight? Food/Drink/Exercise
-what snacks do you take that not only last the flight but also for a week or so and then what do you look to stock up with while away to travel home with? I have a Europe Trip and a few USA trips. And how do you store all this?

Any Help/Advice/Tips/Tricks are greatly appreciated as I am finding this diagnosis a lot and I am not doing ok.
 
Hello and welcome.

Not an insulin user myself, but I'm sure others will be along soon to advise.

I do usually carry something to eat when travelling as experience has confirmed that food available in airports and on aeroplanes is generally very carb heavy. This isn't a snack (I don't have any need for snacks) it's a replacement meal or meals in case of delays. I've found that almonds/hazelnuts/walnuts, olives, salami (or similar) and some hard cheese will last a long time and be fairly filling. I use a couple of Austrian Army butter dishes to transport this - plastic, screws shut, doesn't leak.
 
Thank you! I’m still in the process of figuring out food situations and how best to eat. (Little and often/less but larger meals) but just trying to think ahead as my Other Half can go hours without thinking of food and I don’t tend to speak up (history or ED and body image- always thinking people think I’m so big fat lump needed to eat even though we all need to eat)
 
Thanks for the tag @Rachox .
I can comment on insulin but not snacks as my diet is not limited so the only food I carry is Lift tablets and maybe a few muesli/nut bars.
With regards to insulin, I carry all my diabetes kit in my hand luggage. If I will be outside in hot temperatures, I take Frio wallets to carry my insulin in. These are not needed for the flight as insulin is fine at room temperature.
The rest of my diabetes kit, I just keep in a bag in my hand luggage. Airport security don't worry about sharps shorter than 6cm so they do not care about needles and lancets.
I do not take my sharps bin. Whilst I am away, I put my sharps in a small water bottle and decant them into my sharps bin when I get home.
I am not sure what you mean by what to do before during and after the flight because I don't do anything different to any other day.
The only thing to consider is if you are taking nasal insulin every 24 hours, you need to consider time differences for longer distances. Travel to Europe (assuming from the UK) is not worth worrying about. But time difference to the USA you need to consider whether you are going to change the time of your basal or take it 24 hours apart (which may result in needing it in the middle of the US night). Not knowing your insulin regime, I am not going to go into potentially unnecessary detail here about that
I take twice as much of everything than I think I will need. I have reusable insulin pens but will carry a backup in case that fails. I have never taken a spare meter with me but do carry spare batteries for it.
I never inform airlines or security unless explicitly asked.
I know some people request an additional piece of hand luggage for medical supplies so they tell the airline. However, I am a relatively light traveller who hates carrying lots of bags so it all goes in my single carry on bag.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thank you so much for your insight.
I have been trying to work out if I needed to show or mention carrying needles etc as I would keep them in my hand luggage.
It’s all so new to me and I have some big trips coming up. I’m trying to figure out how I can change how I currently travel (I don’t like change- I have found my rhythm over the years and worry change will make me unstable again ) but if things don’t work that what what can I change.
 
Binks said:
I have been trying to work out if I needed to show or mention carrying needles etc as I would keep them in my hand luggage.
Click to expand...
Definitely keep all medication in your hand luggage as there is a (small) risk your checked in luggage could take "an alternative route". But there is no need to show or mention needles.

One additional tip is to make sure you have plenty of hypo treatment and keep some at your seat not in the overhead locker. It is not good having a hypo whilst taking off and not being able to access it without being on the wrong end of air crew's wrath because you had to stand up when the seat belt sign was on
 
Welcome to the forums @Binks

Speaking from personal experience as an insulin using T1, it's quite easy to go hypo while going through the rigmarole of getting onto a flight, and really not fun going through security when hypo, so I agree with @In Response that you should always have glucose in an easily accessible pocket. (And it's no use having it in the overhead locker on a flight if you go hypo while the seat belt signs are on.)

What kind of insulin regime are you on @Binks and do you recognise the symptoms if you go hypo?
 
Hey. Thanks for the welcome!
I wouldn’t have thought to keep anything in my seat so that’s good knowledge. I have trouble with my ears so normally have some sort of hard sweet to suck (will have to think about that) so I can keep the glucose/sweet together.

I have been on metformine for a few months but only a few days ago started on insulin so everything is new. I have been cutting down/out on sugar/carbs and only once suffered from some sort of low sugar episode while at work the other day- our meeting started earlier and ran later then expected and I was not prepared nor experience in dealing with this so didn’t notice the signs untill I went to grab my water bottle and miss judged it and then couldn’t really focus. Luckily a colleague noticed. So I have been trying to do lots of research so I can best help myself! And as I said above my other half can go hours without food so I need to get better at speaking up (not that he puts me down but if we are out for the day he just doesn’t always factor in food/drink stops and time just flies by!)
 
Hi @Binks are your diabetic team in contact with you about adjusting the insulin doses? It takes time to get the right dose of insulin and they should hopefully be in frequent contact to adjust your doses. Hopefully they will have stabilised before your next trip?
 
Having spent much of my life in commercial aviation, I would add:

Let every organisation (travel agent, insurance company, airline, airport management, security staff etc.) know in writing before the day, make sure you have copies of replies in writing, and be prepared for messages not being passed on (sigh) shouldn't happen but does. Staff on the aircraft are remote from staff on the ground, so tell chief steward as well if it's a long flight. Get copies of any paperwork from your medical team prior to any journey. Mostly nothing will happen where you need this belt-and-braces, but if you do - it's there.
 
Wow! In hundreds (literally) of flights with insulin via both pens and pump, I have NEVER informed airline. travel agent (although I rarely use one), airport management or security staff in advance that I have diabetes. It is none of their business and makes no difference to the way I travel or the service I require. I do not require any special treatment from the chief steward on long haul flights. I carry a letter from my hospital clinic with me and needed to show it ONCE in 20 years.
The only organisation I tell about my diabetes is the travel insurance but they have nothing that they need to pass on to anyone else.
 
Really interesting to hear others experiences. My OH works for an airline so I have sent him on a fact finding mission. But ultimately trying to navigate a new way of life without missing out on what I love.
 
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