Round the World trip

[PaulLove]

Hi there,

I am a newly diagnosed type 1 at the age of 31 and I think I am learning to cope with diabetes quite well. I must say - this forum is great.. I've already got loads of tips and advice just by reading other peoples posts.

But now I'm stuck on something..........

Early next year, myself and my wife (getting married in 4 months, so will be wife by then!) have planned on a round the world trip for a year. Going to all kinds of cool places like New Zealand, Asia, India and Africa. Now, what do I do about my diabetes?? Do I try and take enough insulin to last a year?! Do I need to buy insulin while on the road? How much would it cost? Or should we cancel the trip altogether? (Last option would be a final straw as we have planned this for ages and are very excited about it!!)

Any help, comments or suggestions would be most welcome

Paul

 

[hazey276]

Hi Paul, congrats on the forthcoming wedding and wow wot a great idea to travel the world. I'm newly diagnosed myself but when i've been abroad for short periods i've used a Frio bag which you can get from lloyds chemists (It's cheaper to buy it from frio online direct and costs about £16 for a large one). However, this was only whilst i got my insulin to a fridge at the other end. I'm sure that you won't have to cancel your trip. You will, have to buy your insulin as you travel to each destination but as to the cost I haven't got a clue. You'll get lots more posts from people with loads of knowledge on this site who will, i'm sure, answer your every question.

Good luck and best wishes with the wedding and your impending trip !!!

Hazey

 

[hanadr]

I assume you have a detailed itinerary. Noting how long you'll be in each place.
Contact the Embassy, High commission or Consulate for each country you will be passing through and ask them what you need to do to get supplies. I'm sure that places like New Zealand will be simplicity itself, others may be more difficult. i would suggest that you check on alternatives to your usual insulin, just in case you need them and Don't forget test strips, glucose tabs and ketostix, in case you are taken ill.
Make sure you have details of your condition and your treatrment on you in several languages. The Medic alert system works internationally. I would make cards and laminate them.
Teach your wife how to check your BG. If you're planning to stay in international hotels, you'll have no problems. Remember to allow for delays at airports.
Keep your control tight, avoid infections and you'll be fine. Keep insulin cool, an insulated conainer of some sort is needed.

 

[ChocFish]

Oh how nice for you to travel to all these exotic countries, I travelled overland to Australia on the so called hippy trail (giving away my age here )

Here is a link that may be helpful, contact the diabetes orgs in various countries for further information maybe while you are still in the planning stages?

http://www.idf.org/home/index.cfm?node=471

All the best and lots of fun travelling

Karen

 

[ChocFish]

http://www.diabetes.ca/Section_About/travelkit.asp

http://www.diabetesexplained.com/travel ... betes.html

2 more links for you

 

[PaulLove]

Wow.. brilliant links.. Thank you so much. This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for!

Now it's not quite so daunting about where I can get help and information while travelling!

But please do keep the tips and links coming, I want to get as much information as possible.. I don't want anything to spoil this very exciting time in my life!

 

[greenmonkey]

Hi Paul,

I undertook a similar trip myself not so long ago. I went to see my GP beforehand to explain, and he upped the amount of insulin on my prescription, i.e, so instead of one box, I had three each time I requested it. I just kept putting the prescription in, so eventually I ended up with more than enough insulin to cover my time away - which was around about nine months. I also invested in a 'friobag' to keep the insulin cool.

For god's sake, don't let being Type 1 cause you to reconsider an adventure of a lifetime! Plan and you should be fine. Perhaps make a visit to your GP and ask for advice? Maybe get a letter drafted in the language of any foreign speaking countries you might happen to stumble across, explaining you have diabetes and what insulin you take, etc. I have heard you can get such letters drafted - unsure as to where though.

Hope this helps...

 

[scottishkate]

Hi Paul,

You're trip sounds totally exciting - very jealous :mrgreen:

As greenmonkey says it's a very good idea to get little cards made up in different languages explaining what you are carrying - especially useful for airport security. I got some foreign students at my uni to do it for me. I travelled around India for 6 months (solo, 18 years old, type 1 - I thought I knew it all!) and never had any major problems. Before I went I found out the names of the major hospitals (you can usually find out the name of a diabetic doctor by doing a bit of research) just in case I got into trouble. I took loads of insulin with me in a frio bag and when I got to each hotel (hotel? that's a joke - try a grotty hostel!) I got then to put most of it in whatever fridge they had available. Mostly, people were more than happy to help. I also took a ridiculous amount of test strips (if your strips come in little bottles of 25 then decant one bottle into another to save space - making sure the calibration numbers are the same of course). Make sure you carry lots of glucose with you especially if your on long road or train trips. Always carry a credit card - most meds can be bought.

But most of all, enjoy what's going to be one of the best experiences of your life

Katie.

 

[chocoholic]

Well I have a great tip for you. Get someone to carry your bags for you. Ideally this person should be female, aged 50, reliable, trustworthy, available for the dates you are going(anytime) and erm.......uses the name chocoholic on a diabetes forum. :wink: Hmm. I think I know just the person.

Seriously though, I am dead envious of your trip. It sounds wonderful.Enjoy yourselves.....life is for living!

 

[Katharine]

You can copy the emergency card information from the module at http://www.dsolve.com onto google translation tools or babelfish and have them translated into many different languages.

The cards cover: Emergency treatment of hypos, high blood sugars/potential ketoacidosis, food choices in hospital and blood sugar monitoring in hospital.

 

[PaulLove]

Thanks for all of your replies.. Very helpful! Now to go and chat woth doctor to see how much insulin I can get from him, then buy a few more Frio bags to keep it all cool!

When we do jet off, I will be keeping a blog of the trip.. which will also have all my experiences of this kind of trip with diabetes. I'll post a link near to the time in case it'll be a help / inspiration for others wanting to do a similar trip.

Thanks again

Paul

 

[IanD]

Every issue of Balance magazine has an article on diabetes in foreign countries, including important phrases. See Travel