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Taking a break from my pump ????

smc4761

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,041
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Greeting fellow pumpers, hope you are all doing well
I have been on my Medtronic pump for 3.5 years now and apart from my first few weeks on the pump, it has been a life changer. My control is the best its been in 41 years, my DSN says I am her star diabetic with great control.

However I am due to go on holiday for 2 weeks to Turkey, going through Dalman airport. Now along with taking extra supplies and taking my pens as back up, I am wondering is it worth the hassle to even bother taking the pump.

I will be in swimming on a regular basis both in the sea and in hotel pool

I have my letter from hospital advising I cannot put pump through X ray machine etc, so do not anticipate a problem going out of UK. However coming back and I am slightly concened about going through security at Dalaman airport. Language will obviously be a problem, if I am stopped and have to explain about pump. I am sure however they must see hundreds of travellers with pumps each week

My question is, has anyone any experience of going through Dalaman with a pump and how was it.

Thanks
 
I've flown to many places with a pump and have had no issues regarding x-ray machines, you wear your pump so it cannot go in your baggage hand held x-ray. You can walk through a metal detector but the body scanner is not recommended, I've always either been given a hand scan or allowed to place pump beside body scanner and collect the other side. I've got two replacement hips so set off all the alarms anyway. Some do as you suggest and move back to pens for beach/swimming type holidays but I'd not do it just for the airport.
 
Thanks for taking the time to reply it is appreciated, getting others experiences
 
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Hi, I have omnipod dash pump & when travelling home I've just handed over the NHS letter & shown the pump on my tummy & they understood. Granted this was spain but think you'd be OK from Dalaman. If you do decide on the pump break better speak to your team a few weeks before you go as I believe you may want to use pens in the week(s) preceding your holiday to make sure your insulin pen dosages are OK.
Have a fabulous holiday
 

Thanks for taking the time to reply, really appreciated

I spoke with the DSN a few weeks ago and she thought as I would be in the water a fair bit of the time, maybe I should come off the pump, but she was very supportive and helpful

I go on holiday next Saturday and started MDI last Sunday. But what a shock to my system, despite taking 20 % more basal and increasing Bolus slightly my BG are all over the place. Instead of being in Target on my Libre about 90/95% of time I am down to 70% in target.

Yesterday was a really strange day. I took my split dose of Levemir as normal at 08.15 and took, 14 units of Novo Rapid as my BG was at 9.2 when waking. I checked BG at 9am and it was 11.2, by 9.30 it had gone to 11.6. I had not yet eaten any breakfast!!!!!!!!!!!. By 10.15 still not eaten anything and it started to drop slightly to 9.9. A few more checks and it was dropping slightly. But by 11.30, still had no breakfast and it had only dropped to 8.7.

So over 3 hours later, a larger dose of Novo Rapid than normal, no carbs at all and my BG has stayed pretty much level.
Very strange.

I will keep it going on MDI for a few more days, but if my BG continue to be high, I may just take pump after all
 
Ouch..... what a nightmare, type 1 throwing a curve ball at you! Best of luck & hope it settles down for you. I'm only on the pump 14 months so not manoeuvred a break.
Fingers x'd for you.
 
My pump and I have flown a lot together. It has not been to Turkey but Dalaman is a popular tourist airport so I would expect security there to be au faint with insulin pumps.
For me, unpredictable, non typical days are the ones when I really benefit from the added flexibility I get from a pump. Therefore, holidays are the time when I really want it.

You current experience back on MDI is interesting. I was forced back to MDI for a week last year and found it challenging. After the small adjustments I can make with a pump, MDI felt like managing diabetes with a blunt sledgehammer.
 

Thanks for taking the time to respond

Thats me been back on MDI for almost a week now and its hard going. Bg still a bit over the place especially early hours of morning from about 3am until about 11 am.

I am seriously considering just taking my pump with me. Just disconnect when I go in pool and hope that cannula stays in place for the few days, before I need to change it. As you say the flexibility of giving small adjustments is fantasic
 
Personally I wouldn't consider a holiday from my pump unless it was a permanent decision, going back to MDI means adjusting until you get your levels right and that would take the fun out of the holiday completely for me, it's the last place i'd want to consider taking a break from my pump. Holidays and pumps are fine, do as already said and take it off for swimming, take pen back ups and take x3 of everything you think you will need and in your hand luggage too, but don't add the additional pressure of trying to go back to MDI, it's not worth it.
 

Thanks for taking the time to reply, its great to gt others experiences

I had a good day and night on MDI yesterday, so was thinking maybe I will just go with MDI. And of course along comes the curveball. A BG of waking up of 6.5 and since then its been rising finally hitting BG of 13.8.

So after the advice given and having watched numerous Youtube videos, I have decided to go back on my pump and take it on holiday, along with back up pens which I was always taking anyway

Thanks to all for the advice
 
I have a letter from hospital explaining all about pump and my other diabetes stuff and there is lots of it, pens, spare pens, insulin, test strips, spare test stips, BG meter, spare BG meter, needles, spare needles
I have managed to get the letter translated into Turkish so hopefully that should make things easier at Dalman
 

Have a great holiday, think you might be surprised how no one at the airport takes any interest in your diabetic supplies.
 
Chas C said:
Have a great holiday, think you might be surprised how no one at the airport takes any interest in your diabetic supplies.
Click to expand...

I had a letter printed about 5 years ago, took it on hols and no one was interested so haven't taken it since, the only special attention I get at airports is when they pad me down to check i'm not a terrorist !

Have a great holiday, but don't stress about anything they do see lots of diabetics travelling through so it's not a novelty for them.
 
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