First time holiday since Type 1 Diagnosis - advice please...

[Combatfod]

My 7 year old boy Kai was diagnosed with type 1 in January this year. He does his own injections and blood tests but we're trying the freestyle libre sensor so less finger prick tests 🙂. We're thinking of braving it and going on holiday abroad and have some questions:
1. I've been told hot weather affects the insulin required so may need more - is this the case?
2. Which are the best cool packs/cases for the insulin pens to take on hols please?
3. Any other advice about flying? Is it ok to go through the scanner with the freestyle sensor?

Thank you 🙂

 

[Robin]

Hi, I'd say, go for it! For your immediate questions,
1. I find hot weather needs a downwards adjustment, at least for the first few days, as the body is working harder, and insulin sensitivity increases. This is a personal thing, some people find the opposite, the answer is, keep testing and be prepared to adjust either way!
2. I use a Frio pouch, which you soak, and it cools the insulin by evaporation. Others use a small thermos flask, which can be filled with cold water once you've got through security.
3. I wore a sensor through the airport scanners, and ones at the dockside when I was on a cruise recently, and it was absolutely fine, It doesn't 'ping' and it keeps working!

I was told to get a doctor or diabetic nurse to write a letter explaining the need to carry insulin/ sharps through security, but I've never been asked to produce it, they all seem clued up, and a couple of times when my pens have obviously looked dodgy on the X-ray machine, a supervisor has quickly come along and explained to the person scanning that it's insulin!

Anything else that occurs to you, ask away! Someone on here usually has the relevant experience.

 

[Sally71]

We went to France when my daughter was 7, it was scorching hot and I was a bit worried about the insulin going off in the heat, but it didn't seem to be affected. I use a Frio bag too, funnily enough that was the only thing that security were interested in - I guess whatever gel stuff it's made of plus little bottles inside must have looked a bit odd on the scanner! But as soon as they saw it they lost interest and didn't bother to listen to the explanation of what it was. I always carry a letter too from our DSN but didn't need it.

Regarding how much of everything to take with you - insulin, needles, test strips etc - work out how much you think you will need and at least double it, and split it between two or more bags so that if one goes astray you still have enough supplies. Always carry insulin in hand baggage, it will freeze in the hold and that's worse than it getting too hot, it definitely won't work once it has thawed!

 

[DeusXM]

Insulin requirements go haywire when travelling as the stress of the journey, the change in routine, the different food and the climate all have an effect. Your son may need more insulin, he may need less. The only way is to tell is to test, test, test.

Frio packs are a good shout for transporting insulin and keeping pens cool when in hot places. NEVER use ice-packs, you might freeze the insulin by accident. NEVER check ANY diabetes stuff into the hold, keep it with you in the hand luggage. Aside from the fact that temperatures in the hold can trash insulin and test strips, if the stuff is in your hand luggage, you always know where it is.

The Libre sensor and scanner should be fine at airport security - I actually went through Heathrow security this morning for the first time with a Libre on and it still works and didn't even trigger anything.

 

[Copepod]

I prefer to carry my insulin in an ancient (had it before I was diagnosed and started needing insulin 20 years ago) stainless steel vaccuum flask to hold insulin, as it offers better physical protection against knocks and vibration, as well as extremes of temperature. Obviously needs to be emptyy of water when passing through airport security, but can fill up with cool tap water once through. Alternatively, I wrap insulin in clothing, deep inside rucksack, away from direct sunlight, radiators, engines etc. That's worked fine for 4 months expedition leading in Chile, Falklands & South Georgia, 1 month expedition leading in Costa Rica, 1 week trekking in Atlas Mountains in Morocco, 1 week hut to hut ski touring in Norway, 1 week touring round Jordan, 5 weeks independent travel / trekking in Chile and Argentina, 3 weeks independent travel / trekking in Ecuador, lots of adventure race marshalling, usually camping, all over UK, Belgium, Ireland, Poland, Portugal etc.
Insulin requirements depend on activity levels as well as weather, food etc so be prepared to monitor blood glucose and adjust doses.
I strongly recommend learning the local language words for foods you are likely to encounter eg sugar, bread, rice, pasta, potato etc, so you can ask for more or less in portions for your son. Kai means eat / food / meal in Maori language, by the way.

 

[heatherjoy]

Make sure you pack supplies in hand luggage just incase a suitcase goes missing or is put on the wrong flight! As everyone else is saying just keep testing and have a good time!

 

[Combatfod]

Hi, I'd say, go for it! For your immediate questions,
1. I find hot weather needs a downwards adjustment, at least for the first few days, as the body is working harder, and insulin sensitivity increases. This is a personal thing, some people find the opposite, the answer is, keep testing and be prepared to adjust either way!
2. I use a Frio pouch, which you soak, and it cools the insulin by evaporation. Others use a small thermos flask, which can be filled with cold water once you've got through security.
3. I wore a sensor through the airport scanners, and ones at the dockside when I was on a cruise recently, and it was absolutely fine, It doesn't 'ping' and it keeps working!

I was told to get a doctor or diabetic nurse to write a letter explaining the need to carry insulin/ sharps through security, but I've never been asked to produce it, they all seem clued up, and a couple of times when my pens have obviously looked dodgy on the X-ray machine, a supervisor has quickly come along and explained to the person scanning that it's insulin!

Anything else that occurs to you, ask away! Someone on here usually has the relevant experience.

Thanks Robin for my first reply to my first post 🙂 Will head off to buy a Frio pouch. Thanks for the advice and support.

 

[Combatfod]

I prefer to carry my insulin in an ancient (had it before I was diagnosed and started needing insulin 20 years ago) stainless steel vaccuum flask to hold insulin, as it offers better physical protection against knocks and vibration, as well as extremes of temperature. Obviously needs to be emptyy of water when passing through airport security, but can fill up with cool tap water once through. Alternatively, I wrap insulin in clothing, deep inside rucksack, away from direct sunlight, radiators, engines etc. That's worked fine for 4 months expedition leading in Chile, Falklands & South Georgia, 1 month expedition leading in Costa Rica, 1 week trekking in Atlas Mountains in Morocco, 1 week hut to hut ski touring in Norway, 1 week touring round Jordan, 5 weeks independent travel / trekking in Chile and Argentina, 3 weeks independent travel / trekking in Ecuador, lots of adventure race marshalling, usually camping, all over UK, Belgium, Ireland, Poland, Portugal etc.
Insulin requirements depend on activity levels as well as weather, food etc so be prepared to monitor blood glucose and adjust doses.
I strongly recommend learning the local language words for foods you are likely to encounter eg sugar, bread, rice, pasta, potato etc, so you can ask for more or less in portions for your son. Kai means eat / food / meal in Maori language, by the way.

Wow, you certainly don't let Diabetes stop you do you? Amazingly inspirational and makes my worries about a flight to europe sound pathetic ;-) Thanks for the Kai Maori definition. We got married on Mauritius at a place called Kapu Kai (forbidden sea) so we called our son Kai. Also heard Kai means Rejoice in some languages 🙂

 

[DeusXM]

Just a quick update - when flying back from Dusseldorf yesterday, my sensor triggered the detector so I got taken aside for the waving of the wand. In a slight panic - as my German is just about good enough to let me buy a beer and not say 'this is a new kind of blood glucose monitoring sensor that's stuck to my arm and you may not have seen one of these before because they're not very widespread and why are you greasing up some rubber gloves?' - I mumbled 'it's a blood sugar thing' in English and he waved me on without even touching it or asking me to take off my shirt.Possibly the German authorities are a bit more clued up on these things given it's sort of a German product anyway.

Of course, it was then that I found my bag had been taken aside to be swabbed for explosives, so that was thrilling too.

But the important thing is that I was fine in the end and I don't think the double search was connected. But on reflection, it might be worth keeping something like the instruction guide for the Libre in your pocket just in case.

 

[Combatfod]

Just a quick update - when flying back from Dusseldorf yesterday, my sensor triggered the detector so I got taken aside for the waving of the wand. In a slight panic - as my German is just about good enough to let me buy a beer and not say 'this is a new kind of blood glucose monitoring sensor that's stuck to my arm and you may not have seen one of these before because they're not very widespread and why are you greasing up some rubber gloves?' - I mumbled 'it's a blood sugar thing' in English and he waved me on without even touching it or asking me to take off my shirt.Possibly the German authorities are a bit more clued up on these things given it's sort of a German product anyway.

Of course, it was then that I found my bag had been taken aside to be swabbed for explosives, so that was thrilling too.

But the important thing is that I was fine in the end and I don't think the double search was connected. But on reflection, it might be worth keeping something like the instruction guide for the Libre in your pocket just in case.

Good story - glad the rubber gloves weren't needed! Great tip to take the instruction guide with us, thanks!

 

[Alba37]

Not sure of you have been yet or not Combatfod, I have a checklist for injections and pumps on my website which might help:

Injections

pump

If you've not been yet, hope you have a great time, if you have been hope it went well! 🙂

 

[Combatfod]

Not sure of you have been yet or not Combatfod, I have a checklist for injections and pumps on my website which might help:

Injections

pump

If you've not been yet, hope you have a great time, if you have been hope it went well! 🙂

Thanks so much Alba37. We've just got back but just checked your checklist and think we managed to get most of that ticked off so phew! Almost thought "is it worth it when packing/planning?" but so glad we went and it was so worth it. We did make up a laminated card saying My son is insulin dependant in English and Greek and that proved useful going through Security in Greece. They still insisted on xraying the libre scanner and blood test monitor (the UK Security team were happy not to scan it) but it doesn't seem to have wiped the data. My little boy's levels were fine on holidays and didn't seem to be affected by the heat. The freestyle libre sensor came off after day 1 though. All good though as it stresses us out even more when it's on! Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[Alba37]

So glad you had a great holiday and Kai's levels were good. 🙂