Best Cool Bag for travelling and any advice for travelling to Mexico?

[Traceyjane17]

Hi All
We are all having a family holiday to Mexico (which we booked before my 17 year old sons diagnosis in May 17). I am very anxious about going however the DSN has assured us were OK to go. And my son needs some fun after the stress of last few months...he has said to me that May has been the worst month of his life! Hasn't helped that him and his gf have broken up as well but that's another story!! Please can you give me any advice about managing T1DM in hot weather in an all inclusive resort, what is the best travel bag/flask to transport insulin and all the paraphenalia and finally has anyone had any problems travelling with insulin to Mexico? I am going to get a letter from DSN re travelling with medication. Thank you in anticipation, you lot are so supportive and have already learnt loads from this forum!! From a neurotic and nagging mother!!

 

[Lindarose]

Hi Traceyjane. I'm not type 1 and can't give you any advice however I am a mum and just want to say I think you're doing great. Definately not neurotic and coping extremely well. There's so much for you and your son to take on board. So glad you've found this forum to help when needed. I'm sure you'll have a great holiday 🙂

 

[Ljc]

Hi. A holiday will do you all good.
I found this travel info on the main site
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/travel
Some people use a Frio pack/bag to help keep insulin cool, it's not as cool as a fridge. You soak the pack in water for a while and as it evaporates it cools the insulin . Lasts for about 2 days before you resoak it, some use a small vacuum flask filled with cold water, I believe that whilst going through airports it mustn't have water in it.
Hope this helps

 

[Copepod]

I haven't been to Mexico since before diagnosis just over 20 years ago, but I have travelled pretty widely in Latin America - leading a 4 week youth expedition to Costa Rica (summer after starting insulin in autumn), 2 weeks solo touring round Dominican Republic, 3 weeks independent touring round Ecuador with partner, 3 weeks solo independent touring round Chile, then meeting partner for 3 more weeks in Argentina & Chile, and finally 5 weeks in Chile leading a youth exped that also included Falklands & South Georgia. In all those trips, I took insulin in a stainless steel vacuum flask, and using fridges when I had access. Speaking working Spanish really helps, but at least learn sin azucar = without sugar, and con azucar = with sugar. Flask has to be empty of water when passing through airport security, but rest of time, fill with chilled water (no ice) around cartridges in their blister packs.
Bien viaje 🙂

 

[trophywench]

... and the Spanish Z is pronounced 'th' like you have a lithp, and the C is hard, hence Ath-uck-aaaa.

The R at the end of a word isn't like an R in the middle of a word, where it is stressed, thus eg the word zero, which is 'zero' in Spanish too - is said 'th-errr-oh' since any R in the middle of a word becomes like at least two if not 3 of them together, in English pronunciation.

I've certainly been to Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Portugal, all over the old Yugoslavia, Greece, Goa, the Maldives and the Dom Repub as a T1 using insulin, and Frio Frio Frio all the way. Used to store the Frio with the spare insulin in the back corner of a wardrobe usually, behind the shoes, and just re-soak it in the bathroom sink every two days. I also had a small Frio to carry the in-use pen about during the day/evening.

General advice - some people use a lot less insulin when it's hot - others need more. However when I say that I mean short-acting insulin - though needing much less of that - or even none in some cases - I've never needed to reduce my long-acting insulin. You will have to make fairly instant decisions as to what to do once you see how his BG is behaving. If in doubt - always err on the side of caution - better to have a bit less insulin and run a tad higher BGs, even for a whole fortnight - than be constantly low for any length of time. Running at 8-ish instead of 6-ish (or whatever his parameters are) for a bit won't kill him any time soon. It's the mega spikes and dips that cause havoc quickly, usually.

Have fun! - and make sure you have half a ton of jelly babies (or whatever his chosen hypo remedy is) in your case, and about twice as much insulin strips and pen needles as you calculate he will need. Insulin in you hand luggage at all times, the in-use pot of strips in his test case, spare pot and c 2/3 days supply of needles also in hand luggage - other needles and pots of strips can go in a case.

 

[Copepod]

No lisping z in Latin America, so Trophywench's description of hos to pronounce azucar is wrong for Mexico.

Hope you all like arroz (rice), frijoles (beans), maiz tortillas (corn flat bread to roll up with fillings) etc. Although good might be more boring, aimed at tourists, than what we ate at the rehab centre. On weekly meat days, chickens were brought alive in boot in front of VW Beetle, then necks wrung and children employed to pluck feathers, then gutted by cooks. Delicious with chocolate mole or other spicy sauces. 🙂

 

[HOBIE]

Apparently someone wants to build a wall there. Enjoy !