Holiday advice for Omnipod please

[PattiEvans]

Just starting to pack to go on holiday. I have more than sufficient pods to change every 2 days, in case it's really steaming hot. Plus an extra 5 pods which would give me another 15 days. I have a spare PDM on loan from the manufacturers. My meter and a spare meter, plenty of test strips, ketone strips, plus my lancing device, a spare lancing device and 3 x Libre 2 sensors. That's without all the blooming medications I need to take (BP meds, thyroid meds, blood thinner etc). I was just about to pack 2 refillable pens and 100+needles and then I wondered under what circumstances (given sufficient pods and a spare PDM) I am likely to need to go back to injections. Wondering what others would do?

Obviously I'd rather be safe than sorry... but already my cabin bag is nearly full.

 

[helli]

I would always take spare insulin pens with me.
I have a different pump and can take spares of everything but ...
Personally, I fear me having a problem with my pump rather than the other way around. If I was to get a skin reaction, for example, which meant I could not use my pump, I would need a back up.
I would probably be more conservative with the number of needles I take. I assume the pump could fail half way through my trip and take enough needles for that. If it fails earlier, I could reuse needles (but never ever ever tell anyone) and could probably plead with a pharmacist for some more. They are much cheaper than pens and insulin.
It is all about insurance and what risk you are willing to accept.

My thought is, considering how much space everything else takes up, a couple of insulin pens and a small bag of needles does not take up much luggage room.

You could also ask for a second piece of hand luggage for medical purposes. But I would advise to get this agreed with the airline before you travel.

 

[Robin]

An extra medical bag is a possibility, but some airlines require a doctors letter detailing every single item that you need. (Easyjet certainly, I looked it up recently, and probably Ryanair - the low cost ones that charge you for large cabin bags, so everyone will be trying to swing an extra ‘medical' bag. Mind you, I did once see someone in a wheelchair with an enormous bag with a medical logo on it. We later met him on board ship, turns out his 'medical bag' contained his spare prosthetic leg!)

 

[Bloden]

I’ll be podding on holiday for the first time soon and will definitely be taking pens and needles as well. Mind you, we’ll be going in the car, so there’s a whole roof rack box for my diabetes gumph if I want. Better safe than sorry, is my way of looking at it. I don’t want to have to cut my trip short cos I’ve suddenly got no way of delivering insulin, eek! Happy hols!

 

[Inka]

I always take pens and cartridges with me when I go away. Better safe than sorry. I take double of all my pump supplies too. Yes, it’s a pain in the bum having to pack all the extra stuff!

Enjoy your holiday 🙂

 

[Lucyr]

One spare of each pen sounds useful, assuming one of each pen would cover a week / at least enough time to sort out more, in the event that you forgot/dropped/froze/boiled/whatever the vials. I wouldn’t take 100 needles though, I’d probably just take a handful and assume I could buy those over the counter if really needed, or reuse them if really stuck.

 

[PattiEvans]

One spare of each pen sounds useful, assuming one of each pen would cover a week / at least enough time to sort out more, in the event that you forgot/dropped/froze/boiled/whatever the vials.

They are reusable pens, with cartridges and the cartridges will be stored in the same Frio pack as the vials, so really would suffer the same fate.

I don't think I expressed myself very clearly in my original post. Of course I will be taking the pens, cartridges and some needles. I would be daft not to, but I was just interested, in theory, what could go wrong with the Omnipod, given that I will have a spare PDM and the pods are individual and only last 3 days, so if one fails you just replace it. So it's a very different situation to that which you would have with other pumps. With my previous pump (Accuchek Combo) the question was would the pump fail? In fact it did last June when we were abroad, or at least the handset failed, fortunately I had an old pump and handset with me and was able to pair the old handset with the current pump. What made me think was the fact that I only get cartridges prescribed when they run out of date, i.e. very infrequently, and they have dropped off my repeat prescriptions. I was putting the repeat prescription list (that you get with every prescription) in the bag with the pens and needles when I noticed this. I am going to phone the surgery to get the items replaced on the repeat and at least could show them on Patient Access then.

In any case I have tried researching online what insulins are currently available in Greece, but there seems to be little or no up to date information.

 

[helli]

@Pattidevans My reason for taking pens in addition to my patch pump (similar to OmniPod) is in case my body has a reaction to the pump whilst I am away.
A spare pump/pod would not help, I would need to revert to injections.

 

[nonethewiser]

I don't think I expressed myself very clearly in my original post. Of course I will be taking the pens, cartridges and some needles. I would be daft not to, but I was just interested, in theory, what could go wrong with the Omnipod, given that I will have a spare PDM and the pods are individual and only last 3 days, so if one fails you just replace it.

Nothing could go wrong, or you would be damn unlucky to have 2 pdms break.

Only thing would add is take plenty of spare batteries if using original pdm, or if using Dash handset take spare charger, been on omnipod for last 9 years only had one failure in that time where had to go back to pens, even then new pdm arrived next morning. Relax & enjoy holiday.

 

[PattiEvans]

@Pattidevans My reason for taking pens in addition to my patch pump (similar to OmniPod) is in case my body has a reaction to the pump whilst I am away.
A spare pump/pod would not help, I would need to revert to injections.

In 76 years I have only had one allergy, which was to a certain antibiotic which is no longer available. However, I take your point.

 

[PattiEvans]

Nothing could go wrong, or you would be damn unlucky to have 2 pdms break.

Only thing would add is take plenty of spare batteries if using original pdm, or if using Dash handset take spare charger, been on omnipod for last 9 years only had one failure in that time where had to go back to pens, even then new pdm arrived next morning. Relax & enjoy holiday.

That's very reassuring. However, this morning I received notice on the Covid app that I have been in close contact with someone who had proved positive. So it depends on whether I test negative on the PCR as to whether we can go. An LFT test this morning proved negative. Gutted and very nervous now.

 

[helli]

Nothing could go wrong, or you would be damn unlucky to have 2 pdms break.

As I have said twice, the problem may not be with the pump(s) or the pdm(s). Our bodies can be fickle and suddenly decide we don't like the adhesive used or we have an injury which makes it difficult to attach the pump or we end up in a hospital which will not allow pump usage or something else goes wrong with our body which means that a pump cannot be used.
Sure, the risk is low but it is still a risk for which I would like to have a back up plan if I am away from home in another country.

 

[PhoebeC]

An extra medical bag is a possibility, but some airlines require a doctors letter detailing every single item that you need. (Easyjet certainly, I looked it up recently, and probably Ryanair - the low cost ones that charge you for large cabin bags, so everyone will be trying to swing an extra ‘medical' bag. Mind you, I did once see someone in a wheelchair with an enormous bag with a medical logo on it. We later met him on board ship, turns out his 'medical bag' contained his spare prosthetic leg!)

If I had a spare leg bag it would still be small, I am only 5''3