Holiday

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teapot8910

teapot8910

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi all

My family are looking at going to Florida next year which will be my first holiday as a diabetic (diagnosed Aug last year) and would really appreciate any tips/advice.
I'm a little worried about keeping the pen I'm using a normal temperature during the day, and where to store the used needles as I inject 4 times a day.
Also I've heard the cabin crew keep hold of all your injection stuff on the flights for safety etc - is this true??

Any help would be great thank you 🙂 xx
 
Cabin crew storing stuff for safety would be inaccurate according to my experiences, I kept all my stuff in my hand luggage and nobody was bothered.....the crew wont know anything about it unless you tell them......

As far as storage goes, you would just do what you would normally do in the house, insulin in fridge if not being used and the one you take out should be fine for the day............needles could just be kept in a bag or cupboard..
 
teapot8910 said:
I'm a little worried about keeping the pen I'm using a normal temperature during the day, and where to store the used needles as I inject 4 times a day.
Also I've heard the cabin crew keep hold of all your injection stuff on the flights for safety etc - is this true??
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Not really a big traveller, but I've never had an airline crew want to go anywhere near my bag of bits.

Might be worth discussing your concerns with your Doctor/DSN and asking their advice. I think the DUK website has some hints and tips too. Your DSN could write you a little note about carrying sharps/insulin etc onboard with you, though I'd be very surprised if you needed one going to the states.

Keep your kit in your hand luggage and with you through customs and just explain that you are a diabetic on insulin.

I believe the hold gets very cold on transatlantic flights, so keep everything (inc spare vials of insulin) in hand luggage.

If you are worried about it getting too hot while you are away, there are temperature controlled bags (called Frio I think) which will keep your supplies cool for you. Keep the pen you are using in the shade but I think they suggest you don't refrigerate them when in use. Make sure you always do an airshot before you inject. That way if an ambient temperature fluctuation has caused a little gap between rubber bung and pen plunger you won't get a mis-dose.

I'd suggest it's also worth taking WAY more insulin/test strips than you think you'll need. Perhaps twice as much. I've dropped a cartridge at home and cracked it before, which is fine if you've got lots in your fridge, but not if it's the last one in your bag... You'll probably find you need to test way more than usual too. Unfamiliar foods... more eating out... and the heat can affect your levels too.

For sharps I have a 'safeclip' device to remove the points, replace the plastic outer caps and then just keep them in the bag (a neoprene pencil case) with everything else. Can't advise you on lancets - I only ever change mine about once a year 😱

Have a great holiday!
M
 
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hi, I travel a lot and keep all my stuff with me in my hand luggage and then I put extra needles and tablets (over and above what I really need) in my hold luggage. Don't put insulin in the hold though as you don't know the temperature.
I use Frio bags which seem to keep things around 25C. I bought a little thermometer to keep an eye on it.
Cabin crew will not want to keep your stuff, they won't even know you have it. You do need a medical letter just in case security are bothered by your needles. I got mine from my DSN and there was no charge but your GP may charge. I just declare my needles at check in and they are not usually bothered about them.
You can get small sharps bins to take with you but I use the little travel sweets tins and then put them into my sharps bin on return. You can put those in your hold luggage.
At the moment I am in Turkey and cannot find anywhere willing to take my used needles so it's just as easy to put them in the tin and take them home. I'm not irresponsible enough to put them in the bin.
 
Thank you all for the tips/advice =D
I've been on the Frio website and will most definately be purchasing from them before going on holiday. Does anyone have any tips on time difference etc? We're going to Florida so i think it'll be 8 or 9 hours behind. Would I stick to UK time on the flight and when I land? Thanks again! x
 
Hiya hon,

I think its been mentioned somewhere above, but I had my pens leak over half a cartridge each on a flight to Turkey last year because I had left the needle on and the change in pressure had pushed it out. Spooked me in terms of supplies and an unexpected loss! (It also made everything very wet!).

I have never had anything removed from me, I also have never heard of this so really dont worry. Pleased to say I have had never had a problem flying and staff being funny with my kit and Ive flown quite a bit since diagnosis.

Keep plenty of snacks on you, even if a meal is provided. You never know when you could be delayed/hypo etc and in general take plenty of supplies.

Florida sounds fabulous- hope you have a wonderful time and relax! 🙂

Safe travels x
 
This is some good advice if you are a new traveller with diabetes http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to...tes/Travel/Things_to_check_out_before_you_go/

Do you have a travel letter? If not, it may be possible for you to get one without making an appointment. Be wary of your GP who may charge around ?20 for that bit of paper! If you have your DSNs email (or maybe given them a call) they might kindly email you one to print or pop one in the post....my DSN emailed me mine. She was keeps them on file and just changes the name so kindly obligued free of charge 😉
 
Thanks Sugarbum 🙂
I've got another 1 or 2 trips to the hospital for my 4 monthly check-up before I go so I'll ask for one then as they said they'd do one for free that I could use again and again. Thanks for the link though! x
 
I would have a word with your medical team about your injections, the bolus ones are OK as you just do the normal thing with food. If you inject Lantus then you may want to gradually move the injection time so that you don't need to get up in the middle of the night to do it> I don't know the profile for Levemir but ask your nurses about what you should do.

You may wish to let the flight crew now you are diabetic in case you need an OJ or sugary drink to quickly bring up the levels. The flight to Florida is quite long - you could say that they probably won't need to help but just in case ...

Check what your insurance covers - make sure that they now you are diabetic, some policies will cover replacing insulin and others will not.

Also if you do need medical help then be aware that the US system of measuring BMs uses a different scale mg/dl rather than mmol. The US version sounds much higher they are about 18 times as large eg 180mg/dl is about 10mmol.

Hope you have a lovely trip
 
Can't advise you on lancets - I only ever change mine about once a year 😱
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Ditto! Mike, you crack me up! I swear you read my mind.

On the travelling thing: I went to Menorca last year, so might be slightly different to flying to Florida. I was really panicking about it. Was terrified of being stopped & grilled about my needles & insulin. So I got a letter from my DSN AND my GP. Took copies of both. Had everything in my hand luggage (1. in case the hold luggage gets lost & 2. because the temperature in the hold can damage insulin). There were no questions asked at all. My hand luggage went through the x-ray thing and I got it straight back - apparently the machine didn't pick anything up.

Whilst on holiday I found the heat & exercise made my BS much lower than normal, but I had experienced this before and was prepared for it. Just keep an eye on them & test frequently.

Above all, try not to stress & have an amazing time!

Em
 
Thanks all for your tips 🙂

I think we've told the airline and are getting insurance through Diabetes UK as it covers family members too. I'm on NovoRapid and Lantus so hopefully the time difference won't affect me too much. It's a day flight there and a night one coming back which will be fun! 😛

Feeling much less panicky now so thanks guys :D

xx
 
I was just about to start a thread on something very similar - going to Italy on business in October which is the first time on a plane since being diagnosed.

I had read about taking more supplies than you need and keeping it all in your hand luggage along with a letter from your GP, but I am now reassured that I will be able to get through security fairly quickly (no need to leave more time then!) and also I will be able to get through Rome airport on the way back with very few words of Italian, and certainly not enough to explain that I am diabetic and need a bag full of sharp things....

Will be sure to go and check the travel insurance policy though....

Thanks guys
 
I'd say take more than twice the amount of insulin you'd normally use... when I went to Canada last year I lost 150U in the flight when my pen leaked (yup, left the needle in...) then with North American portion sizes too, I used loads more Novorapid than normal, and worried about running out in the final week! It was fine in the end, but I was a bit paranoid as I got down to my final cartridge. I kept my lantus at the same UK time ( so as Canada was 8 hours behind, I took it at 3pm there, when it's 11pm at home) to save having a gap in lantus as I adjusted to the local time - but I have read about people gradually adjusting to take it at local time instead. Sounds like you'll have a great trip.
 
By the way, which part of Lincolnshire are you in? I used to live in Lincoln, I was reminiscing today about Lincolnshire Poacher cheese...
 
I think I'll keep some in my hand luggage and some in my parents, just incase!!
We usually do a lot of walking around especially with the theme parks so I'm hoping it doesn't cause too many hypo's but fingers crossed it'll be a good 10 days =)

Haha sounds tasty! I live about half an hour away from the 'wonderful' place that's Peterborough...
 
I went to Florida a couple of years ago, I have never had a letter from GP or DSN either.. all my insulin went in my hand luggage and I have never had flight crew take anything from me. Take your normal insulin with your breakfast and when you have a meal inflight, then when you get to Florida you will probably land about supper time their time (6pm ish) and then when you eat revert to their time and take your supper insulin then.. the first day is a bit difficult but it can be done, I am on 5 jabs a day.. You can go to walmart and get a sharps bin and I think you can take them back there to dispose of, but not sure, other than that have you got a needle clipper, or get a coke bottle and discard your needles in that and bring it home with you.. have a fab time I love Florida.. I like staying in the Disney Resort, where are you staying?? I have been to Walt Disney World about 9 times I think now lol
 
Thanks for the advice squidge! I've got a big sharps bin that I can take with me which can go in my case. Can't wait now, wish I didn't have to wait 8 months! We're staying at the Fantasy villas, I think this is our 7th trip XD first one as a diabetic though!
 
Thats good about the sharps bin.. i was on tablets when I went to Disney after being diagnosed diabetic and in Epcot i was in the body world section and they had these bikes you could do to test heart rate etc... well I thought ok will try that, and went hypo .. thankfully my friend went to the food court and found me some ice cream, good thing about theme parks something to hand...
 
I have travelled quite a bit too and the advice here looks very sound. One minor point that I cannot see mentioned elsewhere, when going through the hand baggage security check at both UK and USA airports you are asked to put any liquids into a small re-sealable clear plastic bag as they go through the x-ray machine. I put my insulin in this bag, and also my pens when I was on MDI. They have never caused a problem with getting this bag through the machine. That said there have been occasions when I have left a pen in my hand baggage by mistake and I cannot say that ever caused my bag to be stopped either.

One 'value' tip about those small polythene bags, if you see them handing them out at the entrance to security then grab a handful. Some airports, for example Manchester, now charge ?1 for each one so it is worthwhile having a spare or two and they are reusable! I suspect that if the likes of Manchester make a success of charging then the practice will spread to others. 😡

I have a doc's 'letter' but have never been asked to present it. It is worth remembering about the security guards that you will almost certainly not be the first insulin dependent diabetic that they have seen, in fact you are probably not the first they have processed that day if you are at a main airport. They will thus be familiar with what the standard insulin sharps and equipment look like, including pumps. One time a few years back a guard asked permission to take a closer look at the pen I had, not for safety reasons but because his wife was Type One and he had not seen a pen like mine before - it was a restyled model!! 😉
 
richardq said:
I was just about to start a thread on something very similar - going to Italy on business in October which is the first time on a plane since being diagnosed.

I had read about taking more supplies than you need and keeping it all in your hand luggage along with a letter from your GP, but I am now reassured that I will be able to get through security fairly quickly (no need to leave more time then!) and also I will be able to get through Rome airport on the way back with very few words of Italian, and certainly not enough to explain that I am diabetic and need a bag full of sharp things....

Will be sure to go and check the travel insurance policy though....

Thanks guys
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You don't need to be fluent in a language to be able to say "diabetes" and point at yourself, and "needles" and point at pack of sharps / insulin pens, plus smile and say "please" / "thank you", which I feel everyone can learn in every language they encounter, although I admit I can't remember the words any more if it's been some time since I needed them. Actually, words like diabetes and insulin are very similar in most European languages, at least.
 
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