Holidays

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janine19

janine19

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Im going on my first holiday in June since diagnosis. Ive just been looking at the frio packs but dont know which size is best. There is not a fridge in the hotel room so do I need to get one to keep my spare pens and one to carry with me? Im going to Italy so it will be quite hot in June.

Also how many spare pens/cartridges, needles and strips do people take with them? Right now I feel like filling my hand luggage cos im so nervous bout it all.
 
Great news Janine.
Well deserved after your Ac1 result

There are many experienced travellers in the group who I'm sure will give you helpful and practical advice.
 
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Hi Janine,

Your holiday sounds nice! Im glad to hear you have a frio, thats an essential in my book!
I take 2 spare vials of each, just incase (and this has bizarrely never happened so perhaps Im being over cautious?) one should break somehow. I put the other in the hand luggage of my partner incase I get robbed (freakishly never happened either!). Keep everything in your hand lugguage as insulin shouldnt go into the hold incase it freezes.

When travelling abroad I take a letter from my DSN (not dated so I can use it again etc) and my E111 card. I used to take a copy of my prescriptions, just the ones for insulin just incase (perhaps I should consider a career in risk management??!) but I dont anymore since I bought a scanner and scanned my vital docs and emailed them to myself, so they are perminantly online, very useful. Diabetes UK do a travel list on their website. Try and avoid leaving needles on your pens when abroad as the change in pressures during travel can make them leak. I found this in Turkey last year when the inside of my handbag was continually wet and I noticed I was losing novorapid by the tens of unit- made me nervous! But all was fine, I had afterall packed a life time supply!

I bought the large frio, wasnt really necessary for me I found as I only cool the penvials that are spare and not in the pen. I keep the pen out of sunlight and dont use the frio during the day. If you are going somewhere hot or on the beach you will need to rethink that.

Enjoy your holiday! Dont forget to work out your ice cream scoops!!! I went to Rome 2 years ago and the ice cream isnt to be missed!! xx
 
I brought the frio that holds 2 pens so could take it out with me. The other insulin I took was kept in the fridge, i was lucky enough to have one in the room.

I take far too much stuff like sugarbum, for a week I'd probably take 3 packets of test strips, around 40 needles, I take a spare pen device with me for each insulin, and a couple of syringes. I take a spare cartridge of each insulin. I have both a letter from my nurse and my repeat prescription. several packets of glucose tablets. a spare meter.

the 2 times I've been away I've never run out of stuff and only used half what I've taken, but prefer not to take chances, I've known people that have arrived home in DKA because they put their insulin in the hold and didn't have any for the flight.

I'm sure you will have a great time 🙂
 
Hi Janine,

For a typical week away on holiday or just away from home all I take is about two or three spare cartridges and a box of test strips. As for flying I would carry as much of your stuff as you can in your hand luggage so just in case there are any dramas with lost baggage etc. It would also mean that you had insulin for the flight.

Tom H
 
i use the frio pack that allows me to carry both my pens. i also take (depending on how long i will be away for) between 4 and 6 vials of my insulin. plus i take extra needles. all carried on in hand luggage.
 
Hi Janine,

I take two Frios when I travel - a large one to hold all pens, cartidges etc. And I then have one that holds just one pen I think, perhaps two... so that I have my Novarapid with me when out for meals and its still cool.

They are a great solution to no fridges in the heat, make sure you keep them charged, in hot climates I tend to give them a little soak everyday and don't let them dry out too much, take care not to over-soak them though.

Always keep them in the shade, perhaps the bathroom, but not near a window where the afternoon heat could build up and really test the properties of a Frio.

Oh, and even in a Frio don't pack anything other than your box of needles in hold luggage - an open 'to whom it may concern' letter from your GP or DSN will cover you just in case, I've carried one for years and haven't ever needed to show it.

Enjoy Italy!
 
Thanks guys. Think I may go with what Einstein does and have two, one for all pens and one to carry round.

Sugarbum I will def try the ice cream. We are having 4 days in Rome and then down to Sorrento for a week! Pasta, seafood and ice cream cant wait.
 
hi janine i am from italy now few laws changed in italy and you can have life saving drugs from the pharmacy without any problem and without prescription but i donot know about the payment with the E111 card
 
Janine - is this your honeymoon? I dont mean the diabetes honeymoon - i mean the wedding honeymoon!:D Bev
 
Wow! How exciting! You will have to post some pics on here for us Janine! Are you having a big family type wedding or a smaller affair?:D Bev
 
73 guests! Had planned on smaller but when u write the lists its amazing how many people there are. 73 was being cut throat with the original list! I will post some pics. x
 
janine19 said:
73 guests! Had planned on smaller but when u write the lists its amazing how many people there are. 73 was being cut throat with the original list! I will post some pics. x
Click to expand...

How exciting! And how romantic!!! Hope it is truely fabulous! x🙂
 
E111 is now called European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) - apply at https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do

Even if hotel room doesn't have a fridge, there's still cooler places (in shade), and wrapping any insulin in a damp cloth (eg dish washing cloth, kept in zip lock plastic bag when not wrapped round insulin - it won't help to cool if water can't evaporate) will cool by evapouration. Personally, I've never bothered with a Frio pouch, even for 1 month in Costa Rica. Just used a stainless steel thermos and was careful about not leaving insulin pens in use in warm places - avoiding direct sunlight, radiators (even if they're not currently swtiched on, they might be in the future!), bus holds (potential loss of bag through theft or heat from engine) etc.

Have a great trip.
 
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